PROFILE
After working as an editor for a men's magazine, he worked as a designer for a domestic brand and as a planner for a select store before starting his own brand, "KAPTAIN SUNSHINE" in 2013. Based on traditional design, he pays uncompromising attention to every detail of fabrics and details in his creations.
We want to directly communicate what we want to express with our brand.
Congratulations on the opening of your first flagship store. When did you start thinking about opening a store?
Kojima: Thank you very much. This year marks 12 years since "Captain Sunshine" started, and we were actually preparing to open on our 10th anniversary. That's why I had been looking for a place for more than three years. But it was difficult to find a good match, and as a result, we ended up coming up with this timing.
Have you been looking for a place in Aoyama for a long time?
Kojima: No, I extended my search to the East Tokyo area. So I looked at quite a few properties. I wanted to open a store behind a main street, or rather, in a place with a relaxed atmosphere rather than a busy one. I wanted to open a store where customers could take their time to look at the clothes.
Kotto Dori in Aoyama gives the impression of calmness, but further back, there are fewer people and cars, creating a more peaceful mood.
Kojima: That is what I was looking for. I wanted a place where time passes slowly and gracefully, so I was also looking at classic areas around the Sumida River and in Taito Ward. There are many old buildings in that area, the mood is nice, and the sky is open. So I thought it would be easy to create the worldview I envisioned. But as it turned out, I came across this property, and I thought I could create a store here that I would be satisfied with.
The store is characterized by its high ceilings and spaciousness. Was this spaciousness part of your requirements?
Kojima: We were looking for a reasonably spacious place. Thankfully, we have a lot of overseas customers these days. That's why I wanted to show the full lineup of Captain Sunshine and directly communicate what I wanted to express with the brand.
The property was originally the site of another brand's flagship store, and the building is old and moody, with the added advantage of a complex but solid structure. We have found a really good location.
