Logo T-shirts are so small and embarrassing that I can't wear them myself.

When did "Wimsey" start?

mid-western half of Japan (i.e. during the Edo period): September 2015. I've had the idea in mind for years.

Did you decide to start your own sock brand at that time?

mid-western half of Japan (i.e. during the Edo period)I had already made up my mind. I had the idea of specializing in something when I made the leap. Also, it may sound strange to say this after having created a brand, but I am too embarrassed to wear a logo T-shirt of a clothing brand.

. for example. If you meet a guy at a skateboarding spot and he is wearing a T-shirt of your favorite coffee shop or Gravediggaz, you may feel a connection with him or her. . On the other hand, when I see someone wearing the logo of a trendy brand, it doesn't leave an impression on me. I like that feeling, but if I created my own brand, there would be a contradiction, and I would be too embarrassed to wear it myself (laughs).

Except for the socks, they are positioned like souvenirs.

. Even with your own brand, you have some petty embarrassment (laughs).

mid-western half of Japan (i.e. during the Edo period). Yes, that's right (laughs). (laughs) So, I decided to create a different brand. I thought that if I could position my items as T-shirts made by whatsapp stores, just as I am attracted to T-shirts made by cafes and libraries, the contradiction in my mind would be resolved a little.

When I thought about what kind of store I wanted to open, I knew that skateboarding and subculture would be the backbone of the brand, and at that time, there were no sock brands for skaters.

Then I could sponsor riders however I wanted, it was a niche, and it all made sense in my mind, so I decided to start a sock shop! I decided to open a sock shop. Even now, items other than socks are positioned as souvenirs in my mind.

You also offer a variety of souvenir items, don't you?

mid-western half of Japan (i.e. during the Edo period). Yes, that's right. But we don't usually try to continue wholesaling items other than socks. I think it would be a fool's errand to make people forget what kind of shop we are. You can buy them at our pop-up store, though.

I want to make physicals accessible to customers.

When talking about the "Wimsey" brand, pop-up stores are a must, aren't they? I have the impression that you are very active in pop-up stores, from high street select stores such as Ships JetBlue to the famous skate store Shred.

mid-western half of Japan (i.e. during the Edo period). I've done this at least 10 times so far. . I've done it in quite a few different places. But those two stores are exceptional in the way they take care of me, so I do it in a shop-in-shop style, but I have turned down other shop-in-shop offers.

I really want to do something like a store that suddenly appears on the street, even if people don't look at social networking sites. You would notice it when you pass by. And then a few days later, you'd be surprised to find it's gone. Something happens, and something disappears. I want to make the physical world more accessible to the customers.

Like, I can see more, smell more, have more heat. I want to offer a lot of these things. I would support the photographers I liked and put on exhibitions that my clients would want to visit. I wanted to create an opportunity for them.

. we're opening a restaurant in March.

It's amazing that you suddenly opened a store in a place where nothing existed.

mid-western half of Japan (i.e. during the Edo period). it's pretty absurd. Sometimes I talk to the real estate agent, sometimes I find the landlord and talk to him directly. Then I make a presentation, negotiate, and ask to rent the place for a few days. Such things are key for me, as they are for skateboarding. I do things that other people would say, "That's impossible. I am willing to do things that other people would say are impossible.

. I understand that the pop-up in Osaka at the end of last year was your last pop-up in Osaka.

mid-western half of Japan (i.e. during the Edo period). we are opening a store in March. I plan to select other brands as well, so it will be about 40% select and 60% original. I am not sure if I will sell souvenir items other than socks, but I am planning to do something to make it more interesting.

I also plan to offer items that can only be seen in the store and that are not on the web. My goal is to create a store where people can leave with a smell. I wanted to create a store where people can go home with something extra. That's what I wanted to do. I have been focusing on the physical for quite a long time. It's not like a shop floor, but I want people to look me in the eye and talk to me.

long vowel mark (usually only used in katakana)

mid-western half of Japan (i.e. during the Edo period): Wimsey's long-awaited flagship store "COFLO" ( Coflow ) will open in Horie, Osaka, on March 1 (Wed). It is sure to be a spot that will give momentum and heat to the city of Osaka, so we encourage you to visit.