Established in 1923 (Taisho 11) as a Western-style fabrics store, and later shifting to a boutique specializing in children\u2019s clothing <\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- I have heard that your company was established in the Taisho period. Please tell me your corporate history. <\/dd>\n
- Kawase<\/dt>\n
- We were established in 1923(Taisho 11) when my great-grandfather opened a Western-style fabrics store specializing in fabrics retail and tailoring. Later, when the building came to be jointly managed, my father shifted the business to a children\u2019s clothing store. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I remember it standing here when I was a child. Do you carry private brand products as well? <\/dd>\n
- Kawase<\/dt>\n
- Instead of selling original products, we go to exhibitions held by children\u2019s clothing manufacturers to order the products that we sell at our store. We currently do business with around thirty companies. There are very few children\u2019s clothing stores in the Ginza area, and I would believe that we are the only boutique with such a wide selection of clothing. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What kind of children\u2019s clothing is popular now? <\/dd>\n
- Kawase<\/dt>\n
- Most people prefer simple and chic children\u2019s clothing to those elaborately designed. A T-shirt should simply be a T-shirt and dresses should be no more than dresses. Girls\u2019 clothing comprises sixty to seventy percent of our sales and when it comes to dresses, girly designs often with frills are very popular. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- A store in Ginza sounds like an expensive place to shop in\u2026. <\/dd>\n
- Kawase<\/dt>\n
- You should not have to worry about that. We have a wide price range to respond to various customer needs, from daily use to gifts for special occasions. The most reasonably priced articles sold at our store are T-shirts that run from around 1900 yen. We make it a rule to choose high-quality products that are skin-friendly. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_64_01.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_64_02.jpg\")
<\/div>\n![\"\u9280\u5ea7\u3044\u3055\u307f\u3084\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_64_03.jpg\")
<\/p>\nGinza Isamiya<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nReopening as a baby-friendly store caring about moms and dads <\/h4>\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I have heard that when you reopened after renovation in 2010, you made many important changes reflecting your devotion. Could you tell me what kind of changes you made? <\/dd>\n
- Kawase<\/dt>\n
- Ginza Isamiya has two floors \u2013 a basement floor and the first floor. Prior to our renovation, we had baby clothing with sizes ranging from newborns to 95cm on the basement floor, and larger sizes from 100cm to 160cm on the first floor. About eight years ago, when I was put in charge of the baby clothing floor, a young mother happened to say, \u201cI have many people around me who would love to shop at Isamiya, but they are reluctant to come with their strollers because you have no elevator\u2026\u201d Being a part of the Ginza Mitsukoshi building, we could not install an elevator. So, when we renovated six years ago, we decided to rearrange the floor plan and switch floors. Now, we sell baby clothing with sizes ranging from newborns to 110cm (last year of kindergarden) and children\u2019s clothing sized 120cm (for children in first grade) to a junior size (for children in their final years of elementary school). <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- So, it is now easier for mothers with strollers to come in. Did you see an increase in customers after the change? <\/dd>\n
- Kawase<\/dt>\n
- We were visited by 1000 more people in one month. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- That is wonderful! <\/dd>\n
- Kawase<\/dt>\n
- Yes. I have two children. My first child was born just the year of the renovation and it was good that I gained the opportunity of considering various matters from a parental perspective. Upon renovation, we also created a play area so that parents could feel more relaxed when they shopped; and putting children\u2019s safety first, we made a few arrangements including using cork flooring and rounding the corners of the shelves. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I see. I know what you mean when you say your perspectives changed after you had a baby. I also started \u201cstroller concerts\u201d where you can take your stroller and \u201cfamily concerts\u201d welcoming elementary school children after my children were born. It is exciting to plan events that are more representative of your own life (laughs). You can be more creative and ideas pop up one after the other. <\/dd>\n
- Kawase<\/dt>\n
- That\u2019s true. I am originally fond of children and I find my job very rewarding. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_64_04.jpg\")
<\/div>\n![\"\u9280\u5ea7\u3044\u3055\u307f\u3084](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_64_05.jpg\")
<\/p>\nGinza Isamiya, first floor <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n![\"\u30ad\u30c3\u30ba\u30b3\u30fc\u30ca\u30fc\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_64_06.jpg\")
<\/p>\nChildren\u2019s Corner<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_64_07.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\nOffering priceless value and experiences only found in Ginza. <\/h4>\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What are some of the things that you pay attention to or value particularly because you run a business in Ginza? When I took a peek at your store earlier, many tags saying \u201cMade in Japan\u201d caught my eye\u2026<\/dd>\n
- Kawase<\/dt>\n
- Items for newborns are almost all \u201cMade in Japan\u201d. Given our location in Ginza and that many people come here to look for gifts, our customers tend to prefer items made in Japan because they carry a \u201csafe and reliable\u201d image. Some people who shop with us to select a gift will say, \u201cThey will be so excited when I tell them I bought it in Ginza!\u201d We try to offer every customer the Ginza experience. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Many people find Ginza to be a special place. I have been told that you currently direct the Planning Division at Ginmikai, a committee of young business owners in Ginza. What kind of activities are you engaged in? <\/dd>\n
