Heavy Duty Ivy to Tenkara.
PROFILE
Born in Muroran City, Hokkaido in 1979. After working at a select store, he joined Nepenthes when the Sapporo store opened in 2003, and became the director of South 2 West 8 in 2022. In addition to tenkara fishing, he also enjoys trail running and spending time in nature on a regular basis.
Instagram: @south2west8_miura
First of all, congratulations on your 20th anniversary.
Miura:Thank you very much.
Mr. Miura, you have been working at "Nepenthes" in Sapporo for the past 20 years.
Miura:I still remember the day I joined the company, March 20, 2003. That was the day this restaurant opened. The name of the restaurant at that time was "Nepenthes," and a few years later, the name was changed to "South 2 West 8.
When was the first collection of "South 2 West 8"?
Miura:The brand itself was launched in 2003. At that time, we used the symbol "S2 Double 8 (S2 W8)" instead of "South 2 West 8 (S2 W8). In the beginning, most of our products were made in the United States.
Please tell us why you opened your first store in Tokyo and why you chose Hokkaido as your second store.
Miura:At the time, Shimizu, the president of L.L. Bean, would stop by the main L.L. Bean store in Maine when he was on business trips to the United States.
It was open 24 hours a day for local outdoorsmen, and since that time I had been familiar with mountain stream fishing in Hokkaido, and I had always wanted to create such a restaurant in this rich natural setting of Hokkaido, and that desire took shape.
Was the restaurant open 24 hours at first?
Miura:That was indeed not the case (laughs). However, as Shimizu felt there, he wanted to create a store rooted in the community and a brand that combines the outdoors and fashion.
And the brand "South 2 West 8" was born.
Miura:Yes, it is. At first, the theme was heavy-duty Ivy, and many of the items had hunting specifications. We were selling bags and clothing made from Sanforger cloth fabric, which is used for awnings for tents and yachts.
When did the concept of "South 2 West 8" first come about?
Miura:Since 2015.
Why the sudden change of direction?
Miura:Of course, Shimizu has been fishing tenkara for a long time, and I think the concept has been around for a long time, but heavy-duty outdoor fashion is no longer special in the world, and as a result of devising and seeking a unique concept, he focused on mountain stream fishing, where he can directly enjoy the magnificent nature of Hokkaido, We came up with the concept of tenkara, which is one of the simplest fishing methods.
