The routine joke of Ginza Echigoya founded 259 years ago<\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- You often hear \u2018Echigoya\u2019 in samurai dramas. What is the origin of the shop name?<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- The founder was from Niigata Prefecture, so the shop name comes from Niigata\u2019s previous name of \u2018Echigo Province.\u2019 Although our shop has nothing to do with samurai dramas, my friend often teases me, calling me a villain, and I always respond with the line, \u201cOnushi mo waru yo no*\u201d (laughs). It is a great joke.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- That\u2019s excellent! (laughs) The shop was founded in 1775, so it has quite a long history.<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- Thanks to everyone\u2019s support, it will celebrate its 260 years next year.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Has it always been a kimono shop, since the beginning?<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- Yes. The founder went to Edo for an apprenticeship and started a kimono shop as a franchise. The second president set up a shop in the current location, and we have been selling our goods from here since then. We will continue creating unique kimonos to make Echigoya synonymous with kimonos in Ginza.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_33_01.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nKimonos have a special quality that makes you feel extraordinary<\/h4>\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Do you usually wear kimonos?<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- No I don\u2019t work in the shop front, so I do not wear them every day, but when I do, I feel very sophisticated. It gives you a refreshing feeling. Kimonos have a special quality that makes you feel extraordinary.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Actually, I was asked to wear a kimono for the taping of the next program, and I am very worried about it. I have to think about how I will look on TV.<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- Yes, that is difficult. You also have to consider the balance with the others.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- And you have to think about pattern and other seasonal aspects.<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- Yes, just like the pattern, the material is also important. In June, you wear an unlined kimono, and at the height of summer in July and August, you wear semi-transparent materials like \u2018ro\u2019 or \u2018sha\u2019 types of gauze. It\u2019s nice to casually give off a sense of the season with the pattern or fabric.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- If I wear a kimono carelessly without knowing the rules, those who know more will talk about me behind my back. Can I learn about these things if I go to Echigoya?<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- Certainly, we will explain it to you very carefully.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Do kimonos have trends?<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- Trends are irrelevant when it comes to formal colored kimonos, and all that matters after that is whether the pattern is to the liking of the wearer.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- So, aside from personal preferences, there are no real trends?<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- Contemporary patterns may be affected by trends, but we deal more in comparatively classic patterns that can be worn over the generations.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I\u2019m still not sure about it! If I try to dabble in it without thinking about it too much, I might become too obsessed with it. Kimonos make me nervous (laughs).<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_33_02.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_33_03.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\nThe Yukata de Gin-bura Festival will be held in August as usual. New activities will make the event even more fun.<\/h4>\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I understand that you are currently the planning director of the Ginza Merchant\u2019s Association. What types of things are you doing?<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- Coming up soon is an event called the \u2018Yukata de Gin-bura Festival\u2019 that will be held in August. I\u2019m currently making preparations for that. This event has been held every year since 1970 with Ginza being turned into a vehicle-free promenade on the first Sunday in August. It was given the name, Yukata de Gin-bura, eight years ago.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What plans were carried out last year?<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- Ginza Chuo-dori was turned into a vehicle-free promenade. All the festival participants splashed water on the street in unison to the beat of the drum, and we held a raffle sponsored by various shops in Ginza.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What were the prizes in last year\u2019s raffle?<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- They were very luxurious prizes, like brand-name handbags, diamond necklaces and hotel and meal vouchers. It is a big hit every year, with long lines.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Only in Ginza! What are you planning for this year?<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- Last year we had a scavenger hunt quiz because we wanted people to enjoy walking around to all the different spots in Ginza. This year as well, we are working on a quiz to teach visitors about Ginza\u2019s history and lesser-known places of interest. This year we will expand the number of people who can participate in wind chime painting that was very popular last year. A new feature we will try this time is the Traveling Edo Aquarium. The Sumida Aquarium will help us put on a goldfish exhibit reproducing goldfish peddling shops from Edo to Showa using the tools from each era.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- You\u2019re going to reproduce goldfish peddling shops. That is such a valuable effort \u2014 to repair the tools of the eras just for exhibiting goldfish with no expectation of sales. That is amazing support from the aquarium.