- Kawase<\/dt>\n
- Starting in April, at the turn of the fiscal year, I will assume a different position, but the Planning Division is responsible for events that are held in Ginza. One of our annual events is \u201cYukata de Gin-bura\u201d (held on the first Sunday on August) when we offer \u201ccooling off\u201d services that showcase Japanese hospitality for people visiting Ginza wearing yukatas and other Japanese clothing. We plan and operate the event, asking various stores in Ginza to co-sponsor it, holding sweepstakes, painting glass wind bells, providing areas where children can play\u2026 We try to design the event so that people of all ages can enjoy their day in Ginza. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Did you have a successful Yukata de Gin-bura last year?<\/dd>\n
- Kawase<\/dt>\n
- Yes. Last year, the event celebrated its tenth anniversary. We have more participants and more sponsor companies every year. It was a great success. I don\u2019t believe there are many occasions when you visit Ginza in your yukata or in your kimono, but if you do, you will enjoy a priceless experience. I hope that our visitors feel the same and return home looking forward to coming again next year in their yukatas or Japanese clothing. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I would imagine that it should be quite a workload running a business and being engaged in Ginmikai\u2019s activities at the same time. <\/dd>\n
- Kawase<\/dt>\n
- Engagements at Ginmikai are voluntary and it can be challenging to juggle both work and event planning, but I enjoy it. Most of the members are second-generation or third-generation business owners, so it has been a rewarding experience to make so many new friends in the same boat. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_64_08.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_64_09.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nBringing the special world of Ginza <\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Before we close, please tell me about your passion for Ginza.<\/dd>\n
- Kawase<\/dt>\n
- I was born and raised in Kamakura, so before I joined Ginza Isamiya, I was almost a stranger in Ginza. During these past ten years, I have fostered a close relationship with the town. Through my experiences communicating with our customers and the members of Ginmikai, I have strengthened my feeling that Ginza is a special place, different from the rest of Tokyo. My impression is that many people come to Ginza with a sense of specialness – that shopping and dining in Ginza is an extraordinary event. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I guess there are some things that you recognize because you were not born and brought up in Ginza. <\/dd>\n
- Kawase<\/dt>\n
- Yes. Even from that perspective, I find Ginza to be an \u201cattractive town\u201d. However, I feel that it is still difficult for people to come here with their children. There are only a few elevators that will take you from the subway platform to the ground floor, so we have yet to work on making it a friendlier town for people with strollers as well as people in wheelchairs or with other disabilities. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_64_10.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_64_11.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\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 heard that your company was established in the Taisho period. Please tell me your corporate history. <\/dd>\n
- Kawase<\/dt>\n
- We were established in 1923(Taisho 11) when my great-grandfather opened a Western-style fabrics store specializing in fabrics retail and tailoring. Later, when the building came to be jointly managed, my father shifted the business to a children\u2019s clothing store. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I remember it standing here when I was a child. Do you carry private brand products as well? <\/dd>\n
- Kawase<\/dt>\n
- Instead of selling original products, we go to exhibitions held by children\u2019s clothing manufacturers to order the products that we sell at our store. We currently do business with around thirty companies. There are very few children\u2019s clothing stores in the Ginza area, and I would believe that we are the only boutique with such a wide selection of clothing. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What kind of children\u2019s clothing is popular now? <\/dd>\n
- Kawase<\/dt>\n
- Most people prefer simple and chic children\u2019s clothing to those elaborately designed. A T-shirt should simply be a T-shirt and dresses should be no more than dresses. Girls\u2019 clothing comprises sixty to seventy percent of our sales and when it comes to dresses, girly designs often with frills are very popular. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- A store in Ginza sounds like an expensive place to shop in\u2026. <\/dd>\n
- Kawase<\/dt>\n
- You should not have to worry about that. We have a wide price range to respond to various customer needs, from daily use to gifts for special occasions. The most reasonably priced articles sold at our store are T-shirts that run from around 1900 yen. We make it a rule to choose high-quality products that are skin-friendly. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
Ginza Isamiya<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nReopening as a baby-friendly store caring about moms and dads <\/h4>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I have heard that when you reopened after renovation in 2010, you made many important changes reflecting your devotion. Could you tell me what kind of changes you made? <\/dd>\n
- Kawase<\/dt>\n
