Originating as a soda fountain in the corner of a Western-style pharmacy.<\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I have been coming to Shiseido Parlour since I was a little girl. My grandmother loved Ginza, and she would often bring me here. I was also here just recently to celebrate the solo debut of a member of our group of twelve violinists.<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- I\u2019m very happy to hear that. Thank you.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Shiseido Parlour is an iconic restaurant, especially among girls. I have been told that you have been in business since the Meiji era. Could you tell me about its history?<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Shiseido Parlour was originally a Western-style pharmacy. In 1900, our founder, Arinobu Fukushima, found a soda fountain at an American pharmacy on his way home. Then in 1902 (Meiji 35), he began selling soda in a corner of his pharmacy, and manufacturing and selling ice cream as well.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Wow! That must have been so chic back then!<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- It was a time when there were still many okiya (geisha houses) in this area and many geisha would come with rich men. A bottle of lotion called Eudermine, worth 25 sen (Japanese currency unit. 100 sen = 1 yen), would come with every soda, which was also 25 sen. This made it very popular.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- He was a man of foresight!<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- I think he was a man who was always keen on attempting new things. He brought back cups, spoons, straws and everything from the United States. They were novelties back then and he was full of enthusiasm about offering everyone high-quality authentic products from overseas.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_42_01.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_42_02.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_42_03.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nAn iconic restaurant much loved by many literary masters. Grand opening of Bar S on the top floor in June.<\/h4>\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Shiseido Parlour has always had that high-class image. To be truthful, having dined here since I was a child, that had never crossed my mind, but everyone I know says so.<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- I am very grateful that many people feel that there is a dignified elegance about Shiseido Parlour, or that they feel inspired when they come here. However, children are very welcome at our restaurants on the fourth and fifth floors. Some of our customers, who came with their parent as children now come with their grandchildren.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- That is wonderful. The works of novelists have also had great influence on its high profile, haven\u2019t they? Shiseido Parlour appears in the works of Yasunari Kawabata and Ogai Mori.<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Yes, it may have made them a distinguished person to have dinner at everyone\u2019s dream restaurant and write about it. A recent memory is having Shotaro Ikenami dining with us frequently.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Many people have their favorite menu. I always order \u201cbeef and mushrooms fried rice Japanese style\u201d, but my friend\u2019s favorite is scallop curry and rice.<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- The dishes that we have served since our establishment are also very popular. Some of our customers have a set of dishes that they always order and share.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Is this entire building owned by Shiseido, today?<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Yes it is. Our shop is located on the first floor and our caf\u00e9, on the third. The fourth, fifth and tenth floors are restaurants. The top floor is currently being renovated into a bar where chic adults gather. We are hoping that ladies will feel comfortable coming to the bar for a drink.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- So, it will not be your hide-out, but a place open to ladies for casual drinks (laughs).<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- That\u2019s right (laughs). It will be a place that is also enjoyable for those who do not drink, so please come check it out when we reopen.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Thank you. I would love to.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_42_04.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_42_05.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\nOffering smiles and happiness with scrumptious food! Serving food with the hope that its will enhance the beauty of those who savor it.<\/h4>\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Shiseido Parlour is on everyone\u2019s wish list, and I am sure that many of your customers are very good judges of quality. What are some of the things that you are mindful of?<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- I believe that a meal is the same as music, and that we are supposed to enjoy it with our five senses. We listen to the menu being explained with our ears, we see and smell the savory food with our eyes and nose, and we feel the temperature of the food with our hands when we can touch it. We believe that it is not just the taste of the food we serve but that extra hospitality that is important. Since a meal is not something you can take home with you once you finish it, we are constantly conscious of how to change those two or three hours into an inspiring experience.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Now that you mention it, music and food have many things in common.<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Please indulge in our ever-popular strawberry parfait, today.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Really! Thank you very much. This is what you call \u201cindulge\u201d (laughs).<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Our strawberry parfait is made in a way that you can enjoy strawberries at their best when they are in season. The fresh vanilla ice cream enhances the sweetness of the strawberries. The sauce topping the parfait is made by crushing the same strawberries.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- (takes one bite) This is exquisite! First of all, the aroma is wonderful. I love the sauce for its simpleness and straightforwardness. It is a classic of classics and it is luxurious.<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- I am pleased that you are enjoying it. Shiseido has always had a passion for enhancing people\u2019s beauty through food. Delicious food creates smiles and arouses happy emotions, which can make people even more beautiful. I would be delighted if people could have inspirational and thrilling experiences here.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_42_06.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_42_07.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nGinza, a place for people familiar with authenticity who come in pursuit of authenticity.<\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- As we close, could you tell me about your feelings for Ginza?<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Shiseido Parlour has restaurants outside of Tokyo, but Ginza is exceptional. While I feel that it is my duty to preserve the traditions of our long-established restaurant, I also believe that it is important to be open to new trends.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- It must be challenging with so many sophisticated customers.<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Yes, you are right. I believe that Ginza is a place where people who are well acquainted with authenticity gather in pursuit of authentic goods and services. I think it is important that we are constantly exploring good quality. The world is full of price competition, but I endeavor every day not to surrender to that trend.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Truly good quality is, in the end, always the best.<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Being close to Tsukiji, we have access to high-quality food in Ginza and that is why we have many of the best sushi bars and Japanese restaurants. In order to serve food that our customers can feel comfortable having, we insist on using domestic ingredients and use our culinary technique in serving our food.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I think that foreigners who come to Ginza during the Tokyo Olympics will be astonished at how high the quality is here (laughs)!<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Yes, Ginza will be the gate to Japan in the 2020 Olympic Games. As we welcome overseas guests, I hope that we can make Ginza an even better town, by preserving Ginza\u2019s dignity and other traditional features that should be preserved as well as in taking new challenges.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_42_08.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_42_09.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