<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- We will prepare all sorts of activities to help visitors create fun summer memories with their family and friends, so we hope many people will come out for the event.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Not limited to this year, what is something you hope to do eventually?<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- Because the event is in August when it is very hot, I hope that we can someday shift the event schedule to the evening when it is cooler. For example, I think it would be wonderful someday for the event to start with the splashing of water on the street on the count of three, as usual, then to see people strolling through Ginza in yukatas as the sun sets, enjoying all the events throughout the district.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I\u2019m positive it would be delightful to see Ginza in festival-mode at night! I hope this happens someday.<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- Ginza is strongly seen as a place for enjoying food and shopping, but if this idea is realized, it will let people catch a glimpse of a whole other side of Ginza.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_33_04.jpg\")
<\/p>\nYukata de Gin-bura Festival<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_33_05.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nI want to work as hard as my Ginza seniors for the sake of the district<\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Lastly, could you tell me your thoughts on Ginza?<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- All my Ginza seniors work just as hard to improve the district as they do on their regular jobs. I have a lot to learn by watching them work to make Ginza as a whole a better, more lively place for customers, and I want to be as useful to Ginza as they have been. Of course it makes me very busy, but I have no complaints. When I see customers enjoying themselves at an event we have put on, I feel a real sense of accomplishment and am glad I helped out. I would not trade these experiences for anything.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Ginza is an interesting place. When you watch old dramas, you sometimes see scenes where a drunken father says, \u201cI\u2019m off to a meeting with the neighborhood association.\u201d I feel like Ginza still shares this quality.<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- Surely. I doubt there are any other districts that come together as a whole to come up with various plans and projects. I myself gain quite a lot from this district, so I want to use my experiences to make Ginza even more enticing.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_33_06.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_33_07.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\nChisako Takashima<\/h4>\n
Violinist. Takashima started taking violin lessons from the age of 6. After a successful career abroad, she moved her home base to Japan, where she currently performs in concerts across the country. Highly noted for her character in TV and radio appearances, she has currently opened up her career to more diverse fields with an unchanged focus on her profession.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- You often hear \u2018Echigoya\u2019 in samurai dramas. What is the origin of the shop name?<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- The founder was from Niigata Prefecture, so the shop name comes from Niigata\u2019s previous name of \u2018Echigo Province.\u2019 Although our shop has nothing to do with samurai dramas, my friend often teases me, calling me a villain, and I always respond with the line, \u201cOnushi mo waru yo no*\u201d (laughs). It is a great joke.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- That\u2019s excellent! (laughs) The shop was founded in 1775, so it has quite a long history.<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- Thanks to everyone\u2019s support, it will celebrate its 260 years next year.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Has it always been a kimono shop, since the beginning?<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- Yes. The founder went to Edo for an apprenticeship and started a kimono shop as a franchise. The second president set up a shop in the current location, and we have been selling our goods from here since then. We will continue creating unique kimonos to make Echigoya synonymous with kimonos in Ginza.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
Kimonos have a special quality that makes you feel extraordinary<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Do you usually wear kimonos?<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- No I don\u2019t work in the shop front, so I do not wear them every day, but when I do, I feel very sophisticated. It gives you a refreshing feeling. Kimonos have a special quality that makes you feel extraordinary.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Actually, I was asked to wear a kimono for the taping of the next program, and I am very worried about it. I have to think about how I will look on TV.<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- Yes, that is difficult. You also have to consider the balance with the others.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- And you have to think about pattern and other seasonal aspects.<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- Yes, just like the pattern, the material is also important. In June, you wear an unlined kimono, and at the height of summer in July and August, you wear semi-transparent materials like \u2018ro\u2019 or \u2018sha\u2019 types of gauze. It\u2019s nice to casually give off a sense of the season with the pattern or fabric.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- If I wear a kimono carelessly without knowing the rules, those who know more will talk about me behind my back. Can I learn about these things if I go to Echigoya?<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- Certainly, we will explain it to you very carefully.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Do kimonos have trends?<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- Trends are irrelevant when it comes to formal colored kimonos, and all that matters after that is whether the pattern is to the liking of the wearer.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- So, aside from personal preferences, there are no real trends?<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- Contemporary patterns may be affected by trends, but we deal more in comparatively classic patterns that can be worn over the generations.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I\u2019m still not sure about it! If I try to dabble in it without thinking about it too much, I might become too obsessed with it. Kimonos make me nervous (laughs).<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