- Ginza Isamiya has two floors \u2013 a basement floor and the first floor. Prior to our renovation, we had baby clothing with sizes ranging from newborns to 95cm on the basement floor, and larger sizes from 100cm to 160cm on the first floor. About eight years ago, when I was put in charge of the baby clothing floor, a young mother happened to say, \u201cI have many people around me who would love to shop at Isamiya, but they are reluctant to come with their strollers because you have no elevator\u2026\u201d Being a part of the Ginza Mitsukoshi building, we could not install an elevator. So, when we renovated six years ago, we decided to rearrange the floor plan and switch floors. Now, we sell baby clothing with sizes ranging from newborns to 110cm (last year of kindergarden) and children\u2019s clothing sized 120cm (for children in first grade) to a junior size (for children in their final years of elementary school). <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- So, it is now easier for mothers with strollers to come in. Did you see an increase in customers after the change? <\/dd>\n
- Kawase<\/dt>\n
- We were visited by 1000 more people in one month. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- That is wonderful! <\/dd>\n
- Kawase<\/dt>\n
- Yes. I have two children. My first child was born just the year of the renovation and it was good that I gained the opportunity of considering various matters from a parental perspective. Upon renovation, we also created a play area so that parents could feel more relaxed when they shopped; and putting children\u2019s safety first, we made a few arrangements including using cork flooring and rounding the corners of the shelves. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I see. I know what you mean when you say your perspectives changed after you had a baby. I also started \u201cstroller concerts\u201d where you can take your stroller and \u201cfamily concerts\u201d welcoming elementary school children after my children were born. It is exciting to plan events that are more representative of your own life (laughs). You can be more creative and ideas pop up one after the other. <\/dd>\n
- Kawase<\/dt>\n
- That\u2019s true. I am originally fond of children and I find my job very rewarding. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
Ginza Isamiya, first floor <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/p>\nChildren\u2019s Corner<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\nOffering priceless value and experiences only found in Ginza. <\/h4>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What are some of the things that you pay attention to or value particularly because you run a business in Ginza? When I took a peek at your store earlier, many tags saying \u201cMade in Japan\u201d caught my eye\u2026<\/dd>\n
- Kawase<\/dt>\n
- Items for newborns are almost all \u201cMade in Japan\u201d. Given our location in Ginza and that many people come here to look for gifts, our customers tend to prefer items made in Japan because they carry a \u201csafe and reliable\u201d image. Some people who shop with us to select a gift will say, \u201cThey will be so excited when I tell them I bought it in Ginza!\u201d We try to offer every customer the Ginza experience. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Many people find Ginza to be a special place. I have been told that you currently direct the Planning Division at Ginmikai, a committee of young business owners in Ginza. What kind of activities are you engaged in? <\/dd>\n
- Kawase<\/dt>\n
- Starting in April, at the turn of the fiscal year, I will assume a different position, but the Planning Division is responsible for events that are held in Ginza. One of our annual events is \u201cYukata de Gin-bura\u201d (held on the first Sunday on August) when we offer \u201ccooling off\u201d services that showcase Japanese hospitality for people visiting Ginza wearing yukatas and other Japanese clothing. We plan and operate the event, asking various stores in Ginza to co-sponsor it, holding sweepstakes, painting glass wind bells, providing areas where children can play\u2026 We try to design the event so that people of all ages can enjoy their day in Ginza. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Did you have a successful Yukata de Gin-bura last year?<\/dd>\n
- Kawase<\/dt>\n
- Yes. Last year, the event celebrated its tenth anniversary. We have more participants and more sponsor companies every year. It was a great success. I don\u2019t believe there are many occasions when you visit Ginza in your yukata or in your kimono, but if you do, you will enjoy a priceless experience. I hope that our visitors feel the same and return home looking forward to coming again next year in their yukatas or Japanese clothing. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I would imagine that it should be quite a workload running a business and being engaged in Ginmikai\u2019s activities at the same time. <\/dd>\n
- Kawase<\/dt>\n
- Engagements at Ginmikai are voluntary and it can be challenging to juggle both work and event planning, but I enjoy it. Most of the members are second-generation or third-generation business owners, so it has been a rewarding experience to make so many new friends in the same boat. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
Bringing the special world of Ginza <\/h4>\n
\n- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Before we close, please tell me about your passion for Ginza.<\/dd>\n
- Kawase<\/dt>\n
- I was born and raised in Kamakura, so before I joined Ginza Isamiya, I was almost a stranger in Ginza. During these past ten years, I have fostered a close relationship with the town. Through my experiences communicating with our customers and the members of Ginmikai, I have strengthened my feeling that Ginza is a special place, different from the rest of Tokyo. My impression is that many people come to Ginza with a sense of specialness – that shopping and dining in Ginza is an extraordinary event. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I guess there are some things that you recognize because you were not born and brought up in Ginza. <\/dd>\n
- Kawase<\/dt>\n
- Yes. Even from that perspective, I find Ginza to be an \u201cattractive town\u201d. However, I feel that it is still difficult for people to come here with their children. There are only a few elevators that will take you from the subway platform to the ground floor, so we have yet to work on making it a friendlier town for people with strollers as well as people in wheelchairs or with other disabilities. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/p>\n\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
![\"MUSE\u301c12](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_cd_muse.jpg\")
<\/p>\n