I was deeply moved by beautiful products that caught my eye in the Tianjin settlement.<\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What is the origin of the shop name Sun Motoyama?<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- My family ran a knit goods wholesale business on Nihonbashi. The name of the shop was Sun Meias. The name of my current shop comes from there and also holds the sense of shining like the sun.
Back in the day, Nihonbashi was known as a wholesale district, and Ginza known as a retail district.<\/dd>\n - Takashima<\/dt>\n
- You didn\u2019t succeed the family business?<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- No, I didn\u2019t. I wanted to buy things I liked in foreign countries and sell them to customers. I served in China during the Pacific War, and was deeply moved by beautiful items that caught my eye in the Tianjin settlement that were like nothing I had ever seen before. Right then I knew I wanted to introduce them to Japan, that I wanted to sell foreign culture.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- That was the beginning of your current business?<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- Yes. After returning to Japan, I opened a small shop in front of Yurakucho station that sold American goods. The shop had watches, fountain pens, lighters, dress shirts, neckties and a ton of other things that were still rare in Japan at the time. Products would sell faster than I could put them on the shelves. That was how it was then.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Really? That\u2019s surprising.<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- Then, I was approached by Yonosuke Natori, perhaps the most famous Japanese photojournalist at the time, who said to me, \u201cThere is no history or tradition in American products. If you want to sell real beauty, go to Europe.\u201d
Natori had been working in Germany before the war, and was the first Japanese photographer whose photo made the cover of LIFE magazine. With the advice coming from someone so important, I felt I had to go. In 1959, I finally made it to Europe.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_05_01.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_05_02.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_05_03.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_05_04.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\nInside the Sun Motoyama Ginza Flagship Store. The shops showcases many different products from around the world including clothing, accessories and furniture, among others.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nLife is all about luck and fate.<\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What was your impression of Europe on your first visit?<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- I thought it was absolutely wonderful. On that first trip, I followed Natori\u2019s advice to do no more than \u201cfirst go and see the museums and churches, then stay at a five-star hotel and eat at a luxurious restaurant.\u201d He told me, \u201cyou will want everything you see, but on this first trip, don\u2019t buy a single thing.\u201d Natori wanted me to experience their lifestyle firsthand.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- So you didn\u2019t buy anything that trip?<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- Not a thing. I would really have been in trouble without Natori\u2019s advice (laughs). On my third visit, I encountered Gucci in Firenze. I was brought to a standstill in front of the shop window. I saw a display of products that were all like nothing I had ever seen before. I was particularly impressed by the leather products because Japan didn\u2019t have leather goods back then. I felt inspired.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I heard that you were the first to introduce Gucci to Japan. Did negotiations go smoothly?<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- Not at first. Customers came to Gucci from all over the world, so they did not feel the need to export their products. I kept coming back but was turned away each time.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- But you didn\u2019t give up, right?<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- I was determined to bring Gucci products to my showcase at any cost. I refused to be discouraged, and after many visits, I met the president of Gucci who just happened to be in the shop. When giving me a personal explanation of his products, he held out a silver cigarette case to me. I immediately pulled out my handkerchief from my breast pocket to touch the case and carefully wiped off my fingerprints before returning it. Natori had told me that you shouldn\u2019t touch silver products with your bare hands. Seeing this, the president of Gucci said to me, \u201cyou understand the value of products. Let\u2019s do business together.\u201d<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- It was a fateful encounter.<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- I feel that life is all about luck and fate.
I got the contract with Gucci, and moved my shop from the Sanshin building in Hibiya to its current location on Namakidori the year of the Olympics, in 1964. The shop held a collection of luxury brands including Gucci, Hermes, Loewe, Baccarat and Lalique. When I opened the shop, it was probably the first in Japan, let alone Ginza, to sell only luxury foreign brand items.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_05_05.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_05_06.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\nIt is important for a \u201cmerchant\u201d (akindo) to \u201ckeep customers from getting bored\u201d (akisasenai).<\/h4>\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Not to change the subject, but may I ask how old you are?<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- I turned 90 last November.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Really?! You look much younger!<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- Thank you (laughs). I still drop by the shop every day even now.
And of course assist customers.<\/dd>\n - Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Really?!<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- After all, in Japanese, \u201cmerchant\u201d (akindo) means \u201ckeep customers from getting bored\u201d (akisasenai), and it is important to me also to \u201cnever get bored\u201d (akinai). I get many tips from actually visiting the sales floor and talking with customers.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Do you do anything special to develop your appreciation of aesthetics?<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- You may be surprised to know that I do not own a cell phone. People nowadays are always looking at everything on their cell phones, right? Well, I want to actually walk to a place, see it for myself and feel its atmosphere. Often, when you encounter a shop window that takes your breath away, you feel compelled to stop and take a look.
