I simply want everyone to come to Awaji Island.
The high ceilings and cozy interior, combined with the slow air of Awaji Island, make the restaurant feel extraordinary. The nearby ocean is another advantage of this location. While time passes in a relaxed manner, a corner of your mind definitely feels a sense of elation, and you fall into a mysterious sensation where reality and unreality coexist.
I was thinking of Prada's installation space in Marfa, U.S.A. . I wanted to create an exterior that blended in with the city, but still felt somewhat incongruous. I used a wood called "yaki-cedar-board" to represent the island of Awaji. I was also particular about the view from inside the restaurant, so the windows are large. I would be happy if people could enjoy the view of the tiled roofs of the houses next door and the mountains from there.
However, we must admit that the keywords "Awaji Island" and "fashion" are not easily associated with each other. We asked Mr. Nishino to tell us what he thinks about the meaning of opening such a store in this location.
I was born and raised on Awaji Island, and the most important thing is that I wanted to create a cool store here. I am basically in Tokyo, and I want to reflect what I have learned there in this store. In a sense, I wanted to do it in a style that would not be overly fawning toward the locals (laughs). (Laughs.) I hope that this will later make the locals, as well as customers who came here without knowing anything about the restaurant, think, "This restaurant is actually really great.
Just as Mr. Nishino developed an interest in fashion as a teenager and honed his sensibility by frequenting local American casual wear stores, he hopes to inspire the younger generation living on Awaji Island today to do the same.
. Once upon a time there was the only American-made store on the island around here, back in the '90s or so. There were many American-made items there, and it was because I was exposed to such things that I wanted to go to Kobe to shop. So I want to create that kind of opportunity at the N&N Store."
I simply want everyone to come to Awaji Island. That's how I feel. I want people to come to Awaji Island because of this store and enjoy various activities, and vice versa.
