``Ginza Motoji'' has been in business for over 40 years and is a pioneer in the industry, having opened two stores in Ginza and becoming Japan's first successful store specializing in men's kimonos. Premium Japan has been reporting on Ginza Motoji from time to time, and we have received news that Keita Motoji, the son of the founder, will be appointed as the second president in the fall of 2. I had the opportunity to interview him about his new project, his plans for the future of the kimono industry, and his enthusiasm as a second-generation employee.

Japanese culture and family business revisited for the first time overseas

Ginza Motoji was founded in Ginza in 1979 by Keita's father, Koumei, a former track and field athlete, declared that he would step down as president after 42.195 years and 42 days, comparing the distance of a marathon to 195 km, and Keita Motoji was appointed as the second president in September 2022.

Mr. Motoji says he never thought he would take over the family business. ``My father wore kimonos 365 days a year, whether it was at restaurants, traveling abroad, or visiting classes.When I was a child, I hated that, and I didn't even want to tell him that the family business was a kimono shop (lol).''

Mr. Hiroaki told me to do what I like, and since he didn't force me to take over his business, I decided to study fashion, which was my interest, and went to college in London after graduating from high school. However, it was a turning point for him to reevaluate his country's culture and family business.

``We had a class on ethnic costumes, and my friend asked me a lot of questions about kimono.But even though I'm Japanese, I didn't even know the difference between a kimono and a yukata, or even the obi-jime or obi-age, so I couldn't answer anything. I felt that people overseas were much more interested in Japanese culture and respected it than I was.Furthermore, at that time, Japanese Ura-Harajuku brands were starting to make their way into European collections. It was a time when Japanese culture was highly regarded.I started to feel very proud of Japanese culture.''

What was even more impressive was when I met Mr. Hiroaki, who visited Milan for work while studying abroad.

``Sure enough, she showed up in a kimono, and it looked cool.For the first time, I genuinely wanted to wear it myself.From there, I became interested in kimono again and wanted to be involved in it myself. "I did."

Innovation and spirit of exploration inherited since our founding

Ginza Motoji has brought about innovations in the industry, such as opening Japan's first store specializing in men's kimonos and willow dyeing using Ginza willow, but there is one episode that Motoji still remembers.

``When I was an elementary school student, my father was shocked when I asked him, ``What are kimonos made from?'' So he held a ``Silkworm Breeding Exhibition'' at his store in Higashi Ginza at the time. We suspended business for two weeks and raised 2 silkworms, each of which makes exactly one roll of raw silk, in the store and made it available to the public.''

This was an epoch-making event in which a kimono store decided to leave its business and make society aware of its origins, rather than the kimonos it sells.

``It was featured in the newspaper, and many people asked, ``Where is Motoji?'' and apparently there was a map to Motoji at the 4-chome police box.''

That innovation and spirit of exploration continues to this day. One of them is a kimono made from a purely domestic male silkworm breed called ``Platinum Boy.'' Upon receiving a request from the Dainippon Sericulture Association to utilize the world's first successful technique of incubating only male silkworms, which spew out thinner, longer and more lustrous threads than females, Ginza Motoji commercialized and produced the silkworm. ing.

A certificate is always attached to each piece of cloth made by Platinum Boy. Written on it are the names of all the makers who were involved in making the cloth, from the sericulture farmers to the silk reelers, weavers, dyers, and weavers.

``For example, with Yuzen, the spotlight is on the people closest to the end user, such as the artist who draws and dyes the pattern, but before that, there are people who create the canvas of white cloth, and there are people who raise silkworms. By shining a spotlight on that, we want our customers to learn about the process of creating a kimono, and we also want the makers to take responsibility and take pride in their creations."

Furthermore, Mr. Motoji has started an experiential project called ``Platinum Boy Story'' where you can order a one-of-a-kind kimono. Over the course of a year, customers go to sericulture farms and weaving sites to experience and see how their own kimono goes through the process of being finished as a kimono.

