Shiiiiibi is like Harry Potter’s Platform 9¾: Muggles without the gift who wander blindly along Chuiyang Road will probably never discover this secret hideout. The owner, who calls herself “Captain,” says that while hunting for a new location she kept fantasizing about a shop “you can’t walk straight into from the street,” and she seriously scoured alleys checking utility poles and bulletin-board rental flyers. One day an online listing popped up: the address was on Chuiyang Road, but you had to duck into a lane to reach it. She viewed it one day and signed the lease the next—it was exactly the storefront of her dreams.
Tucked away, Shiiiiibi is a theme park for stationery addicts. Beyond the fountain pens and inks from the Taipei Pen Studio alliance, you’ll find pen cases, journals, stickers… Captain’s one-of-a-kind handwriting is mesmerizing and has spawned its own merch: a canvas tote that reads, “If you can’t think of anything to put inside, you can always put in some cuteness,” plus hand-carved stamps bearing “Once in a lifetime” and “Grown-ups, dream big.” In a private chat she told me the story of the March 9 opening day—its fantasy level rivals the shop’s hidden location.
No. 156, Chuiyang Rd., East Dist., Chiayi City
Wed–Sat 13:00–19:00
Sun 13:00–18:00
Closed Mon–Tue
https://www.facebook.com/shiiiiibi