What is important for people are intuition and inspiration. I don\u2019t want to ever forget that.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_05_07.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_05_08.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nGinza is \u201cthe world\u2019s Ginza.\u201d<\/h4>\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What do young people need in order to nurture their ability to recognize genuine products like you can?<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- It is not necessary to wear luxury brand goods from a young age. Right now Ginza is full of \u2018fast fashion\u2019 shops. Some people may worry that Ginza will lose its luxury appeal, but, personally, I think it\u2019s a good thing. You can go to Ginza and find an entire outfit for about 30,000 yen. I think it\u2019s important to do this in order to learn more and more about how to dress fashionably in a way that expresses your individuality and find your own, personal tastes.
Not long ago, there was a time when young women all proudly carried around the same luxury brand goods.
It\u2019s different today. It\u2019s not cool to wear the same thing as everyone else today.<\/dd>\n - Takashima<\/dt>\n
- So you think people should value individuality more?<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- Exactly. You need to create your own color. At the same time, luxury brands stand side by side with these other fashions in Ginza. Young people can leisurely enjoy window shopping. This will naturally nurture their ability to pick out truly genuine products. I hope more and more young people do this in order to build the future foundation of Ginza.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- How do you think Ginza will change in the future?<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- Now that Haneda Airport has resumed international flights, I think more and more tourists will visit Ginza and promote its globalization. In Ginza, you can eat at delicious restaurants and go shopping. There are hotels and, if you walk a little, there are even some theatres. I doubt there is any other district packed so full of entertainment.
Also, Ginza is a safe area and the streets are beautiful. I think Ginza rivals Bond Street in London or rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore in Paris. Ginza is now \u201cthe world\u2019s Ginza.\u201d<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\nThe next guest will be\u2026<\/h4>\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Could you tell us about the next guest?<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- It\u2019s Noriko Okazoe, the proprietress-to-be of Shinbashi Kanetanaka, one of the three best Japanese restaurants in Japan. I am sure you will hear many wonderful stories about this well-established restaurant that has continued serving the world of the geisha in Shinbashi since the Taisho era.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_05_09.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\nChisako Takashima<\/h4>\n
Violinist. Started playing the violin at age 6. After playing abroad, she moved her home base to Japan, and gives concerts all over the country. Although her current focus is on performing music, she also appears on TV and radio programs. Thanks to her much-loved personality, she is appearing in more and more venues.<\/p>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What is the origin of the shop name Sun Motoyama?<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- My family ran a knit goods wholesale business on Nihonbashi. The name of the shop was Sun Meias. The name of my current shop comes from there and also holds the sense of shining like the sun.
Back in the day, Nihonbashi was known as a wholesale district, and Ginza known as a retail district.<\/dd>\n - Takashima<\/dt>\n
- You didn\u2019t succeed the family business?<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- No, I didn\u2019t. I wanted to buy things I liked in foreign countries and sell them to customers. I served in China during the Pacific War, and was deeply moved by beautiful items that caught my eye in the Tianjin settlement that were like nothing I had ever seen before. Right then I knew I wanted to introduce them to Japan, that I wanted to sell foreign culture.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- That was the beginning of your current business?<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- Yes. After returning to Japan, I opened a small shop in front of Yurakucho station that sold American goods. The shop had watches, fountain pens, lighters, dress shirts, neckties and a ton of other things that were still rare in Japan at the time. Products would sell faster than I could put them on the shelves. That was how it was then.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Really? That\u2019s surprising.<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- Then, I was approached by Yonosuke Natori, perhaps the most famous Japanese photojournalist at the time, who said to me, \u201cThere is no history or tradition in American products. If you want to sell real beauty, go to Europe.\u201d
Natori had been working in Germany before the war, and was the first Japanese photographer whose photo made the cover of LIFE magazine. With the advice coming from someone so important, I felt I had to go. In 1959, I finally made it to Europe.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\nInside the Sun Motoyama Ginza Flagship Store. The shops showcases many different products from around the world including clothing, accessories and furniture, among others.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nLife is all about luck and fate.<\/h4>\n
\n- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What was your impression of Europe on your first visit?<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- I thought it was absolutely wonderful. On that first trip, I followed Natori\u2019s advice to do no more than \u201cfirst go and see the museums and churches, then stay at a five-star hotel and eat at a luxurious restaurant.\u201d He told me, \u201cyou will want everything you see, but on this first trip, don\u2019t buy a single thing.\u201d Natori wanted me to experience their lifestyle firsthand.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- So you didn\u2019t buy anything that trip?<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- Not a thing. I would really have been in trouble without Natori\u2019s advice (laughs). On my third visit, I encountered Gucci in Firenze. I was brought to a standstill in front of the shop window. I saw a display of products that were all like nothing I had ever seen before. I was particularly impressed by the leather products because Japan didn\u2019t have leather goods back then. I felt inspired.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I heard that you were the first to introduce Gucci to Japan. Did negotiations go smoothly?<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- Not at first. Customers came to Gucci from all over the world, so they did not feel the need to export their products. I kept coming back but was turned away each time.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- But you didn\u2019t give up, right?<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- I was determined to bring Gucci products to my showcase at any cost. I refused to be discouraged, and after many visits, I met the president of Gucci who just happened to be in the shop. When giving me a personal explanation of his products, he held out a silver cigarette case to me. I immediately pulled out my handkerchief from my breast pocket to touch the case and carefully wiped off my fingerprints before returning it. Natori had told me that you shouldn\u2019t touch silver products with your bare hands. Seeing this, the president of Gucci said to me, \u201cyou understand the value of products. Let\u2019s do business together.\u201d<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- It was a fateful encounter.<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- I feel that life is all about luck and fate.
