The big proposition is to transmit our own fashion from Hakata.
PROFILE
As an opening staff member of "NEPENTHES HAKATA," he participated in the store's launch. Currently, as the store manager, he leads a staff of eight and is in charge of the store.
Congratulations on the 10th anniversary of your store opening this year.
Matsumoto:Thank you very much.
How do you feel now that you have reached your 10th anniversary?
Matsumoto:First of all, I would like to thank the customers who support this store and the staff who work hard together. The town has undergone a great deal of change over the past 10 years. When this store first opened, this area was a challenging place to do business, and I can only say that it is thanks to all of you that we are still in business today.
What was the mission behind the opening of "NEPENTHES HAKATA" 10 years ago?
Matsumoto:As this was Nepenthes' first entry into Kyushu, we had a big mission to transmit our fashion from Hakata. At that time, the area was not as crowded as it is today, so we worked steadily to penetrate the Kyushu area while performing in our stores.
How did the city change?
Matsumoto:It was originally a wholesale district, and stores existed as they did in the olden days. It was a very open area, and you could even see the Daibaku Street from here. Then, urban development brought an increase in tall buildings, and offices were built there, and restaurants were built to take advantage of the opportunity. As a result, the number of people in this area has become stable.
So the change has been a tailwind for the store.
Matsumoto:I think the area has become a new place to live and work. Many people think of Tenjin and Daimyo-dori when they think of Hakata's business district, but the number of clothing stores as well as restaurants has increased in this area, and this has had a positive impact on attracting customers to these stores.
Why did you decide to open a restaurant in this location in the first place?
Matsumoto:Hakata Dontaku, a traditional festival, is held here, and during the Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival, many Yamakasa float past the stores. In that sense, tradition is alive and well in this area. The reason we named our store "Hakata" instead of "Fukuoka" is that it is part of our identity.
