{"id":1704,"date":"2013-08-06T10:00:13","date_gmt":"2013-08-06T01:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ginzaofficial.sakura.ne.jp\/?p=1704"},"modified":"2015-06-26T17:55:20","modified_gmt":"2015-06-26T08:55:20","slug":"%e5%b7%9d%e5%8f%a3-%e5%bd%b0%e4%b9%85x%e9%ab%98%e5%b6%8b-%e3%81%a1%e3%81%95%e5%ad%90","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ginza.jp\/en\/connective\/1704","title":{"rendered":"Akihisa Kawaguchi\u00d7Chisako Takashima"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The shop has been run as a seller of two core products, footwear and umbrellas, since the very beginning.<\/h4>\n
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Takashima<\/dt>\n
Your shop was founded in 1939. That\u2019s relatively young for a Ginza shop, right?<\/dd>\n
Kawaguchi<\/dt>\n
Yes, quite. It is especially young for a Japanese-style footwear shop here. There are about five such shops in Ginza that have been around a long time, and ours is the youngest among them. The rest of them were opened in eras like the Tempo era that are the topic of history textbooks.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
No kidding. It must be rare for a shop to sell both footwear and umbrellas? Was that the style from the very beginning?<\/dd>\n
Kawaguchi<\/dt>\n
Yes. When I first took over the shop, I thought it was odd that it sold umbrellas even though it\u2019s a footwear shop, and I asked people in the shop, but even they don\u2019t know the reason (laughs). But, apparently it did sell umbrellas ever since the beginning. Around the time the shop was founded, zori (Japanese sandals) were selling very well, so they cleared the umbrellas from the sales floor during the off seasons.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
Are the umbrellas Japanese-style umbrellas?<\/dd>\n
Kawaguchi<\/dt>\n
We sell both Japanese-style and Western-style umbrellas. All the fabrics are our original designs. They are not printed fabric, but are actually woven from thread. We use a special weaving method that you don\u2019t see elsewhere, so they are quite unique.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
That\u2019s amazing! It must take a lot of time.<\/dd>\n
Kawaguchi<\/dt>\n
Not at all. It\u2019s just that we\u2019ve been doing it that way since the beginning, so we try as much as possible to maintain the tradition.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n
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Shop interior with rows of zori and umbrellas<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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We also make collaboration zori with a magazine company.<\/h4>\n
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Takashima<\/dt>\n
How exactly are zori made?<\/dd>\n
Kawaguchi<\/dt>\n
Not many people know this, but zori are actually made of cork inside. The cork is cut in the shape of a zori and wrapped in leather. Leaving the cork as a single layer or adding a second or third layer changes the height of the heel.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
I see. So that means you can make zori with quite a high heel, right?<\/dd>\n
Kawaguchi<\/dt>\n
Yes. In the past we once made a pair with 13 layers. The cork is all wrapped in leather, and when you add a second or third layer, they are each sewn on individually.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
Is it all done by hand?<\/dd>\n
Kawaguchi<\/dt>\n
These days there are really good adhesives available, so gluing them together can make very stable products, but completely hand-sewn products are still popular.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
What about the design?<\/dd>\n
Kawaguchi<\/dt>\n
That also varies a lot. At our shop, we also make collaboration zori with a magazine company.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
(Picking up the zori) Wow, this is really flashy. It\u2019s wonderful! Are those Swarovski stones on the straps and sides?<\/dd>\n
Kawaguchi<\/dt>\n
Yes, they are. A magazine company came asking us to create an original magazine design, and we gladly accepted. We also sold them through the magazine.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
Around Ginza, there are a lot of night scene girls, so this design must be popular!<\/dd>\n
Kawaguchi<\/dt>\n
Yes, you\u2019re right. This design with Swarovski stones on it is popular with the girls that work at the cocktail lounges. In that sense, these zori have a very Ginza-like design.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n
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Collaboration zori with a magazine company<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

