Established by my father, a former tradesman. An European ceramic tableware shop founded in Kyoto opens in Ginza <\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- First, please tell me about your business. <\/dd>\n
- Tsuji<\/dt>\n
- We are a Western ceramics shop run directly by a trading company. We directly import and sell our merchandise. My father established the company in Kyoto forty years ago. I was born in Kyoto as well. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I had been thinking that your intonation was from the Kansai area. So, you are from Kyoto! Do you have stores in other areas, too? <\/dd>\n
- Tsuji <\/dt>\n
- Yes, we run five stores in the Kansai area and two in Tokyo. We also have an online shop. Our customers who shop with us online had always asked us if we had a shop in Tokyo. We have been fortunate to have the opportunity to open a store in Ginza, which we had always dreamed about. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Please tell me about what led your father to establish your company.<\/dd>\n
- Tsuji<\/dt>\n
- My father, had originally worked for a trading company. Around thirty years ago, the price difference of European tableware sold locally in Europe and in Japan was unimaginably large. When my father saw this, he thought, \u201cThis is wrong. If import the goods myself, I can offer them at a fair price.\u201d This is how he came to directly import European tableware. And it is why our strength is that customers can purchase imported goods at a price almost equivalent to the local price..<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- That is wonderful. No matter how cheaper we can find something overseas, when we consider the risk of wrapping it and bringing it back to Japan, it is much better to be able to purchase it in Japan. <\/dd>\n
- Tsuji<\/dt>\n
- Yes, many of our customers are happy to be able to shop with us, in light of such risks. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_54_01.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_54_02.jpg\")
<\/div>\n![\"\u30eb\u30fb\u30ce\u30fc\u30d6\u30eb](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_54_03.jpg\")
<\/p>\nLe Noble Ginza Store<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nAll employees travel worldwide to make purchases with over 200 brands <\/h4>\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- How many brands do you currently carry? <\/dd>\n
- Tsuji<\/dt>\n
- We have carried over 50,000 items from 300 brands to date. We currently sell 10,000 items from the 200 brands that we have carefully selected as our standard lineup. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- That is quite a lot! How do you discover these items? <\/dd>\n
- Tsuji <\/dt>\n
- At our company, every employee is in charge of buying merchandise. Not only our buyers, but also our store managers and web designers travel around the world to purchase items. Our concept is to sell what we would find attractive as consumers, so we cherish the diverse opinions of different employees. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- Our lives have become Internet-oriented, but there are many items that can only be found in old shops in the alleys. <\/dd>\n
- Tsuji <\/dt>\n
- You are very right. Italy, in particular, is one of those places. However, such artisans tend to be very stubborn and negotiations can be very challenging (laughs). Still, it is a great joy to find something that only that person can create. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- That sounds quite amusing. In our home, we have so many plates that our cupboard creaks. When we have guests, we use Meissen porcelain. My Villeroy & Boch dishes are for daily use. While it is nice to have a favorite series to collect, I really enjoy selecting which dishes to use according to the occasion.<\/dd>\n
- Tsuji <\/dt>\n
- Yes, that is a great way to enjoy ceramicware. Each brand has its own history and a story to tell. I hope that you have the opportunity to encounter many different items. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_54_04.jpg\")
<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_54_05.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\nFrom European to Japanese tableware. Overwhelmed by the careful handwork of artisans <\/h4>\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What is your favorite brand? <\/dd>\n
- Tsuji <\/dt>\n
- That is a difficult question. I would say Augarten, from Austria. It is the second oldest ceramic manufacturer in Europe, celebrating its 300th anniversary next year. We have been importing and selling their products as their sole agent in Japan since 2013. The manufactory developed under the protection of the Habsburg family and is know to enjoy fans in the Japanese imperial family. The manufactory is located on the premises of the Palais Augarten, which also hosts the Vienna Boys\u2019 Choir\u2019s dormitory. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- I guess you have been to the Augarten porcelain factory, as well. <\/dd>\n
- Tsuji <\/dt>\n
- Yes. There are only less than thirty artisans working at the factory, of which only ten people are porcelain painters. They have no mass production lines and their traditional craftsmanship has been passed down among a very small number of people. They gave fans worldwide. Witnessing the careful handwork in person, I was so overwhelmed that I had goose bumps. I find Augarten tableware wonderful as a consumer, too. This means that good products are good.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I can understand how impressive seeing artisans at work can be. How wonderful. <\/dd>\n
- Tsuji<\/dt>\n
