A history of walking side-by-side with Mikimoto and the message behind the name <\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- L\u2019\u00e9crin is one of the most famous long-established French restaurants in Japan. Has it always been located here? <\/dd>\n
- Yano<\/dt>\n
- Yes. My father, the late owner, had connections with Mikimoto, the jewelry brand, and he was fortunate to have been able to rent this place. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- So, this building belongs to Mikimoto? <\/dd>\n
- Yano<\/dt>\n
- Yes. We are in the basement floor of the Mikimoto Building. Our restaurant opened in 1974, the same year that the current Mikimoto Building (Ginza 4-chome Main Store) was completed. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- It had never occurred to me that you had such ties with Mikimoto! By the way, where does the name L\u2019\u00e9crin come from? <\/dd>\n
- Yano <\/dt>\n
- Actually, the name L\u2019\u00e9crin is also closely related to Mikimoto. Since Mikimoto represents jewelry, we named our restaurant \u201cL\u2019\u00e9crin,\u201d which is \u201cjewelry box\u201d in French. It is our greatest wish that the time our customers spend with us sparkles like jewels. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n
![\"\u9280\u5ea7\u30ec\u30ab\u30f3\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_71_01.jpg\")
<\/p>\nGinza L\u2019\u00e9crin.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_71_02.jpg\")
<\/div>\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_71_03.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nThe new Ginza L\u2019\u00e9crin after two and a half years of renovation <\/h4>\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I have heard that you reopened on June 1. <\/dd>\n
- Yano<\/dt>\n
- Yes. In 2015, Mikimoto invited us to join them in their renovation project and reopen two and a half years later. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Did you make changes to the interior design? <\/dd>\n
- Yano<\/dt>\n
- I would say that the waiting bar on B2 is very similar to what it looked like before. Based on an art nouveau design, it still uses the chandeliers and mirrors that were originally installed. On the hand, the main dining room was completely renewed. We put in marble imported from Italy and decorated the ceiling with chandelier-like glass balls designed by a female artist. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- There is a certain stateliness and yet the room shines as if it was filled with jewels. <\/dd>\n
- Yano<\/dt>\n
- The beige interior works well with the soft lighting. I believe we have successfully created a bright and modern, yet classic atmosphere. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- L\u2019\u00e9crin is also famous for producing many renowned chefs. <\/dd>\n
- Yano<\/dt>\n
- Many of our chefs have become quite famous \u2013 for example, our second chef, Asahi Inoue (currently owner chef of Chez Ino in Kyobashi) and our fourth chef Toru Totoki (currently owner chef at GINZA TOTOKI). We have now welcomed our seventh chef, Koji Watanabe.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Is the menu modified when you welcome a new chef? <\/dd>\n
- Yano<\/dt>\n
- Yes. I believe that cuisines evolve with the times. Our current chef, Watanabe, works with traditional methods but is also open to new methods. His recipes appear to be traditional, but by using Japanese ingredients and less butter than the original recipe, he makes them light and modern. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
![\"\u30a6\u30a7\u30a4\u30c6\u30a3\u30f3\u30b0\u30d0\u30fc\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_71_04.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWaiting bar<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
![\"\u30e1\u30a4\u30f3\u30c0\u30a4\u30cb\u30f3\u30b0\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_71_05.jpg\")
<\/p>\nMain dining room<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n![\"\u25b2\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_71_06.jpg\")
<\/div>\n![\"\u25b2\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_71_07.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\nOur motto is \u201cToday\u2019s satisfaction is tomorrow\u2019s dissatisfaction.\u201d <\/h4>\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Could you please tell me about the essence of the service that you offer?b <\/dd>\n
- Yano <\/dt>\n
- I always say, \u201cToday\u2019s satisfaction is tomorrow\u2019s dissatisfaction.\u201d Since our service as a restaurant includes offering a special time away from everyday life, doing the same as last time is not enough. Many of our customers have dined with us for decades, so it is most important for us not to disappoint them. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I would love to come to a fancy restaurant, but I always have second thoughts thinking that I would feel out of place\u2026<\/dd>\n
- Yano<\/dt>\n
- You would think that it would take a lot of courage to enter upscale restaurants, but once you become a familiar face, it can be quite comfortable. We have a lot of couples at dinnertime, but you will see many young women at lunchtime. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I would love for my husband to escort me here. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
Friendly competition in an ever-changing Ginza<\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What does Ginza mean to you? <\/dd>\n
- Yano<\/dt>\n
- Ginza has recently seen some new commercial establishments open, but it is still home to long-established stores and theaters with long histories. It is a very diverse town. You can feel it continuously changing with the times and that is what makes Ginza so intriguing. It was only after the burst of the economic bubble that high-end brand boutiques came to Ginza. Before that, Ginza was full of banks. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Really!?<\/dd>\n
- Yano<\/dt>\n
- Yes. The Apple Store in Ginza 3-chome was originally a bank, too. Since banks close at 3:00 pm, it would become very quiet in the late afternoon. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Located in such the ever-changing Ginza, what kind of restaurant would you like to be? <\/dd>\n
- Yano<\/dt>\n