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To look stylish in zori, wear them with the straps sitting lightly on your toes<\/h4>\n
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Takashima<\/dt>\n
Of course, zori don\u2019t have any trends, do they?<\/dd>\n
Kawaguchi<\/dt>\n
Actually, they do. Just a little while ago, it was trendy for them to have wide straps. The design changes, becoming thinner or thicker, to suit each generation.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
Oh, I didn\u2019t know that. Could you tell me some tips for choosing zori?<\/dd>\n
Kawaguchi<\/dt>\n
Sure. If you are looking for quality, you should check the leather on the bottom. If it\u2019s wet-blue leather, for example, or another good quality leather, the zori are also probably good quality.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
I see! Very informative. But if the bottom is leather, won\u2019t they be slippery on rainy days?<\/dd>\n
Kawaguchi<\/dt>\n
In general, you shouldn\u2019t wear zori on rainy days. In the past, on rainy days people wore geta (casual Japanese sandals) instead. Now you can get zori made especially for rainy day wear. They have rubber on the soles to keep you from slipping.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
When I hear \u201czori,\u201d I think of beach sandals. When I wear zori, beach sandals, or other shoes with a thong strap, the part between my toes start to hurt. Is there anything I can do about that?<\/dd>\n
Kawaguchi<\/dt>\n
This applies for both zori and geta, but those who are not used to wearing them tend to push their feet right into the thong strap, making the part between their toes hurt. Zori and geta are actually made so that the strap sits on your toes a bit.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
So that\u2019s the problem! If your feet hurt when you wear them, you are pushing your feet too far forward.<\/dd>\n
Kawaguchi<\/dt>\n
Exactly. Also, those who wear them more loosely look more stylish. They are made so that pushing your foot forward hurts, so that you\u2019ll wear them with your feet set back a little. That said, if you want to wear them with the thong snug against your toes, just tell the shop. They can make them so they don\u2019t hurt, for example by widening the front a bit or changing the fabric to something a little softer.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n
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To do business in Ginza, the most important thing is to always put your customers first.<\/h4>\n
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Takashima<\/dt>\n
Does Ginza Zenya also sell geta shoes?<\/dd>\n
Kawaguchi<\/dt>\n
Yes. It was originally a geta shop.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
Of course. Can you tell me, what\u2019s the difference between geta and zori?<\/dd>\n
Kawaguchi<\/dt>\n
Geta are generally more casual. They are not accepted in certain dress codes.<\/dd>\n
Takahashi<\/dt>\n
Are they like the Japanese version of beach sandals?<\/dd>\n
Kawaguchi<\/dt>\n
Yes, kind of.<\/dd>\n
Takahashi<\/dt>\n
Interesting! When wearing geta, do you usually go sockless? You wear geta when wearing a yukata (casual style of kimono), right?<\/dd>\n
Kawaguchi<\/dt>\n
You can wear geta with or without socks. Wearing zori might hurt a bit if you wear them sockless.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
Do people wear different kinds of zori depending on the occasion, for example a fancy conference or party or what have you?<\/dd>\n
Kawaguchi<\/dt>\n
It is best to have a number of different ones. Nowadays people don\u2019t have as many chances to wear a kimono, and many people say they just have the one pair from their coming-of-age ceremony, but we also have many families of customers that have come to us for generations.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
That\u2019s wonderful to have a long relationship with some customers. When did you take over the shop?<\/dd>\n
Kawaguchi<\/dt>\n
I started working here 14 or 15 years ago. I became the president three years ago, in 2010.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
Are there any traditions you try to maintain since your father\u2019s time?<\/dd>\n
Kawaguchi<\/dt>\n
My father ingrained into me the basic concept that I must never forget to put my customers first. He said to find joy in making your customers happy.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
What a wonderful teaching.<\/dd>\n
Kawaguchi<\/dt>\n
I was told many times that I would never get by if I didn\u2019t keep that in mind, especially in Ginza. And he was right. So I try to remember that attitude as I work.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n
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I first learned the attraction of my hometown, Ginza, after entering my 30s<\/h4>\n
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Takashima<\/dt>\n
Have you lived in Ginza since you were a child?<\/dd>\n
Kawaguchi<\/dt>\n
Yes, but I went to an elementary school a little ways away, so I don\u2019t have any childhood friend or friends from my school days here. On days off I stay indoors (laughs).<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
That must be rare, for someone from Ginza to be a recluse (laughs).<\/dd>\n
Kawaguchi<\/dt>\n
I like the indoors. Before taking over the shop, I worked for a game maker.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
So you made friends in Ginza after becoming an adult?<\/dd>\n
Kawaguchi<\/dt>\n
Yes. After entering my 30s, I joined the Ginza Merchant\u2019s Association, a junior merchants\u2019 group in Ginza, and finally made some friends in Ginza. Before that, Ginza was just a hometown to me. So it didn\u2019t make any sense to me when other people were impressed. Through the Ginza Merchant\u2019s Association, I met other Ginza businessman and other people working here. I finally learned the attraction of Ginza, only recently. I guess Ginza is an \u201cadult\u2019s district\u201d after all.<\/dd>\n
Takashima<\/dt>\n
After actually starting to run a shop in Ginza, have you acquired some new aspirations for yourself?<\/dd>\n
Kawaguchi<\/dt>\n
Actually, we have begun making Japanese-style bags using tweed from England and other European fabrics. Ginza is an area where you mix the old with the new. At our shop as well, we keep our previous concepts as our previous concepts, and at the same time also concentrate on developing new styles of products and products with a special twist.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n
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The next guest will be\u2026<\/h4>\n
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Takashima<\/dt>\n
Could you tell us about the next guest?<\/dd>\n
Kawaguchi<\/dt>\n
It\u2019s Mamoru Sugiyama, the fourth generation master of Ginza Sushiko Honten, a long-standing sushi restaurant that has been around since the Meiji era. <\/p>\n

He can tell you all about anything from the fashionable way to eat sushi to the history of sushi restaurants in Ginza. I\u2019m sure you will learn the attraction of a historical Ginza sushi restaurant that should be enjoyed by all adults at least once.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n

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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

Chisako Takashima\u2019s official website<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

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Akihisa Kawaguchi<\/h4>\n

Third generation president of Ginza Zenya, a long-standing shop that sells traditional Japanese footwear and umbrellas. Born in Ginza and followed his successors in 2010 to become the next president. While preserving traditional concepts, he also sells zori and umbrellas with new designs that incorporate the latest trends. Previously held the position of Chairperson for the Ginza Merchant\u2019s Association, and aids in the development of Ginza.<\/p>\n

Ginza Zenya Website<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

Writer: Mizuho Takahashi\u3000\u3000Location: Sobadokoro Yoshida<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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