I got the contract with Gucci, and moved my shop from the Sanshin building in Hibiya to its current location on Namakidori the year of the Olympics, in 1964. The shop held a collection of luxury brands including Gucci, Hermes, Loewe, Baccarat and Lalique. When I opened the shop, it was probably the first in Japan, let alone Ginza, to sell only luxury foreign brand items.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\nIt is important for a \u201cmerchant\u201d (akindo) to \u201ckeep customers from getting bored\u201d (akisasenai).<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Not to change the subject, but may I ask how old you are?<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- I turned 90 last November.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Really?! You look much younger!<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- Thank you (laughs). I still drop by the shop every day even now.
And of course assist customers.<\/dd>\n - Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Really?!<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- After all, in Japanese, \u201cmerchant\u201d (akindo) means \u201ckeep customers from getting bored\u201d (akisasenai), and it is important to me also to \u201cnever get bored\u201d (akinai). I get many tips from actually visiting the sales floor and talking with customers.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Do you do anything special to develop your appreciation of aesthetics?<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- You may be surprised to know that I do not own a cell phone. People nowadays are always looking at everything on their cell phones, right? Well, I want to actually walk to a place, see it for myself and feel its atmosphere. Often, when you encounter a shop window that takes your breath away, you feel compelled to stop and take a look.
What is important for people are intuition and inspiration. I don\u2019t want to ever forget that.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nGinza is \u201cthe world\u2019s Ginza.\u201d<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What do young people need in order to nurture their ability to recognize genuine products like you can?<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- It is not necessary to wear luxury brand goods from a young age. Right now Ginza is full of \u2018fast fashion\u2019 shops. Some people may worry that Ginza will lose its luxury appeal, but, personally, I think it\u2019s a good thing. You can go to Ginza and find an entire outfit for about 30,000 yen. I think it\u2019s important to do this in order to learn more and more about how to dress fashionably in a way that expresses your individuality and find your own, personal tastes.
Not long ago, there was a time when young women all proudly carried around the same luxury brand goods.
It\u2019s different today. It\u2019s not cool to wear the same thing as everyone else today.<\/dd>\n - Takashima<\/dt>\n
- So you think people should value individuality more?<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- Exactly. You need to create your own color. At the same time, luxury brands stand side by side with these other fashions in Ginza. Young people can leisurely enjoy window shopping. This will naturally nurture their ability to pick out truly genuine products. I hope more and more young people do this in order to build the future foundation of Ginza.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- How do you think Ginza will change in the future?<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- Now that Haneda Airport has resumed international flights, I think more and more tourists will visit Ginza and promote its globalization. In Ginza, you can eat at delicious restaurants and go shopping. There are hotels and, if you walk a little, there are even some theatres. I doubt there is any other district packed so full of entertainment.
Also, Ginza is a safe area and the streets are beautiful. I think Ginza rivals Bond Street in London or rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore in Paris. Ginza is now \u201cthe world\u2019s Ginza.\u201d<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\nThe next guest will be\u2026<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Could you tell us about the next guest?<\/dd>\n
- Motoyama<\/dt>\n
- It\u2019s Noriko Okazoe, the proprietress-to-be of Shinbashi Kanetanaka, one of the three best Japanese restaurants in Japan. I am sure you will hear many wonderful stories about this well-established restaurant that has continued serving the world of the geisha in Shinbashi since the Taisho era.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/p>\n\n
Chisako Takashima<\/h4>\n
Violinist. Started playing the violin at age 6. After playing abroad, she moved her home base to Japan, and gives concerts all over the country. Although her current focus is on performing music, she also appears on TV and radio programs. Thanks to her much-loved personality, she is appearing in more and more venues.<\/p>\n