\nThe Yukata de Gin-bura Festival will be held in August as usual. New activities will make the event even more fun.<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I understand that you are currently the planning director of the Ginza Merchant\u2019s Association. What types of things are you doing?<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- Coming up soon is an event called the \u2018Yukata de Gin-bura Festival\u2019 that will be held in August. I\u2019m currently making preparations for that. This event has been held every year since 1970 with Ginza being turned into a vehicle-free promenade on the first Sunday in August. It was given the name, Yukata de Gin-bura, eight years ago.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What plans were carried out last year?<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- Ginza Chuo-dori was turned into a vehicle-free promenade. All the festival participants splashed water on the street in unison to the beat of the drum, and we held a raffle sponsored by various shops in Ginza.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What were the prizes in last year\u2019s raffle?<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- They were very luxurious prizes, like brand-name handbags, diamond necklaces and hotel and meal vouchers. It is a big hit every year, with long lines.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Only in Ginza! What are you planning for this year?<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- Last year we had a scavenger hunt quiz because we wanted people to enjoy walking around to all the different spots in Ginza. This year as well, we are working on a quiz to teach visitors about Ginza\u2019s history and lesser-known places of interest. This year we will expand the number of people who can participate in wind chime painting that was very popular last year. A new feature we will try this time is the Traveling Edo Aquarium. The Sumida Aquarium will help us put on a goldfish exhibit reproducing goldfish peddling shops from Edo to Showa using the tools from each era.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- You\u2019re going to reproduce goldfish peddling shops. That is such a valuable effort \u2014 to repair the tools of the eras just for exhibiting goldfish with no expectation of sales. That is amazing support from the aquarium.<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- We will prepare all sorts of activities to help visitors create fun summer memories with their family and friends, so we hope many people will come out for the event.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Not limited to this year, what is something you hope to do eventually?<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- Because the event is in August when it is very hot, I hope that we can someday shift the event schedule to the evening when it is cooler. For example, I think it would be wonderful someday for the event to start with the splashing of water on the street on the count of three, as usual, then to see people strolling through Ginza in yukatas as the sun sets, enjoying all the events throughout the district.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I\u2019m positive it would be delightful to see Ginza in festival-mode at night! I hope this happens someday.<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- Ginza is strongly seen as a place for enjoying food and shopping, but if this idea is realized, it will let people catch a glimpse of a whole other side of Ginza.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/p>\n
Yukata de Gin-bura Festival<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nI want to work as hard as my Ginza seniors for the sake of the district<\/h4>\n
\n- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Lastly, could you tell me your thoughts on Ginza?<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- All my Ginza seniors work just as hard to improve the district as they do on their regular jobs. I have a lot to learn by watching them work to make Ginza as a whole a better, more lively place for customers, and I want to be as useful to Ginza as they have been. Of course it makes me very busy, but I have no complaints. When I see customers enjoying themselves at an event we have put on, I feel a real sense of accomplishment and am glad I helped out. I would not trade these experiences for anything.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Ginza is an interesting place. When you watch old dramas, you sometimes see scenes where a drunken father says, \u201cI\u2019m off to a meeting with the neighborhood association.\u201d I feel like Ginza still shares this quality.<\/dd>\n
- Nagai<\/dt>\n
- Surely. I doubt there are any other districts that come together as a whole to come up with various plans and projects. I myself gain quite a lot from this district, so I want to use my experiences to make Ginza even more enticing.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/p>\n\n
Chisako Takashima<\/h4>\n
Violinist. Takashima started taking violin lessons from the age of 6. After a successful career abroad, she moved her home base to Japan, where she currently performs in concerts across the country. Highly noted for her character in TV and radio appearances, she has currently opened up her career to more diverse fields with an unchanged focus on her profession.<\/p>\n