A talk by locals Yuhi Komiyama & eri on the occasion of the birth of the new cultural center "GEMS".
GEMS Jingumae", which will open on April 27, 2018 (Friday), is an urban commercial facility with a variety of tenants under the theme of "GOODY CULTURE FOOD & FASHION". GEMS Jingumae is an urban commercial facility with various tenants under the theme of "GOODY CULTURE FOOD & FASHION. In order to further enliven this hot spot, we had a talk with two creators who have close ties to Jingumae: Yuhi Komiyama of Hoffdiran, who became the Shibuya City Tourism Ambassador in 2015, and eri, who reincarnated the legendary vintage clothing store "DEPT". Jingumae area's past and future.
. Born in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo in 1973. In addition to playing in a band as Hoffdiran, in which he is the vocalist and keyboardist, he is also a self-proclaimed curry researcher who is well versed in various gourmet foods, and has a Series of articles in various media. In the past, he has also published a recipe book. He is also a radio personality in his hometown, Shibuya Ward, and has been appointed as a tourist ambassador, and is known as a genuine Shibuya person.
eri
The legendary "Dept." store has led the Japanese vintage clothing scene since the 1980s. His father is the owner of the shop, and he is currently the owner of the new "DEPT. He is also known as a versatile designer, working with brands such as "mother," "VTOPIA," and "BRANDNEWOLD. He says that Harajuku is his second home, and he has a close friendship with the creators of the Urahara generation.
GEMS Jingumae
GEMS Jingumae opened on April 27, 2018 under the concept of "GOODY CULTURE FOOD & FASHION" in the Jingumae area, which is visited by people who are particular about their lifestyles, including food and fashion in their own way. GEMS Jingumae is a place where anyone, whether working, playing, Japanese, or foreign tourists, can enjoy food & fashion life in a casual, delicious, reasonable, and cool way at any time. 2F from B1F is an apparel store, and 3F to 10F are sushi, okonomiyaki, and kushikatsu (skewers), Each floor will be a complex of stores with a "GOODY" style that is typical of Jingumae.
. I would like to accept the city's mix of the new and the old. (Komiyama)
I heard that you two were originally friends, but when did you meet?
Yuhi Komiyama ()I have known ERI for a long time, probably more than 15 years now. We are totally younger than each other, but she has always been frank with the adults of the older generation, so our friends are usually the same. I think I was about 26 or 7 when we first met, and eri was only 18 or 9.
eriOh yeah . That was a long time ago. I don't remember when we first met, but I think we started hanging out with a mutual friend, Hiromix, a photographer and DJ who is also a leading figure in girly photography in Japan.
small shrineYes, that's right. In the past, we used to get together at night for drinks with some of our good friends, and it was at that time that I was introduced to HIROMIX, with whom we had a mutual acquaintance, or rather, it was at that time that we met.
eriWe used to hang out a lot. . like going to see Yuhei's live concert.
small shrine. Yes, that's right. Remember how we all did New Year's Eve together or something?
eriThat happened to us , I miss it. We passed the year together and went straight to the New Year's Eve (laughs).
Since both of you have lived in the Jingumae area since you were children, do you think the secret of your close relationship is that you share a common language, even though you are of different generations and genders?
eriSurprisingly few people from Tokyo have ties to this area, and in that sense, I think I was one of the few who felt a sense of camaraderie toward Yufei.
small shrine. Yes, yes. Tokyo is a place where many people from other prefectures and overseas come every year, so there are few people who have hometown connections even though they are in Tokyo, and I feel as if I am being persecuted in the opposite direction (laughs).
eriI know what you mean (laughs). The cityscape is losing the traces of our childhood, and I feel like I'm being left behind.
small shrineThere are moments when I feel sad, but recently I have come to think that this is also the fate of the Jingumae area, and I would like to accept the mix of the new and the old in the town.
