FOCUS IT.] BEAMS JAPAN is now open at the entrance of Shibuya. The whole picture.

It has been three years since the opening of BEAMS JAPAN, which offers a variety of Japanese attractions such as food, fashion, culture, and art, in Shinjuku. This was the 40th anniversary of BEAMS. On December 5, the second "BEAMS JAPAN Shibuya" opened at Tokyu Plaza Shibuya in the Shibuya Fukuras complex in front of the west exit of Shibuya Station. So, we immediately spoke with Mr. Suzuki, Director of BEAMS Japan, and Mr. Nakata, Director of Men's Casual wear at BEAMS, about the appeal of the Shibuya store and the new original wear that will be developed.

A new base to promote the attractions of Shibuya and Japan.

Congratulations on your opening. It has been about three and a half years since the Shinjuku branch opened, and frankly speaking, how do you feel about it?

Thank you. We have received a lot of comments like, "Finally, you have opened your second store! But the truth is that the three and a half years since Shinjuku was opened have been so intense...it has all happened so fast.

I see. What do you mean by too dense?

Before BEAMS Japan, I had specialized in Japanese products such as "fennica" and "B:MING by BEAMS," so I had been exposed to a variety of things, and I was proud to say that I knew more than the people around me, but after I took charge of BEAMS Japan, I realized that there were still many things and goods that I did not know at all. However, since taking charge of BEAMS Japan, I have realized that there are still many things and objects that I am totally unaware of. This is still the case today, and it is an ongoing process. The more I go there, the more I discover new things (laughs).

It is conveniently located right next to the escalator next to the bus terminal.

What are some of the insights you have gained over the past three and a half years?

BEAMS' involvement has helped to revitalize the production area, and the recent "Sento no Susume" event has helped many young people to learn about sento. event, many young people learned about public bathhouses. It is still a small effort, but I feel that BEAMS is beginning to play a role for Japan and society.

It's not just about fashion and culture, it's a new way of being at BEAMS.

Yes, I have. This is what the president said to me when I launched BEAMS Japan: "BEAMS celebrated its 40th anniversary thanks to Japanese manufacturers, designers, and many other people. We have grown to this point with everyone's help, and now we are going to return the favor. Beams Japan is also a business for that purpose. In other words, this is what leads to manufacturing with manufacturers and craftsmen in each prefecture.

How did you feel when you heard about the idea of establishing BEAMS JAPAN in Shibuya?

Actually, the first thing that came to mind was the Shinjuku branch. In Japan, there is a meaning of "head store," as in "Toraya Honten" and "Akafuku Honten," for example. In other words, with the opening of the Shibuya and Kyoto stores (opening in April 2020), the Shinjuku store, which until now had only one store, will be positioned as the "main store of BEAMS Japan. Therefore, I felt that we had to make the store even better.

The ceiling painting of the Wind and Thunder Gods, a work by Cads Miida, had an overwhelming presence.

So, the Shibuya store is the second store for the company.

Of course, as the second store, it follows the world view of the Shinjuku store, but there are many items that are exclusive to the Shibuya store, and Shinjuku and Shibuya are close to each other, two stops on the Yamanote Line. Shinjuku and Shibuya are close to each other, two stops on the Yamanote Line, so I feel that we cannot be just a second store. Shinjuku has separate floors from the first to the fifth floor, so both we and our customers change our mindset each time we change floors. In the case of the Shibuya store, however, we had to put all the contents on one floor. This was quite a challenge and not a simple one. In that sense, I think it became a completely different store. Also, Shibuya itself is currently undergoing a major transformation, with redevelopment taking place once every 100 years. We were conscious of the fact that we were opening a store there. Of course, we are making traffic safety goods and Hachiko related goods that are unique to Shibuya, but we will not know what will happen to the town until this construction (redevelopment) is finished, so we will have to wait and see.

Fuclas is next to Shibuya Scramble Square and Shibuya Parco. Compared to the first two, I have the impression that there are fewer fashion-related stores.

The second floor where BEAMS JAPAN is located will be directly connected to Shibuya Station next spring. This is the main reason. Shibuya Station will be the hub connecting Hikarie and Fukuras, and the scramble crossing will be right in front of the building. In addition, long distance buses from Narita and Haneda arrive at the bus terminal on the first floor. In short, this location will be the gateway to Japan, on par with Basta in Shinjuku. Of course, the customers who come to Fukuras are important, but I believe that people of all ages and from all over the world will be able to come here.

The huge sunshade curtain is the symbol of the Shibuya store. Each gold leaf is applied by hand by craftsmen.

The lanterns at the entrance of the Shinjuku store are impressive.

