Nepenthes has been in Hakata for 10 years.

It has been 10 years since we opened our store in Hakata. The path taken by "NEPENTHES HAKATA" has not been a smooth one. Instead of opening in Tenjin, the center of the city, the store opened in a location far from the business district, and has grown to fit in with the local area. In addition to tracing the history of the store, we also focus on "NEPENTHES WOMAN HAKATA," which opened on the occasion of its 10th anniversary. We look back on the history of Nepenthes in Hakata, and explore the path it will take in the future.

Photo_Fumihiko Ikemoto
Text_Tsuji
Edit_Yosuke Ishii

A time when we realized the importance of our customers.

What are some of the most memorable moments from the past 10 years?

Matsumoto:It is difficult to narrow it down because there were so many things, but in terms of hardship, the Corona Disaster was the hardest of the 10 years. Not only in Fukuoka, but all over the world. In this area, too, offices were closed, restaurants were closed, and the flow of people stopped.

I had to keep operating in that environment.

Matsumoto:That's right. This store originally opened with two floors, but we had to close the first floor.

How did you overcome such a difficult situation?

Matsumoto:It is truly thanks to our customers. Even though I was going out less, they would come here to buy clothes to keep themselves motivated. It was a time when I keenly felt the importance of our customers.

The closed first floor will be reopened as "NEPENTHES WOMAN HAKATA" on the occasion of the 10th anniversary, right?

Matsumoto:The number of female fans is gradually increasing in Kyushu as well, and the opening of the women's store comes at a time when we see great potential for women's wear as well. While we offer a full lineup centered on "Needles" and "Rodrillion," we also have a full lineup of Indian jewelry.

I hope the opening will bring new customers.

Matsumoto:That's right. There are not many stores in Kyushu where you can pick up women's items, so in that sense, we would be happy to have customers from all over.