Are there any stores in the Jingumae area that once left an impression on you?
eriAt that time, it would have been the "Palais France (Note: A fashion building complex operated by Togo Shrine. (Note: This was a fashion building complex operated by Togo Shrine, which regrettably closed in 2003). Also, "Aubacanal Harajuku (Note: A French-style cafe on the first floor of the Palais France. When I pass by "Aubacanal Harajuku" (note: a French-style café on the first floor of the Palais France, loved by many people including creators in the Harajuku area at that time), I imagine that someone is having a meal there (laughs). (Laughs). I was sad when that place was closed. I have good memories of performing at the closing party.
small shrineI was there at the end of that closing party, for work or something, and it was pretty chaotic (laughs). There were a few remnants left and it was pretty rowdy (laughs). Also, in my generation, there was "Cafe Dorope (Note: A legendary cafe representing Omotesando in the 70's. It is said to be the pioneer of the open cafe. It is said to be the pioneer of the open-air café)" leaves a deep impression on me.
eriMm-hmm . I miss it.
small shrineAlso, I can't remember the name, but it was an all-you-can-eat nut store in front of the current "BEAMS". I used to go there with Mr. Miyashita (Note: Mr. Miyashita is the current designer of TAKAHIROMIYASHITATheSoloist. He was the designer of "Number Nine" at the time) and I used to go there together.
eriAh, the nut store . There it is.
small shrineIt's not exactly a nut store (laughs). . a bar with a nice atmosphere where you can also eat nuts. Also, people in Urahara had stores and offices in that area at the time, and many of them actually lived there.
eriYes, that's right. I remember the area in front of Jingu-mae was a little closer to Sendagaya.
small shrineI wasn't a regular customer, but there was Tatsuo Umemiya's Tatsu-chan pickle store (note: the official name is "Tatsuo Umemiya Tatsuo Pickle Shop," which was synonymous with the talent store boom of the 1980s) on the site of the old GAP, right? I was still in elementary school when there was a bronze statue of Tatsuo Umemiya in the middle of Omotesando Avenue. It's unthinkable nowadays, isn't it?
eriAh , there it is . It was the Talent Shop Boom era.
small shrineAlso, this was before I was born, but there used to be a golf range near the GAP store in front of Harajuku Station!
How about a place that is also associated with the two of you?
small shrineThen there was the former Shibuya Ward Children's Hall, which was located where the temporary Shibuya Ward Office building is now located. That was a spot where I myself used to play for a long time, and I think this area was a place that the locals had a particularly strong emotional attachment to.
Yuhi Komiyama Recommended Spot 1
Shibuya Ward Office Temporary Building
It was built near Bijiku Street when the government building was rebuilt. It will serve as the ward office until the new building opens.
I also call the area between Shibuya and Harajuku Shibuhara. Like Okushibu, it has the potential to become even more interesting in the future.
eri. It's true that that area was untouched, or rather, it's a bit sparse.
small shrineBlah, blah, blah (laughs). Well, it's true, isn't it? I'm looking forward to the future, though. The other landmark of Harajuku when I was little was "Kiddy Land. It's a legendary store that still plays the role of a toy store in the old days, although the decorations and layout have changed with the times, and it's still a legendary store.
Yuhi Komiyama Recommended Spot 2
Kiddy Land
A general toy store offering a variety of goods featuring popular children's characters and mascots. Some items are exclusive to this store.
eriThere are many people from overseas, and if you're a local, you've been so taken care of that everyone has been there at least once when they were a kid.
small shrineAnd as a tourist ambassador, I can't leave out Yoyogi Park. It is the most spiritual oasis in the Jingumae area. It is a symbolic place, including its history and soil, where the Meiji Shrine was located in the neighborhood, the approach to the shrine was built, and the town was gradually established. Even in an area overflowing with people, the air around here is somehow pure, and I am sure this is because this is a place where everyone can feel at peace.
