DJI and Japanese distributor Sekido will open a joint DJI | Hasselblad Authorized Concept Store in Tokyo's Omotesando district on October 31, according to VIDEO SALON and other Japanese outlets including Digital Camera Watch and DRONE.jp. The two-floor shop is described as the first combined concept store for both brands in Japan. It will carry DJI's current drones, handheld gimbals and action cameras alongside Hasselblad's flagship medium-format digital camera systems.
Why it matters
The store marks a shift from selling high-end imaging gear online or through temporary events toward a permanent space where customers can handle the products before buying. According to the reporting, DJI says demand in Japan has grown quickly across aerial filming, film and commercial production, still photography, and industrial work such as surveying and inspection. At the same time, the company says users have asked to test handling, image quality and grip in person, and to get professional advice on matching equipment to their specific work. For drones in particular, the reporting notes that intuitive control feel and shooting behavior are hard to convey through spec sheets or web pages alone.
An indoor flight cage and hands-on gear
The ground floor will house a permanent indoor flight cage where visitors can fly and operate drones regardless of weather or flight-restricted zones, letting them judge hovering stability, camera control and response time on the spot. Handheld devices from the Osmo series, including the Osmo 360 II and Osmo Pocket 4P, will be on display powered on and available to pick up and shoot with. The second floor will hold Hasselblad's medium-format cameras, also powered on and open to hands-on testing.
Staff with product knowledge and on-set experience will be stationed in the store to advise on equipment configurations and accessories based on each visitor's shooting style, intended use or business purpose. The reporting says this covers everything from comparing products and initial setup guidance to questions after purchase, handled one-to-one.
Multilingual service and planned workshops
Reflecting Omotesando's international character, the store will offer customer service in Japanese, English and Chinese, so overseas visitors and business travelers can try, buy and complete tax-free procedures without a language barrier, according to the reporting.
The store also plans a regular program of events after opening, including shooting workshops led by working professional photographers and video creators, drone flight experience seminars, and hands-on sessions for new products. The operators say they aim to contribute to Japan's creative culture through these in-person learning opportunities, and to run the space as an open community for everyone from established top creators at home and abroad to beginners starting to make serious work.
The reporting frames the pairing as a meeting of two different lineages: DJI's recent imaging technology and Hasselblad's long history in medium-format photography, brought together under one roof with a lineup spanning stills and video, ground level and the air.
What to watch: whether the Omotesando model, built around trial and consultation rather than pure retail, becomes a template for further DJI and Hasselblad locations in Japan.