- We have also been increasing items made in Japan, under the new concept \u201cRediscover Japan\u201d. We originally carried only a few traditional craftwork, including Edo Kiriko glassware, Wajima lacquer ware and Arita porcelain, but now we have expanded our lineup to around fifty brands. The \u201cMt. Fuji Glass\u201d manufactured by Tajima Glass, an Edo Kiriko glassware manufacturer, was awarded the Japan Tourism Agency Director-General Prize in the Japan Souvenir Grand Prix 2015, hosted by the Japan Tourism Agency under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation. Now a very popular item, we have customers waiting a month for it. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- That long! When you have a close look at it, you can see that the smallest details, including the troughs and craters, have been reproduced. Artisan work is really impressive. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
![\"\u30a2\u30a6\u30ac\u30eb\u30c6\u30f3\u300c\u30d3\u30fc\u30c0\u30fc\u30de\u30a4\u30e4\u30fc\u300d\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_54_06.jpg\")
<\/p>\nAugarten \u201cBiedermeier\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
![\"\u5bcc\u58eb\u5c71\u30b0\u30e9\u30b9\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_54_07.jpg\")
<\/p>\nMt. Fuji Glass<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n\u4e16\u754c\u304c\u61a7\u308c\u308b\u8857\u30fb\u9280\u5ea7\u3067\u5730\u57df\u306b\u6839\u5dee\u3057\u305f\u5b58\u5728\u306b\u306a\u308a\u305f\u3044<\/h4>\n\n\n- Takshima <\/dt>\n
- In this time of rapid change, how would you hope Ginza to be? Before we conclude, please tell me about your passion for Ginza. <\/dd>\n
- Tsuji <\/dt>\n
- In Ginza, home to many long-established companies, our company is still a newcomer. I don\u2019t believe we will be able to continue to do business here if we do not become rooted in the local community. I would first hope to become a store that is well known not among our customers but also among the people who run businesses here. I hope that in the future, we can have people saying \u201cLet\u2019s go by Le Noble while we\u2019re in Ginza.\u201d <\/dd>\n
- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- You mentioned earlier that your father had also dreamt of having a store in Ginza<\/dd>\n
- Tsuji <\/dt>\n
- \u3048Yes. I think Ginza is an attractive location for many people worldwide. When I tell my overseas counterparts that we opened a store in Ginza, they usually say, \u201cOh! Ginza!\u201d It is one of those moments when I renew my recognition that Ginza is famous all over the world.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- So, Ginza enjoys the world\u2019s attention. <\/dd>\n
- Tsuji <\/dt>\n
- I believe so. I think that in Ginza, we will not be called \u201csuccessful\u201d until we have been in business for thirty, forty years or even a century. Having Ginza in the global spotlight is very encouraging for those of us running businesses in here. I hope that Ginza will always have that sparkle. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I look very much forward to Le Noble\u2019s future developments in Ginza! Thank you very much for your time. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_54_08.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_54_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
- First, please tell me about your business. <\/dd>\n
- Tsuji<\/dt>\n
- We are a Western ceramics shop run directly by a trading company. We directly import and sell our merchandise. My father established the company in Kyoto forty years ago. I was born in Kyoto as well. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I had been thinking that your intonation was from the Kansai area. So, you are from Kyoto! Do you have stores in other areas, too? <\/dd>\n
- Tsuji <\/dt>\n
- Yes, we run five stores in the Kansai area and two in Tokyo. We also have an online shop. Our customers who shop with us online had always asked us if we had a shop in Tokyo. We have been fortunate to have the opportunity to open a store in Ginza, which we had always dreamed about. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Please tell me about what led your father to establish your company.<\/dd>\n
- Tsuji<\/dt>\n
- My father, had originally worked for a trading company. Around thirty years ago, the price difference of European tableware sold locally in Europe and in Japan was unimaginably large. When my father saw this, he thought, \u201cThis is wrong. If import the goods myself, I can offer them at a fair price.\u201d This is how he came to directly import European tableware. And it is why our strength is that customers can purchase imported goods at a price almost equivalent to the local price..<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- That is wonderful. No matter how cheaper we can find something overseas, when we consider the risk of wrapping it and bringing it back to Japan, it is much better to be able to purchase it in Japan. <\/dd>\n
- Tsuji<\/dt>\n
- Yes, many of our customers are happy to be able to shop with us, in light of such risks. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
Le Noble Ginza Store<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nAll employees travel worldwide to make purchases with over 200 brands <\/h4>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- How many brands do you currently carry? <\/dd>\n
- Tsuji<\/dt>\n
- We have carried over 50,000 items from 300 brands to date. We currently sell 10,000 items from the 200 brands that we have carefully selected as our standard lineup. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- That is quite a lot! How do you discover these items? <\/dd>\n
- Tsuji <\/dt>\n
