The first impression of Aesop Hiroshima is shaped by its steps—both the functional flight that leads to its second storey, and the successions of gently curving gangi that make up the floor, the walls, the benches, the counter. It is a feature that invites the visitor to be immersed in a space informed by water—namely, the rivers of this delta city. The distributaries of the Ota river that meander through Hiroshima in vivifying tracts are as fundamental to the lives of locals as the iron that has driven and sustained their city since its founding. Longstanding design collaborator SIMPLICITY drew deeply upon this geographical context and industrial history to create a store that honours human ingenuity as much as it does topography.
Signature store
Aesop Hiroshima
Phone
Opening hours
- Monday11:00am - 7:00pm
- Tuesday11:00am - 7:00pm
- Wednesday11:00am - 7:00pm
- Thursday11:00am - 7:00pm
- Friday11:00am - 7:00pm
- Saturday11:00am - 7:00pm
- Sunday11:00am - 7:00pm
From the main shopfloor which evokes the city’s distinctive waterfront landscape with its steps of elemental terrazzo, Aesop Hiroshima ascends to a second-level parlour, where an en-suite basin enables more intimate consultations than the communal sink below. Laid out in a series of alcoves, this floor speaks of traditional industry with concrete mortar underfoot, and timber furnishings, while paying homage to Aesop’s origins as a hair salon with a shampoo bowl and a vintage barber’s chair. There is a quietude and intimacy to this upper level that distinguishes it from the statelier feeling below. Here, two benches allow for unhurried exploration of Aesop’s unconventional fragrance range—in the Infusion Chamber, visitors can imbue a piece of clothing with the aroma of their choice. This is a space of ease; a tranquil place to sit, compare, and contemplate.