旦ナビ

「A variety of “kawa” in Ginza」

2019.07.01

In this edition, we welcome Mr. Motoyoshi Yasuda, CEO of Yasuda Shokeido Co., Ltd. Mr. Yasuda also heads the Youth Group of the nationwide industrial association for religious equipment with a membership of 332 companies. Very fond of leather, he showed me some of his favorite “kawa”* spots in Ginza. (*Both 皮 (leather) and 川 (river) are read “kawa.”)]

We went for a stroll in Ginza to complete the mission proposed by Yasuda-san, “Ginza’s ‘kawa’”

A fusion of high quality material and quality-keeping design

Our first stop was C.O.U Ginza Store, which sells leather products made in Japan.

Yasuda-san played baseball as a child and still plays on an amateur baseball team. Since his first leather product was his baseball glove, he knows from experience that the more leather is used the better it fits you. He now uses various leather products, including a leather wallet and leather business tools.

When Yasuda-san first bought a long wallet from WILDSWANS, he fell in love with the artisan’s commitment to quality that he could feel in the high-quality leather and edge finish and went to the shop many times before he bought it.

The wallet is now used by his son, an elementary school boy. With age, leather products become more beautiful and tend to acquire a unique character reflecting the owner. When we visited the store, he had the wallet polished as a complimentary after sales service.

The unique interior design of the store is the works of Kunio Shachimaru, who designed the Robot Soldier at Ghibli Museum and the Nippon Television Giant Clock in Shiodome. They highly recommend their English Bridle series, which was just released in June.

The thick steer hide made from North American Angus Cattle is strong and durable. It is also supple and form fine wrinkles that are almost undetectable when bent. The original matte color becomes shiny and deepens as the products are used.

WILDSWANS carries not only business products but also has a lineup of fashionable and colorful leather bags and accessories.

I would suggest dropping by their store to find your favorite or to look for a gift.

C.O.U. Ginza Store
2-9-4 Ginza, I-Tower Building (Mercure Hotel) 1F, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Store hours
Weekdays and Satuday　11：00 ～ 20：00
Sunday and holidays　　　11：00 ～ 19：00
Phone 03-3563-5040
https://www.wildswans.jp/store/ginza/

The joy of finding one-of-a-kind items and making it a keepsake

Our next stop was ichi Ginza Store, a retailer of silverwork, leather accessories and wedding rings.

Yasuda-san used to be a great fan of silver accessories and Indian jewelry, which had been the trend when he was a student. Fascinated by the combination of leather and silver, almost　reminiscent of those days, he bought the wallet and additionally ordered a key holder case with a matching design that he still uses. He likes the unique design that cannot be found elsewhere.

The factory and shop are on the same floor, so looking at the leather accessories, jewelry and “tenugui” towels on display, you can hear the craftsman tanning the leather. You can personally ask him the features of a product and how to take care of it. The owner, Mr. Koike, seeks to offer high-quality products that can accompany its owner for a long time, like Japanese traditional artisan crafts. One can always engage in a stimulating conversation with the craftsman who will explain his handcrafted works.

Although metal parts will break as time goes by, the store would be more than happy to replace them so that their customers can continue to use their products. Hemp threads can also be renewed. I could feel the artisan’s pride in his work from his determination to keep and take care of each item for a lifetime.

Ichi Ginza Store
8-12-15 Ginza 1F, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Store hours
Weekdays 12：00 ～ 20：00
Weekends and holidays 11：00 ～ 20：00
Phone 03-6228-4229
http://www.ichi.gr.jp/contents/shop/ginza/shop-ginza.html

Tsukijigawa-Unemebashi Park

Tsukiji River used to run through the area around Tsukijigawaw-Unemebashi Park, located close to Yasuda-san’s store, Yasuda Shokeido. Ginza was historically a city of water surrounded by moats, including Sanjusange-bori moat and Sotobori moat.

The park is full of trees that give it a difference face with the changing seasons. Yasuda-san comes here to relax, especially in spring, when the cherry blossoms bloom beautifully. The park also has an orchard and herb garden.

The park is an urban oasis, where people from companies close by come to take a break. It would be nice to sit on one of those stone benches and imagine Tokyo in the past. The park is one of the few places in Tokyo that still have ash trays.