It all began with an encounter with a frock coat.<\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Could you tell us the shop\u2019s history?<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- It was founded in 1930, so it\u2019s been open for about 80 years or so. Its predecessor was a kimono shop opened by my grandfather in Nagano. He moved to Tokyo, decided the future was in Western-style clothing, and started a clothing business. At the time, the latest pieces from around the world were being unloaded at the port town, Yokohama. My grandfather was shaken to his core when he saw a frock coat that is a type of old-fashioned suit. His heart jumped and he thought, \u201cThat\u2019s it!\u201d<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- This was in 1930?<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- A little before 1930. At the time, our relatives were running a tailor\u2019s shop in Akasaka, so he trained there and opened the shop in Ginza.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Was it always in its current location?<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- Yes. It used to be a two-story wooden building. The second story was a residence where our family and the shop\u2019s tailors lived. It was rebuilt for the Tokyo Olympics.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_12_01.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nIt makes me happy to help others and bring them joy.<\/h4>\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Who have you made suits for in the past?<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- Lots of politicians and businessmen. Also, a distinctive feature of our shop is probably that many of our customers are artists. In the past we had Rosanjin Kitaoji and Tsuguharu Fujita. More recently, we had Takashi Murakami and the photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Very prominent people.<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- Artists say very creative things. That is also very stimulating and enjoyable.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- The shop has a long history and has an historical and classical image, but it seems that many customers make new and interesting requests.<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- It seems we\u2019re being used as a test site.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Have you ever had any really unbelievable requests?<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- When we made a suit for Takashi Murakami, we started with the lining. There was a flower pattern motif (that he had designed). We made a suit with a print lining and a hand-embroidered lining made of about 60 colors, both based on that motif. Many of our customers are also architects, and I asked them why they like having clothing tailored so much. They told me it is because there is no process like fitting in architecture. A large building is made straight from a small model, so the fitting process when tailoring clothing is extremely interesting. Also for (Kenzo) Tange and (Kisho) Kurokawa.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- When do you feel a sense of satisfaction from your work?<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- It makes me happy to help others and bring them joy. When Kenzo Tange passed away, we received a phone call from his son asking us to help with his clothing. To hear a desire for someone to wear an Ichibankan suit when they pass into the other world is a great honor for a tailor. It makes me feel glad to be doing this job. I hope to continue doing work that lets me encounter such situations.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_12_02.jpg\")
<\/p>\nInterior of Ichibankan<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_12_03.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\nI want to change tourism in Japan starting with Ginza.<\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I understand that you have taken on a key position in the Ginza PR team created for the IMF World Bank Annual Meeting that will be held in Tokyo in October this year.<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- A total of 20,000 guests will be coming, so it will be a great plus for tourism. I strongly want to turn this into a catalyst. I think it would be great if people thought that international tourism in Japan had changed since the IMF meeting, not only in Ginza but throughout Japan. I am currently working out the best way to achieve this.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What kind of plans do you have in mind?<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- I would like foreign visitors to be able to experience Japanese culture more easily. One specific idea is to have lunch bentos made for them from Kanetanaka (a long-established \u201cryotei\u201d Japanese cuisine restaurant in Ginza) that they could enjoy while watching geisha dance. This would let them enjoy ryotei culture at a reasonable price.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I\u2019m sure they would love it.<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- We have many other plans. Cocktails in Japan, and especially the ones at bars in Ginza, are by far the tastiest in the world. Even in Paris, London or any other place said to have great cocktails, the taste is indistinct.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Is that so? That\u2019s surprising.<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- It\u2019s true. But the cocktails in Ginza bars are sharp and have a deep and pleasant flavor. So I want non-Japanese people to also enjoy Japan\u2019s cocktails. Not only customers connected to the IMF, but I want all people to be able to casually visit bars in Ginza that until now have seemed to have a high entry level. In particular, I want them to be able to enjoy conversing with the owners. Whether a bar, sushi or tempura restaurant or a confectioners, I want us to steadily introduce Japanese craftsmanship that can only be found in Ginza.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- That sounds interesting! \u3000I hope you do other things too, like introduce Japanese beef.<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- That\u2019s a good idea. There are so many shops, restaurants and other establishments in Ginza. I think it would be great if we could work on presentation techniques to introduce them in an easy-to-understand manner. That way they could be enjoyed by not only Japanese but also foreign customers.