- I have been coming to Shiseido Parlour since I was a little girl. My grandmother loved Ginza, and she would often bring me here. I was also here just recently to celebrate the solo debut of a member of our group of twelve violinists.<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- I\u2019m very happy to hear that. Thank you.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Shiseido Parlour is an iconic restaurant, especially among girls. I have been told that you have been in business since the Meiji era. Could you tell me about its history?<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Shiseido Parlour was originally a Western-style pharmacy. In 1900, our founder, Arinobu Fukushima, found a soda fountain at an American pharmacy on his way home. Then in 1902 (Meiji 35), he began selling soda in a corner of his pharmacy, and manufacturing and selling ice cream as well.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Wow! That must have been so chic back then!<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- It was a time when there were still many okiya (geisha houses) in this area and many geisha would come with rich men. A bottle of lotion called Eudermine, worth 25 sen (Japanese currency unit. 100 sen = 1 yen), would come with every soda, which was also 25 sen. This made it very popular.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- He was a man of foresight!<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- I think he was a man who was always keen on attempting new things. He brought back cups, spoons, straws and everything from the United States. They were novelties back then and he was full of enthusiasm about offering everyone high-quality authentic products from overseas.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
An iconic restaurant much loved by many literary masters. Grand opening of Bar S on the top floor in June.<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Shiseido Parlour has always had that high-class image. To be truthful, having dined here since I was a child, that had never crossed my mind, but everyone I know says so.<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- I am very grateful that many people feel that there is a dignified elegance about Shiseido Parlour, or that they feel inspired when they come here. However, children are very welcome at our restaurants on the fourth and fifth floors. Some of our customers, who came with their parent as children now come with their grandchildren.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- That is wonderful. The works of novelists have also had great influence on its high profile, haven\u2019t they? Shiseido Parlour appears in the works of Yasunari Kawabata and Ogai Mori.<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Yes, it may have made them a distinguished person to have dinner at everyone\u2019s dream restaurant and write about it. A recent memory is having Shotaro Ikenami dining with us frequently.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Many people have their favorite menu. I always order \u201cbeef and mushrooms fried rice Japanese style\u201d, but my friend\u2019s favorite is scallop curry and rice.<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- The dishes that we have served since our establishment are also very popular. Some of our customers have a set of dishes that they always order and share.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Is this entire building owned by Shiseido, today?<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Yes it is. Our shop is located on the first floor and our caf\u00e9, on the third. The fourth, fifth and tenth floors are restaurants. The top floor is currently being renovated into a bar where chic adults gather. We are hoping that ladies will feel comfortable coming to the bar for a drink.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- So, it will not be your hide-out, but a place open to ladies for casual drinks (laughs).<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- That\u2019s right (laughs). It will be a place that is also enjoyable for those who do not drink, so please come check it out when we reopen.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Thank you. I would love to.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
\nOffering smiles and happiness with scrumptious food! Serving food with the hope that its will enhance the beauty of those who savor it.<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Shiseido Parlour is on everyone\u2019s wish list, and I am sure that many of your customers are very good judges of quality. What are some of the things that you are mindful of?<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- I believe that a meal is the same as music, and that we are supposed to enjoy it with our five senses. We listen to the menu being explained with our ears, we see and smell the savory food with our eyes and nose, and we feel the temperature of the food with our hands when we can touch it. We believe that it is not just the taste of the food we serve but that extra hospitality that is important. Since a meal is not something you can take home with you once you finish it, we are constantly conscious of how to change those two or three hours into an inspiring experience.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Now that you mention it, music and food have many things in common.<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Please indulge in our ever-popular strawberry parfait, today.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Really! Thank you very much. This is what you call \u201cindulge\u201d (laughs).<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Our strawberry parfait is made in a way that you can enjoy strawberries at their best when they are in season. The fresh vanilla ice cream enhances the sweetness of the strawberries. The sauce topping the parfait is made by crushing the same strawberries.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- (takes one bite) This is exquisite! First of all, the aroma is wonderful. I love the sauce for its simpleness and straightforwardness. It is a classic of classics and it is luxurious.<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- I am pleased that you are enjoying it. Shiseido has always had a passion for enhancing people\u2019s beauty through food. Delicious food creates smiles and arouses happy emotions, which can make people even more beautiful. I would be delighted if people could have inspirational and thrilling experiences here.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
Ginza, a place for people familiar with authenticity who come in pursuit of authenticity.<\/h4>\n
\n- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- As we close, could you tell me about your feelings for Ginza?<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Shiseido Parlour has restaurants outside of Tokyo, but Ginza is exceptional. While I feel that it is my duty to preserve the traditions of our long-established restaurant, I also believe that it is important to be open to new trends.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- It must be challenging with so many sophisticated customers.<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Yes, you are right. I believe that Ginza is a place where people who are well acquainted with authenticity gather in pursuit of authentic goods and services. I think it is important that we are constantly exploring good quality. The world is full of price competition, but I endeavor every day not to surrender to that trend.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Truly good quality is, in the end, always the best.<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Being close to Tsukiji, we have access to high-quality food in Ginza and that is why we have many of the best sushi bars and Japanese restaurants. In order to serve food that our customers can feel comfortable having, we insist on using domestic ingredients and use our culinary technique in serving our food.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I think that foreigners who come to Ginza during the Tokyo Olympics will be astonished at how high the quality is here (laughs)!<\/dd>\n
- Suzuki<\/dt>\n
- Yes, Ginza will be the gate to Japan in the 2020 Olympic Games. As we welcome overseas guests, I hope that we can make Ginza an even better town, by preserving Ginza\u2019s dignity and other traditional features that should be preserved as well as in taking new challenges.<\/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