``It's a social studies field trip for adults (lol), but by learning about the history of sericulture and the background of making things, such as the actual situation and thoughts of the craftsmen, you will develop a love for each kimono.Your children and grandchildren can also participate together. It is also possible for you to do so, so I want you to feel the importance of this one piece being passed down someday."

The customer's name is written on the certificate of the completed cloth as the ``owner'' along with the maker, and the record of one year is delivered together with an album.

“I hope to create an opportunity for people to try wearing the kimonos left behind in the future, along with their memories.”

Kimono culture supported by the Japanese aesthetic sense of “beautification over time”

Starting this year, they also plan to start a business to buy kimonos sold at Motoji.

``In order to maintain the original value of products that take time and effort to make with high craftsmanship, it is necessary to distribute them at appropriate prices in the secondary market.Also, there are people who are getting older and no longer have the opportunity to wear them. In the past, it would have been difficult to pass things down within the family from parents to children and grandchildren, but society as a whole passes on things that have been created.I think this is also the significance of this service. ”

Mr. Motoji says that Japan's sense of beauty lies in ``beautification over time,'' where ``a product is not finished when it is finished, but becomes more beautiful over time.''

``For example, pongee is a little rough at first, but as you wear it, the fuzz comes off, the luster increases, and it becomes softer.It's a texture that you can't get with new items.That's why I use it for my daughters and grandchildren. Or it can be passed on to the secondary market.”

“Tradition is a continuation of innovation” The answer to the future lies within

And now, Motoji is focusing on the ``HIRAKI project,'' which is aimed at the future of kimonos. In the first round, we will be experimenting with unconventional ideas, such as dyeing with soil taken from a quarry in Miyagi Prefecture, which sank into the sea twice in its 200 million-year history, creating the awe of nature and eternity. Try a new challenge. Rather than sitting back and waiting for the development of kimono culture, we aim to change the mindset of production areas and craftsmen by diving into the unknown and exploring and proposing various possibilities.

“I believe that tradition is a continuation of innovation.Shimebata)By incorporating this technique, we have established the fine Kasuri pattern of today's pongee. Even if something was new and avant-garde at the time, if it continues for 100 or 150 years, it becomes a tradition. Rather than just continuing to do the same thing, we need to respond flexibly to the changes of the times and create a chemical reaction with the new era.''

As the second generation of Ginza Motoji, which has continued to innovate the kimono industry, Mr. Motoji aims to reexamine tradition from a new perspective and connect it to the future. Her passion for making kimonos a wardrobe option and making kimono-related work her dream job has never stopped since she joined the company. The challenge of the young second generation, entrusted with the future of kimonos that represent Japanese beauty, has only just begun.

Keita Motoji

Born in Tokyo in 1984. Owner of "Ginza Motoji". After he graduated from high school he went to England and studied fashion at a university in London. After that, he went to Paris for one year and lived abroad for six years before returning to Japan in 1. In 2008 he joined Ginza Motoji Co., Ltd. After serving as Director and Senior Managing Director, he was appointed as Representative Director and President in September 2009. He acts as a bridge between producers, artists, makers, and customers throughout Japan. He handles everything from planning to development and visual production of original products for Ginza Motoji Otoko no Kimono, the industry's first store specializing in men's kimonos.

Mio Shimamura

Mio Shimamura Managing Director and Editor-in-chief of Premium Japan. After joining an international advertising agency, worked in marketing and PR at a variety of leading brands, including Walt Disney, Harry Winston, and Tiffany & Co. In 2013, Shimamura established Lusso Inc., a PR company that works with various leading brands. Shimamura comes from a family that teaches traditional Japanese arts such as the Japanese tea ceremony and “kitsuke,” the art of wearing Japanese clothing beautifully. Inspired by this, Shimamura acquired the business rights to Premium Japan in 2017, and the following year established Premium Japan Inc.