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_12_04.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_12_05.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nEven if it doesn\u2019t go down well, the surreal atmosphere is great.<\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Do you have any hobbies?<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- Yes, air shamisen. (Watanabe\u2019s original custom-made shamisen appears)<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What is that?! Does that shamisen make a sound?<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- Yes, is sure does.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- But you use it for \u201cair\u201d shamisen, right? Do you actually make a sound?<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- Sometimes (laughs).<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Is that your special trick?<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- Yes. I don\u2019t make any mistakes because I don\u2019t touch the strings when I play (laughs).<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Why the shamisen?<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- Because I wanted to be a geisha (laughs).<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- You don\u2019t actually play air shamisen with that in front of actual geisha, do you?!<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- I sure do (laughs). It really doesn\u2019t go down well with them. The surreal atmosphere is really great (laughs).<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Yes, there are those kind of people. Who like a cold atmosphere\u2026<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- Because I am a Heisei (modern) era surrealist (laughs).<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_12_06.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_12_07.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWatanabe’s original custom-made shamisen<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_12_08.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nUsing music as an analogy, Ginza is like a place with daily live shows.<\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What kind of place is Ginza to you?<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- Using a music analogy, Ginza is like a live jazz show or a place with daily live shows at all sorts of venues. If you want to just listen to music, a CD is fine, but live shows are different.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Yes, they are completely different.<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- The tension and concentration are completely different. Many establishments in Ginza are really ambitious, fighting with all they\u2019ve got. Ginza is a place that customers and establishments can enjoy like a jazz session.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_12_09.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\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
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- It\u2019s Mr. Tsuda, president of Ginza Tsudaya, a kimono accessory shop. The shop carries many products like makeup for the stage that you cannot usually see. I\u2019m sure he will tell you some interesting stories.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_12_10.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
- Could you tell us the shop\u2019s history?<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- It was founded in 1930, so it\u2019s been open for about 80 years or so. Its predecessor was a kimono shop opened by my grandfather in Nagano. He moved to Tokyo, decided the future was in Western-style clothing, and started a clothing business. At the time, the latest pieces from around the world were being unloaded at the port town, Yokohama. My grandfather was shaken to his core when he saw a frock coat that is a type of old-fashioned suit. His heart jumped and he thought, \u201cThat\u2019s it!\u201d<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- This was in 1930?<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- A little before 1930. At the time, our relatives were running a tailor\u2019s shop in Akasaka, so he trained there and opened the shop in Ginza.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Was it always in its current location?<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- Yes. It used to be a two-story wooden building. The second story was a residence where our family and the shop\u2019s tailors lived. It was rebuilt for the Tokyo Olympics.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
It makes me happy to help others and bring them joy.<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Who have you made suits for in the past?<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- Lots of politicians and businessmen. Also, a distinctive feature of our shop is probably that many of our customers are artists. In the past we had Rosanjin Kitaoji and Tsuguharu Fujita. More recently, we had Takashi Murakami and the photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Very prominent people.<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- Artists say very creative things. That is also very stimulating and enjoyable.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- The shop has a long history and has an historical and classical image, but it seems that many customers make new and interesting requests.<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- It seems we\u2019re being used as a test site.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Have you ever had any really unbelievable requests?<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- When we made a suit for Takashi Murakami, we started with the lining. There was a flower pattern motif (that he had designed). We made a suit with a print lining and a hand-embroidered lining made of about 60 colors, both based on that motif. Many of our customers are also architects, and I asked them why they like having clothing tailored so much. They told me it is because there is no process like fitting in architecture. A large building is made straight from a small model, so the fitting process when tailoring clothing is extremely interesting. Also for (Kenzo) Tange and (Kisho) Kurokawa.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- When do you feel a sense of satisfaction from your work?<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- It makes me happy to help others and bring them joy. When Kenzo Tange passed away, we received a phone call from his son asking us to help with his clothing. To hear a desire for someone to wear an Ichibankan suit when they pass into the other world is a great honor for a tailor. It makes me feel glad to be doing this job. I hope to continue doing work that lets me encounter such situations.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/p>\n