Yuhi Komiyama Recommended Spot 3
Yoyogi Park
Once the Yoyogi Military Training Camp of the Army, the park became a park after the Tokyo Olympic Village, and is the representative metropolitan park of Shibuya Ward.
eriCome to think of it, we used to do Nagashi Somen in Yoyogi Park, right?
small shrineWas that me? I love Nagashi Somen, so if there were, I would remember it vividly (laughs). For example, "VACANT" was an epoch-making place in Jingumae, which was also the site of the former "DEPT.
eriYes, that's right. When that place was built, it felt like a new playground for everyone. I think that area in Harajuku has a particularly strong fashion image, but I think it is a place where you can feel the scent of culture in a larger category. The former "dept." is a symbolic spot in Harajuku for me, where people with a creative mind can come and visit.
eri recommended spot 1
bacant
A complex free space that opened in 2009. In addition to the store attached to the building, various events are held on an irregular basis.
small shrine. it's been more than 10 years now. . there's a lot of history there too, considering the "dept" days.
eriI also have fond memories of Togo Shrine, as it was a place my parents used to take me to frequently since I was a little girl. I remember going to the antique market on Sundays. Recently, the landscape has changed due to land development, but once you step inside, it still has the same quietness and warmth that makes it a special place for me.
eri recommended spot 2
Togo Shrine
The shrine is steeped in tradition and dedicated to the life of Heihachiro Togo, the god of victory and sincerity. It is also famous as a winning spot in the city.
small shrineOmotesando used to have a pedestrian paradise, and the atmosphere was totally different from today.
eriThen there is the former Dojunkai Aoyama Apartments, which used to be in what is now Omotesando Hills. I used to sneak in there when I was little and play hide-and-seek, or look out over Omotesando from the staircase landing, and it still gives me a nostalgic feeling when I pass by. The old ivy-covered building itself is very attractive, but the dense trees in the back of the building also give me a sense of the nature and life that existed in those days, and I think it was very nice.
eri recommended spot 3
Omotesando Hills (former Dojunkai Apartments)
A residential and commercial complex that opened in 2006 as a reconstruction project of the former Dojunkai Aoyama Apartments . . Designed by Tadao Ando.
small shrineThe shopping association around Omotesando and Harajuku is now called "Harajuku Omotesando Zelkova Association (note: a shopping area promotion association that continues community-based activities such as cleaning activities and zelkova tree protection around Omotesando)," but it used to be called "Harajuku Champs Elysees Association. It was named "Harajuku Champs Elysées Association" in the past, because its image is similar to that of the Champs Elysées in Paris.
eriReally? I didn't know that (laughs). But I do explain to my foreign friends when I show them around the area that it is like the Champs-Elysées in Paris (laughs).
I want a place like a meeting spot like we used to have. (ERI)
How do you frankly feel about the changing landscape and cultural aspects of the Jingumae area?
small shrineThere are surprisingly few places to play in the Jingumae area, but even so, we actually had quite a lot of fun in the late 90s and early 2000s.
eriYes, and then little by little, I started going to visit such places when a friend's store opened or an office was established.
small shrineAt that time, it wasn't like going to a bar or a spot like that; the culture of reception parties was just starting to take off, and people would inevitably gather at such offices and stores.
eriIt was only after the birth of what is commonly referred to as Shibuya-kei culture that the Urahara culture began to take root little by little in the same vein.
small shrine. yes, I know. Even now, but back then, the brand designers, musicians, models, stylists, photographers, etc. were all close friends. There were brand openings, exhibitions, photographer's private exhibitions, and so on. There was always some kind of event every weekend, and even weekdays were crowded.
eriThere was a bit more of an at-home atmosphere than there is now, wasn't there?
small shrineIt was a bit smaller in scale and more closed than now. Nowadays, I think it is more like a big brand holding a big party in a big place, but back then, it was more like 10 or 20 people getting together and enjoying themselves in a quiet place. The Lotus, which is where we are today, was a place that was often used for such occasions.
eriWe didn't communicate with each other in advance, but it was as if I knew someone there when I headed there after work.
small shrineIt was like an extension of going to a friend's house to hang out.