- Sometimes we enjoy the honor of being called a long-established restaurant, and perhaps we are quite the old restaurant in town. However, in Ginza, we look around to find many stores established more than one hundred years ago. Compared to that we are still babies, with only a history of 40 years. Ginza is full of competition and the customers here have very high standards, and we enjoy the challenge. I am determined to strive in friendly competition so that we will continue to enjoy the support of our customers five, ten and thirty years later. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_71_08.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_68_10.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
- L\u2019\u00e9crin is one of the most famous long-established French restaurants in Japan. Has it always been located here? <\/dd>\n
- Yano<\/dt>\n
- Yes. My father, the late owner, had connections with Mikimoto, the jewelry brand, and he was fortunate to have been able to rent this place. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- So, this building belongs to Mikimoto? <\/dd>\n
- Yano<\/dt>\n
- Yes. We are in the basement floor of the Mikimoto Building. Our restaurant opened in 1974, the same year that the current Mikimoto Building (Ginza 4-chome Main Store) was completed. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- It had never occurred to me that you had such ties with Mikimoto! By the way, where does the name L\u2019\u00e9crin come from? <\/dd>\n
- Yano <\/dt>\n
- Actually, the name L\u2019\u00e9crin is also closely related to Mikimoto. Since Mikimoto represents jewelry, we named our restaurant \u201cL\u2019\u00e9crin,\u201d which is \u201cjewelry box\u201d in French. It is our greatest wish that the time our customers spend with us sparkles like jewels. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
Ginza L\u2019\u00e9crin.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nThe new Ginza L\u2019\u00e9crin after two and a half years of renovation <\/h4>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I have heard that you reopened on June 1. <\/dd>\n
- Yano<\/dt>\n
- Yes. In 2015, Mikimoto invited us to join them in their renovation project and reopen two and a half years later. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Did you make changes to the interior design? <\/dd>\n
- Yano<\/dt>\n
- I would say that the waiting bar on B2 is very similar to what it looked like before. Based on an art nouveau design, it still uses the chandeliers and mirrors that were originally installed. On the hand, the main dining room was completely renewed. We put in marble imported from Italy and decorated the ceiling with chandelier-like glass balls designed by a female artist. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- There is a certain stateliness and yet the room shines as if it was filled with jewels. <\/dd>\n
- Yano<\/dt>\n
- The beige interior works well with the soft lighting. I believe we have successfully created a bright and modern, yet classic atmosphere. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- L\u2019\u00e9crin is also famous for producing many renowned chefs. <\/dd>\n
- Yano<\/dt>\n
- Many of our chefs have become quite famous \u2013 for example, our second chef, Asahi Inoue (currently owner chef of Chez Ino in Kyobashi) and our fourth chef Toru Totoki (currently owner chef at GINZA TOTOKI). We have now welcomed our seventh chef, Koji Watanabe.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Is the menu modified when you welcome a new chef? <\/dd>\n
- Yano<\/dt>\n
- Yes. I believe that cuisines evolve with the times. Our current chef, Watanabe, works with traditional methods but is also open to new methods. His recipes appear to be traditional, but by using Japanese ingredients and less butter than the original recipe, he makes them light and modern. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/p>\n
Waiting bar<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\nMain dining room<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\nOur motto is \u201cToday\u2019s satisfaction is tomorrow\u2019s dissatisfaction.\u201d <\/h4>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Could you please tell me about the essence of the service that you offer?b <\/dd>\n
- Yano <\/dt>\n
- I always say, \u201cToday\u2019s satisfaction is tomorrow\u2019s dissatisfaction.\u201d Since our service as a restaurant includes offering a special time away from everyday life, doing the same as last time is not enough. Many of our customers have dined with us for decades, so it is most important for us not to disappoint them. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I would love to come to a fancy restaurant, but I always have second thoughts thinking that I would feel out of place\u2026<\/dd>\n
- Yano<\/dt>\n
- You would think that it would take a lot of courage to enter upscale restaurants, but once you become a familiar face, it can be quite comfortable. We have a lot of couples at dinnertime, but you will see many young women at lunchtime. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I would love for my husband to escort me here. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
Friendly competition in an ever-changing Ginza<\/h4>\n
\n- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What does Ginza mean to you? <\/dd>\n
- Yano<\/dt>\n
- Ginza has recently seen some new commercial establishments open, but it is still home to long-established stores and theaters with long histories. It is a very diverse town. You can feel it continuously changing with the times and that is what makes Ginza so intriguing. It was only after the burst of the economic bubble that high-end brand boutiques came to Ginza. Before that, Ginza was full of banks. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Really!?<\/dd>\n
- Yano<\/dt>\n
- Yes. The Apple Store in Ginza 3-chome was originally a bank, too. Since banks close at 3:00 pm, it would become very quiet in the late afternoon. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Located in such the ever-changing Ginza, what kind of restaurant would you like to be? <\/dd>\n
- Yano<\/dt>\n
- Sometimes we enjoy the honor of being called a long-established restaurant, and perhaps we are quite the old restaurant in town. However, in Ginza, we look around to find many stores established more than one hundred years ago. Compared to that we are still babies, with only a history of 40 years. Ginza is full of competition and the customers here have very high standards, and we enjoy the challenge. I am determined to strive in friendly competition so that we will continue to enjoy the support of our customers five, ten and thirty years later. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\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
![\"\u3081\u3056\u307e\u3057\u30af\u30e9\u30b7\u30c3\u30af\u30b9](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_cd_mezamashi.jpg\")
<\/p>\n