A new type of attraction-style apparel shop called "esc (Escape)" has opened in Ikebukuro PARCO, challenging the idea of allowing customers to shop while avoiding store staff . The event will run from Friday, August 22, 2025 to Sunday, September 7, 2025. Reservations are required.
We covered the event on the first day of its opening, so we'll be sharing some details about the attractions and the interior of the store, including some minor spoilers.
*The contents of this article are current as of the time of the interview. They may differ from the latest information, so please check the ESC official website for details.
■ Overview of "esc" clothing store: Leave immediately if approached
Date: August 22, 2025 (Friday) – September 7, 2025 (Sunday) 11:00-21:00
*Last entry on the final day is scheduled for 17:45
Location: Ikebukuro PARCO Main Building B2F Event Space
Admission fee: 3,300 yen per slot on weekdays / 5,500 yen on weekends and holidays (tax included)
*Up to 3 people per slot (we recommend coming in groups of 3)
* Each time slot is reserved exclusively (no shared seating)
*In addition to the entrance fee, each person must purchase at least one item worth 1,100 yen (tax included).
Tickets for admission are available on ESCAPE.ID: https://escape.id/org/tokiqil/event/esc_dont/
ESC official website: https://dont.tokiqil.com/
*The content may be changed without prior notice.
It's a rare product that makes you feel attached to it – esc, produced by the popular puzzle-solving apparel brand "Tokikill" and PARCO GAMES
esc, a collaboration between Tokikill, a mysterious apparel brand that sells "cryptographic clothing" that can only be purchased by solving puzzles, and PARCO GAMES, Parco's game label, is a clothing store where customers immediately leave if they are approached by a salesperson, inspired by the consumer psychology of not wanting to be approached by a salesperson in a clothing store.
Ikebukuro PARCO Main Building B2F esc exterior/The strange figure on the left is the store's "manager."
"Shopping in this world is far too easy. You pay with one click, and the next day a mountain of cardboard boxes piles up at your front door. It's convenient, but… it's boring. The act of shopping is essentially a ritual that asks deep within your heart what you need, what you value, and what you can't give up. You waver, worry, hesitate, then make a decision and put it in your cart. The heat that resides in that moment, the trembling of that choice, is what makes it valuable." These are the words of a "store manager" who has strong thoughts on the act of shopping.
As the store manager explains, the idea behind this attraction is that "in this age where anything can be bought so easily, we can develop a deep attachment to the things we have acquired after overcoming difficulties. We hope that this irreplaceable experience will inspire people to reconsider their approach to shopping." This is why ESC's original merchandise is not sold in other stores or online. In a sense, it is treated as a trophy that can only be obtained by those who complete the attraction.
Examples of ESC original goods
The attraction allows 1 to 3 people to participate in each slot. Within the time limit, participants must avoid store clerks and place items such as apparel, fashion accessories, board games, and puzzle-solving goods in their shopping cart to make a purchase. There are a total of 3 stages, and if even one member of the group is spoken to by a store clerk, the event ends immediately and they must leave the store .
If you can stay until the end of the final stage, you can purchase all products at 10% off, and if you clear designated missions, new shopping options and special missions will be unlocked, so the point is that it tests various skills such as planning, judgment, and teamwork. The layout and products in the store are changed randomly, so even repeat customers can take on the challenge with a fresh feeling.
As a guideline, the total time required will be around 50 minutes, including approximately 20 minutes for explanations and preparation before entering the store, a maximum of 5 minutes for entering the store, and approximately 10 minutes for purchasing.
Generally, you can only purchase items that are in your basket when you leave the store. While the basic principle is to prioritize completing your mission, you don't have to buy everything in your basket , so don't worry about that.
How to shop
esc store entry report! Tips and things to keep in mind for having fun
Our reporting team was actually given the opportunity to experience the ESC attractions, and we headed there as two people who were novices at puzzle-solving and escape-type events.
When we arrived at the store, we were first asked to fill out a consent form at the reception that outlined the conditions for our forced departure. Next, we watched a video explaining how to play the attractions, which began with a message from the store manager that showed his love for shopping. If we had any questions about how to play, we were able to ask the staff afterwards.
Instruction video on how to play
You can also check how to play on paper.
While you wait, you can check a rough map of the store, so if you check the catalog of products available on the official website in advance and find out where the product you want is located, you can save time and effort looking for it.
Store map
The interesting thing about ESC is that before you start the attraction, you can get information by peeking into other players' attempts up to stage 2. In particular , it's essential to do some research to find out what route the store clerks take and how they behave when patrolling the store . By figuring out their patterns, you can progress through the mission with an advantage.
You can get hints on how to beat the game by observing the appearance of other players.
After a final meeting in the strategy meeting area, the attraction finally begins. Your luggage will be placed in a case located right next to you as you enter the store.
Missions are instructed on monitors inside the store.
Mission status
Unleashed Clerk
Stage 1 was a warm-up, easy mission, giving you plenty of time to browse for the products you wanted. Moving on to Stage 2, the real action begins, as a non-human, android-like store clerk slowly approaches. This, combined with the eerie flickering lights, discordant sounds, and a robotic voice counting down to the end of the stage, inevitably heightens your sense of impatience and immersion.
It was terrifying to see it approaching so calmly.
In the final stage, the store clerks entered "active customer service mode" at all times. In their haste, they made the regrettable mistake of misreading the mission instructions… Although I wasn't able to complete all the missions, I was able to fully enjoy the thrill of this new type of shopping experience.
I won't go into details, but the key is observation. The key to clearing the mission is to not overlook even the smallest anomaly in each and every item.
Also, something that you might forget while playing is that "even if you don't complete the missions in each stage, the attraction will continue as long as the store clerk doesn't talk to you ." Our reporting team had a hard time clearing the missions, and by the end we were in a state of giving up. For those of you who are planning to try it, please don't rush and just keep shopping.
The loot in the shopping cart.
When it was over, I got the impression that it was easy for even beginners to participate, and that if you worked hard you could progress to the final stage.
You can aim to complete the missions from the beginning, or focus on purchasing the clothes you want. ESC will be held until Sunday, September 7th. Some days are already fully booked, so if you're interested, we recommend checking early.
Tickets for admission are available on ESCAPE.ID: https://escape.id/org/tokiqil/event/esc_dont/
ESC official website: https://dont.tokiqil.com/
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