Interior of Ichibankan<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\nI want to change tourism in Japan starting with Ginza.<\/h4>\n
\n- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I understand that you have taken on a key position in the Ginza PR team created for the IMF World Bank Annual Meeting that will be held in Tokyo in October this year.<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- A total of 20,000 guests will be coming, so it will be a great plus for tourism. I strongly want to turn this into a catalyst. I think it would be great if people thought that international tourism in Japan had changed since the IMF meeting, not only in Ginza but throughout Japan. I am currently working out the best way to achieve this.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What kind of plans do you have in mind?<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- I would like foreign visitors to be able to experience Japanese culture more easily. One specific idea is to have lunch bentos made for them from Kanetanaka (a long-established \u201cryotei\u201d Japanese cuisine restaurant in Ginza) that they could enjoy while watching geisha dance. This would let them enjoy ryotei culture at a reasonable price.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I\u2019m sure they would love it.<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- We have many other plans. Cocktails in Japan, and especially the ones at bars in Ginza, are by far the tastiest in the world. Even in Paris, London or any other place said to have great cocktails, the taste is indistinct.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Is that so? That\u2019s surprising.<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- It\u2019s true. But the cocktails in Ginza bars are sharp and have a deep and pleasant flavor. So I want non-Japanese people to also enjoy Japan\u2019s cocktails. Not only customers connected to the IMF, but I want all people to be able to casually visit bars in Ginza that until now have seemed to have a high entry level. In particular, I want them to be able to enjoy conversing with the owners. Whether a bar, sushi or tempura restaurant or a confectioners, I want us to steadily introduce Japanese craftsmanship that can only be found in Ginza.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- That sounds interesting! \u3000I hope you do other things too, like introduce Japanese beef.<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- That\u2019s a good idea. There are so many shops, restaurants and other establishments in Ginza. I think it would be great if we could work on presentation techniques to introduce them in an easy-to-understand manner. That way they could be enjoyed by not only Japanese but also foreign customers.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
Even if it doesn\u2019t go down well, the surreal atmosphere is great.<\/h4>\n
\n- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Do you have any hobbies?<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- Yes, air shamisen. (Watanabe\u2019s original custom-made shamisen appears)<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What is that?! Does that shamisen make a sound?<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- Yes, is sure does.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- But you use it for \u201cair\u201d shamisen, right? Do you actually make a sound?<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- Sometimes (laughs).<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Is that your special trick?<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- Yes. I don\u2019t make any mistakes because I don\u2019t touch the strings when I play (laughs).<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Why the shamisen?<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- Because I wanted to be a geisha (laughs).<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- You don\u2019t actually play air shamisen with that in front of actual geisha, do you?!<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- I sure do (laughs). It really doesn\u2019t go down well with them. The surreal atmosphere is really great (laughs).<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Yes, there are those kind of people. Who like a cold atmosphere\u2026<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- Because I am a Heisei (modern) era surrealist (laughs).<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/p>\n
Watanabe’s original custom-made shamisen<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nUsing music as an analogy, Ginza is like a place with daily live shows.<\/h4>\n
\n- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What kind of place is Ginza to you?<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- Using a music analogy, Ginza is like a live jazz show or a place with daily live shows at all sorts of venues. If you want to just listen to music, a CD is fine, but live shows are different.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Yes, they are completely different.<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- The tension and concentration are completely different. Many establishments in Ginza are really ambitious, fighting with all they\u2019ve got. Ginza is a place that customers and establishments can enjoy like a jazz session.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
The next guest will be\u2026<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Could you tell us about the next guest?<\/dd>\n
- Watanabe<\/dt>\n
- It\u2019s Mr. Tsuda, president of Ginza Tsudaya, a kimono accessory shop. The shop carries many products like makeup for the stage that you cannot usually see. I\u2019m sure he will tell you some interesting stories.<\/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