- At our company, every employee is in charge of buying merchandise. Not only our buyers, but also our store managers and web designers travel around the world to purchase items. Our concept is to sell what we would find attractive as consumers, so we cherish the diverse opinions of different employees. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- Our lives have become Internet-oriented, but there are many items that can only be found in old shops in the alleys. <\/dd>\n
- Tsuji <\/dt>\n
- You are very right. Italy, in particular, is one of those places. However, such artisans tend to be very stubborn and negotiations can be very challenging (laughs). Still, it is a great joy to find something that only that person can create. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- That sounds quite amusing. In our home, we have so many plates that our cupboard creaks. When we have guests, we use Meissen porcelain. My Villeroy & Boch dishes are for daily use. While it is nice to have a favorite series to collect, I really enjoy selecting which dishes to use according to the occasion.<\/dd>\n
- Tsuji <\/dt>\n
- Yes, that is a great way to enjoy ceramicware. Each brand has its own history and a story to tell. I hope that you have the opportunity to encounter many different items. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
\nFrom European to Japanese tableware. Overwhelmed by the careful handwork of artisans <\/h4>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What is your favorite brand? <\/dd>\n
- Tsuji <\/dt>\n
- That is a difficult question. I would say Augarten, from Austria. It is the second oldest ceramic manufacturer in Europe, celebrating its 300th anniversary next year. We have been importing and selling their products as their sole agent in Japan since 2013. The manufactory developed under the protection of the Habsburg family and is know to enjoy fans in the Japanese imperial family. The manufactory is located on the premises of the Palais Augarten, which also hosts the Vienna Boys\u2019 Choir\u2019s dormitory. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- I guess you have been to the Augarten porcelain factory, as well. <\/dd>\n
- Tsuji <\/dt>\n
- Yes. There are only less than thirty artisans working at the factory, of which only ten people are porcelain painters. They have no mass production lines and their traditional craftsmanship has been passed down among a very small number of people. They gave fans worldwide. Witnessing the careful handwork in person, I was so overwhelmed that I had goose bumps. I find Augarten tableware wonderful as a consumer, too. This means that good products are good.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I can understand how impressive seeing artisans at work can be. How wonderful. <\/dd>\n
- Tsuji<\/dt>\n
- We have also been increasing items made in Japan, under the new concept \u201cRediscover Japan\u201d. We originally carried only a few traditional craftwork, including Edo Kiriko glassware, Wajima lacquer ware and Arita porcelain, but now we have expanded our lineup to around fifty brands. The \u201cMt. Fuji Glass\u201d manufactured by Tajima Glass, an Edo Kiriko glassware manufacturer, was awarded the Japan Tourism Agency Director-General Prize in the Japan Souvenir Grand Prix 2015, hosted by the Japan Tourism Agency under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation. Now a very popular item, we have customers waiting a month for it. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- That long! When you have a close look at it, you can see that the smallest details, including the troughs and craters, have been reproduced. Artisan work is really impressive. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/p>\n
Augarten \u201cBiedermeier\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\nMt. Fuji Glass<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n\u4e16\u754c\u304c\u61a7\u308c\u308b\u8857\u30fb\u9280\u5ea7\u3067\u5730\u57df\u306b\u6839\u5dee\u3057\u305f\u5b58\u5728\u306b\u306a\u308a\u305f\u3044<\/h4>\n
\n- \n
- Takshima <\/dt>\n
- In this time of rapid change, how would you hope Ginza to be? Before we conclude, please tell me about your passion for Ginza. <\/dd>\n
- Tsuji <\/dt>\n
- In Ginza, home to many long-established companies, our company is still a newcomer. I don\u2019t believe we will be able to continue to do business here if we do not become rooted in the local community. I would first hope to become a store that is well known not among our customers but also among the people who run businesses here. I hope that in the future, we can have people saying \u201cLet\u2019s go by Le Noble while we\u2019re in Ginza.\u201d <\/dd>\n
- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- You mentioned earlier that your father had also dreamt of having a store in Ginza<\/dd>\n
- Tsuji <\/dt>\n
- \u3048Yes. I think Ginza is an attractive location for many people worldwide. When I tell my overseas counterparts that we opened a store in Ginza, they usually say, \u201cOh! Ginza!\u201d It is one of those moments when I renew my recognition that Ginza is famous all over the world.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- So, Ginza enjoys the world\u2019s attention. <\/dd>\n
- Tsuji <\/dt>\n
- I believe so. I think that in Ginza, we will not be called \u201csuccessful\u201d until we have been in business for thirty, forty years or even a century. Having Ginza in the global spotlight is very encouraging for those of us running businesses in here. I hope that Ginza will always have that sparkle. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I look very much forward to Le Noble\u2019s future developments in Ginza! Thank you very much for your time. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\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
![\"Strings](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_cd.jpg\")
<\/p>\n