03/02/2026
On the morning of February 27, we said goodbye to the man who stood at the center of TOKIO7 for nearly three decades.
Makoto Watanabe passed away peacefully at the age of 70.
In 1996, he opened the doors of TOKIO7.
From that day on, he rarely stepped away.
Year after year, he was here, unlocking the door, straightening the racks, watching over the floor, speaking quietly with customers.
He didn’t just run this store.
He carried it.
The TOKIO7 he built became more than a workplace for us.
For many of us, as immigrants trying to find our place in New York, this store became our home.
It was where we found stability when everything else felt uncertain.
Where we learned how to stand on our own.
Where someone believed in us enough to give us a chance.
Makoto created more than a business.
He created a place where people could begin again.
His absence leaves a silence in this space that we feel deeply.
Now, it is our turn.
We will protect what he spent his life protecting.
We will carry forward the home he built.
We will do our best to honor him not only in words, but in the way we show up every single day.
But we cannot do this alone.
To our customers who have walked through these doors for years,
to the consignors who trusted us with pieces that mattered to them,
to this community that made TOKIO7 what it is you are part of his story.
And we hope you will continue to be part of what comes next.
We like to imagine him now in his beloved Hawaii, finally resting.
Taking a quiet breath.
Smiling gently, the way he did, and saying:
“it’s okay, everything will be fine.”
We hold onto those words.
We will keep the doors open.
We will keep the lights on.
We will keep this place alive.
Thank you, Makoto san.
We’ll take it from here.
TOKIO7
