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Shinjuku / PLACE

Sekaido Shinjuku Main Store

Pens, paper, paint and framing occupy different floors; a watercolour begins with choices about paper texture, water and pigment.

Visit fitAnyone who draws, designs or makes things by hand

It began in 1940 as a frame-and-picture shop and moved into its present building in 1994. Floors change by material: pens and stationery (1F), paper, drafting, manga and model supplies (2F), paints, Nihonga pigments, printmaking and sculpture (3F), frames and scrolls (4F–5F).

Good to know

On 2F, compare paper grain and weight; on 3F, look at how choices divide within Nihonga pigments. Look for Sekaido’s “surprised Mona Lisa” emblem too.

Corner building in Shinjuku 3-chome with the vertical Sekaido sign
Sekaido Shinjuku Main Store and its vertical corner sign
Image infoAsanagi · 2024-01-28 · CC0-1.0 · resized and cropped

Let one drawing narrow the shop

Founded in 1940, Sekaido is for materials to make with. The main store separates pens and stationery on 1F, paper and drafting/comic/model supplies on 2F, paint and specialist art materials on 3F, and framing on 4–5F. A small watercolour of Gyoen’s leaves suggests a paper-brush-colour list; a black outline of Cocoon may need only a pen and small pad. One scene gives a practical scale to a large shop.

WHERE · On foot from here

Which side of the station, and how far

South of Shinjuku-sanchome Station, about 80 m in a straight line from the station point. The mark is a verified point, not the entrance. The shaded areas are about 5 and 10 minutes on foot from here.

23Sekaido Shinjuku Main Store世界堂 新宿本店Shinjuku-sanchome新宿三丁目駅Shinjuku-gyoemmae新宿御苑前駅SuehiroteiIsetan~5 min~10 minYasukuni-dori Ave.100 mN13Sekaido ShinjukuMain Store世界堂 新宿本店Shinjuku-sanchome新宿三丁目駅Hanazono ShrineIsetan~5 min~10 min250 mN
This place · verified point (≈15 m)About 5 · 10 min on foot from here (computed, approximate)Read together

Walking bands are computed by FOW on the OpenStreetMap surface street network at 80 m/min and drawn as a smoothed approximate area around the streets reached. They ignore exit positions, station interiors, underground passages, signals, slopes and routes inside buildings — not directions; follow on-site signs.

Map data: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Walking bands: computed by FOW · Station and gate notes: official guidance (2026-10-16)

Paper texture and a brush carrying water

Maruman’s Vifart watercolour paper offers different surfaces at the same 242 g/m² weight. Smooth paper suits detail and illustration; rough paper supports broader landscape marks and shading; natural grain works across watercolour, pencil and coloured pencil. Surface sizing helps keep paint from simply soaking into the sheet. A Pentel Vistage water brush stores water in its barrel and releases it with a gentle squeeze, reducing the need to carry a separate water pot. Pressure changes the flow and the wash. Test only permitted samples rather than opening packaged goods.

A three-item price example

Sekaido’s online prices checked in October 2026 give a concrete basket: Holbein W401 transparent watercolours, twelve 5 ml tubes,¥2,376; a medium Pentel Vistage FRH-M brush,¥308; and a B5 Vifart natural-grain S208V pad,¥971. The three total ¥3,655 including tax. These are online examples; main-store stock and discounts can differ. Transparent watercolour lets you vary concentration with water and layer washes for leaves or glass. If you already own paint, changing only the paper is another experiment. Add a palette or other supporting tools if needed, and choose a size you can carry. Large sheets, frames, paint and ink also need to fit your baggage arrangements.

Read it with

Lawn and path in Shinjuku Gyoen with high-rises beyond
Shinjuku Gyoen National GardenKeep it short and reach the garden before last entry.
Steps leading up to Hanazono Shrine’s main hall
Hanazono Shrine“OLD / NEW EAST” · 1624–44 · moved here
Suehirotei’s wooden façade lined with performer name boards
Shinjuku Suehirotei“OLD / NEW EAST” · 1897 · timber hall 1946
Isetan Shinjuku’s main building with its corner tower
Isetan Shinjuku“OLD / NEW EAST” · 1933 · Art Deco store

Before you go

Hours and fees
3-1-1 Shinjuku, floors 1–5. Normally 09:30–20:00, with year-end/New Year exceptions.
Good to know
Services such as custom framing take extra time.
Official information ↗
See this item in the Atlas ↗Read in the Mapbook ↗
Sources · image info
  1. Shinjuku main storeSekaido (operator) · as of 2026-10-04
  2. SUMIRE: creativity and materialsWellulu / Ken Dojo interviewing SUMIRE · as of 2026-10-04
  3. Maruman Vifart — paper surfaces and sizingMaruman · as of 2026-10-19
  4. Holbein transparent watercolours — W401 twelve-colour setSekaido · as of 2026-10-19
  5. Pentel Vistage — medium water brushSekaido · as of 2026-10-19
  6. Maruman Vifart — B5 natural-grain paper padSekaido · as of 2026-10-19