At first, we had a plan to put up the same lanterns as the Shinjuku store, but we decided to do something different. So we asked Kanazawa-based Hakuichi to create a sunshade curtain with gold leaf, a symbolic material of Japan, applied to the red base color. This cost quite a bit of money (laughs).

Akafuku is a specialty of Mie Prefecture, Mr. Suzuki's hometown. Purchasers will receive a magnet of Akataro wearing BEAMS Japan's crested haori.

I heard that there are many limited items for the opening of the Shibuya store.

In addition to Shibuya souvenirs featuring Hachiko and the Scramble Crossing, we have a variety of other items available, including a collaboration T-shirt with Tower Records drawn by illustrator Hiroshi Nagai and sneakers by . Also, "Akafuku Mochi," a well-known specialty of Mie Prefecture, will be on sale for three days from December 5, and although not limited, we have made a special order for Imuraya's "Gold Azuki Bar," which costs about twice as much as a regular azuki bar, but it is a premium line using Japanese red beans and is delicious. Moreover, if you find a winning mark on the ice cream bar, you will receive a compact mirror in the shape of an azuki bean (limited quantity), an original BEAMS JAPAN item. When you eat azuki often, the skin gets caught in your teeth, so you can check it right away (laughs). We have a lot of interesting things planned for the Kyoto store as well, so please look forward to it.

Short-sleeved T-shirt ¥7,500+TAX, Long-sleeved T-shirt ¥8,500+TAX, Cap ¥5,800+TAX, Sakosh ¥3,800+TAX, Band ¥800+TAX, Shoes ¥8,500+TAX, iPhone case ¥3,600+TAX, Charm ¥950+TAX

TOWER RECORDS×BEAMS JAPAN Hiroshi Nagai T-shirts ¥6,000+tax each

MIZUNO×HIGHSNOBIETY×BEAMS special order sneakers ¥21,000+tax (*Only 100 pairs will be available)

Large ¥4,000+TAX, Medium ¥2,300+TAX, Small ¥1,800+TAX, Extra Small ¥1,300+TAX

Akafuku Mochi 8pcs ¥760 in TAX, Meimitsu Box 2pcs ¥240 in TAX

Gold Adzuki-bar ¥220 in TAX

Basics change. Japanese Clothing.

How did you come up with the idea for your original clothing?

Three and a half years after the Shinjuku store opened, we thought it would be nice to have more conceptual wear, so we decided to start with the Shibuya store. Originally, the Shinjuku store's second and third floors were themed "Japanese clothing," which, when unraveled, means Western clothing as conceived by the Japanese. So how do we interpret "Japanese clothes" based on American casual wear, which is the foundation of BEAMS? The answer to this question is what we consider basic. However, the fabric may become thicker or thinner, the silhouette may change from slim to loose, and we always try to think of basics that we can propose now. Therefore, the base of what we make remains the same, such as button-down shirts, border cut-and-sewns, sweatshirts, chinos, etc., but we update them with the current fit and materials as needed.

Fuji, the trademark of BEAMS JAPAN, and Hachiko, the Hachiko, are available exclusively at the Shibuya store: T-shirt ¥5,800+TAX, Long T-shirt ¥7,800+TAX

A braided cord tied around the right hem.

I am also interested in the red-and-white string that is used as an accent.

When we decided to create original wear this time, we talked about creating an icon that would be instantly recognizable as BEAMS JAPAN, rather than a graphic. We asked "Shoen Kumihimo" in Kyoto to create this braided cord. Incidentally, this knot is meant to bring good luck by connecting people with people, things with things, and to invite good fortune.

Special site of BEAMS JAPANThe look visuals are now on view at Check it out to get a better sense of the world.

There are many other original labels at BEAMS.

First of all, it is only available at BEAMS JAPAN in Shinjuku and Shibuya, which is significant. Also, everything from the fabric to the production process is done in Japan. We have previously made T-shirts printed on existing fabrics as original goods for BEAMS JAPAN, but this original wear is based on the idea that Japanese fashion, which has evolved in its own unique way, incorporating all kinds of trends and trends from around the world at any given time, is also a culture that we can be proud to share with the world. Based on the idea that Japanese fashion, which has evolved uniquely by incorporating every trend and sense of the times from around the world, is a culture to be proud of, we have created an item that dispels the sense of souvenirs by paying attention not only to the material but also to the sewing process.

It is only at BEAMS Japan that we are able to show various aspects of Japan in one place. To borrow Mr. Suzuki's words, "Since the store space is limited, rather than adding to the lineup, we will replace and update the lineup, bringing it closer to perfection over the years. I felt that "unfinished" is one form of perfection. Beams Japan Shibuya is filled with "good Japanese things" that are different from those at the Shinjuku store. Please come and visit.