eriOh, by the way, my mother once told me that about 40 years ago, the entire Omotesando Boulevard was a stone wall. She said that the stone wall at the Paul Stuart store is a remnant of that stone wall that still remains.
small shrineApparently so, but it surely was originally an approach to the school . I lived in Jingumae, and I went to school on Omotesando Avenue all the way to Seinan Elementary School. So the view of Omotesando is probably the place where I feel the change of the times the most.
eri. because the brand I am working on now was established on Cat Street. It's not an area I used to hang out in that much , but I guess I'm curious about Cat Street.
small shrineI see. For me, Cat Street had a strong image of being a park. The whole street was a promenade. There were no stores. Before that, it was a river. It was called the Shibuya River. There were naked old ladies (laughs). That's how tranquil the town seemed to me.
small shrine. but I wonder what kind of place this area is for young people today. Rather, they wonder where they inhabit.
eriThat's what I think too. But I hear that things like "TRUNK (HOTEL)" (note: the first hotel complex in Japan operated by "Take and Give Needs" with a socializing theme) are thriving.
small shrineAh, I see. I kind of notice that more and more of those playgrounds these days are run by the generation of our former friends, and there is an interesting aspect of playing with old friends there, or with the younger generation of kids.
eriYes, that's right. In my case, there are still many fashion people as usual, and that is exactly what Hiroshi (Note: Hiroshi Fujiwara, a world-class creator who is indispensable to the current fashion scene, including the Urahara culture. Hiroshi Fujiwara is a world-renowned creator who is indispensable when talking about the current fashion scene, including the Urahara culture. He is currently involved in a wide range of activities, including his own brand "Fragment"), Jun (Jun Takahashi, designer of "Undercover"), and many others. Jun-san (Note: Jun Takahashi, designer of "Undercover") and many other brand stores have remained unchanged, so you can rest assured that you will always be able to find a place to store.
What do you expect from new stores entering the market in the future, starting with "GEMS Jingumae"?
small shrineThis is something I myself usually say as a tourism ambassador for Shibuya Ward, but the Jingumae area is definitely a place where people gather, isn't it? Even walking around today, even though it is a weekday, there are so many people that it is strange. So because it is a place where people inevitably gather, I think the theme for the future will be how to bring together people who come for sightseeing, people who work, people who live in the area, and people who are involved in each of these areas. I hope that the area will become more than just a tourist attraction, but a place that everyone can enjoy.
eriI would love to have a place where everyone can connect. . sometimes I wish I had a place like the meeting spot that used to be there. Like the "Ova Canal" of old. A place where people can chill at night and socialize with their friends.
small shrineWhy don't you make that from now on ERI?
eriOh, I see , I see.
small shrineThat's settled (laughs). (laughs) . Or, I would like to see "GEMS Jingumae" play such a role in the future.
eriYes, I agree. I hope it continues to be an exciting town. I'm looking forward to it.
This interview was conducted at Lotus, one of the most popular cafes in Jingumae.
This is a well-known and well-known restaurant that sparked Tokyo's café boom. It is also famous for being directed by Uichi Yamamoto, a space producer who has worked on numerous popular restaurants, including "Bowery Kitchen" near Komazawa University Station. It has a long history and is a place with deep feelings for both of our guests.
LOTUS
Address: 4-6-8 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Phone number: 03-5772-6077
Hours: 11:00 - 3:00 (Sun - Thu) , 11:00 - 4:00 (Fri & Sat)
Closed: Open every day www.heads-west.com/shop/lotus.html
GEMS JINGUMAE & JINGUMAE MAP
A guide map introducing the two recommended spots in this project and hip Jingumae spots that are within walking distance from "GEMS JINGUMAE" is available at "GEMS JINGUMAE". Please take a look, take a copy, and take it home with you.
GEMS Jingumae
Address: 6-19-17 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Open: Friday, April 27 www.gems-portal.com/gems-jingumae/
*Able to view store details and promotional videos.Special Site. is also now open.
