Abstract
This paper attempts to clarify the characteristics of small independent retailers of second-hand clothing and examines the factors of its agglomeration in Tokyo. The number of second-hand clothing stores in Tokyo grew dramatically in the 1990s. The growth was accompanied by the spatial concentration in several commercial areas including Koenji, where many small young independent retailers opened shops. Grounded in research in Koenji, this article shows that the agglomeration formed thorough the interplay of the globalizing second hand market, formation of subcultural consumption, and the change of the social structure of the local business community.
