The Tangram project in Flushing (Buck Ennis)

The popular Japanese retailer Muji is expanding its New York presence into Queens.
The global brand, which debuted in the U.S. in 2007 with its first brick-and-mortar location in SoHo, will open its first Queens store Friday in the Tangram complex, a sprawling mixed-use development in Downtown Flushing, the company has announced.

Muji, an abbreviation of a Japanese phrase meaning "no-brand quality goods," is known for its minimalist-type cookware, clothing, home goods, stationery and, as of last year, its own line of food. It currently has nine storefronts in the city, including its sole Brooklyn location, which opened at 200 Wythe Ave. in Williamsburg in 2017. The other eight are all in Manhattan, and the company opened its first U.S. food market in its Chelsea Market location last year, offering specialty drinks and Japanese comfort fare such as onigiri, miso soup and dorayaki.
Muji will occupy roughly 12,000 square feet at its first Queens location, officially addressed at 133-36 37th Ave., making it the largest and anchor retail tenant in Tangram. Its store hours are Monday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
A representative for the brand declined to share the length of and asking rent for Muji's lease with the landlord, local developer F&T Group.
Tangram, the 1.2 million-square-foot complex in the bustling Queens neighborhood, includes luxury condos, office space and a Renaissance hotel in addition to the two­story, 275,000-square-foot shopping mall, which offers retail, dining and entertainment options. The project opened in phases, with the residential tower launching first in 2019, and it is now officially complete with Muji as its anchor retail tenant.
"We are very excited to have Muji join our tenant roster as the final piece of the Tangram puzzle," said Helen Lee, principal of F&T Group. "We've heard the excitement from the community, and we're proud to know we made the right choice in bringing such a globally recognized and beloved brand to Tangram."

‍