"Hanahiraku," designed by Genichiro Inokuma, has been beloved as Mitsukoshi's original wrapping paper for half a century. It was announced on the 29th that the "Mitsukoshi Hanahiraku Collection," launched in March this year using the "Hanahiraku" motif, won the GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2016.

The "Mitsukoshi Hanahiraku Collection" represents a series of promotions, including product development that reinterprets Inokuma's "Hanahiraku" design as an artwork, a photo exhibition by Takashi Homma, who was a friend of Genichiro Inokuma, and the "stone" that inspired the "Hanahiraku" design, wrapping advertisements in the Shikoku Shimbun newspaper, and a giant "Hanahiraku" motif installed in the dome of Takamatsu Shopping Arcade. The award recognizes the fact that "a work from over half a century ago has been transformed and proposed as a work of art, not simply as a wrapping paper pattern, but as a new value through product development and appeal."



This design, based on a vibrant color that is neither red nor purple and white, and composed of circles and lines, was created by painter and designer Genichiro Inokuma. Shortly after the war, Mitsukoshi came up with the idea of "creating original wrapping paper that would become a symbol of the department store," and asked Genichiro Inokuma to design it. While strolling around Inubosaki in Chiba, Genichiro Inokuma was intrigued by the stones he found lying on the beach, and brought them back to Tokyo, where he became inspired to design the product. There's also an anecdote about the creation of the "Hanahiraku" wrapping paper: Takashi Yanase, a manga artist who was then an employee of Mitsukoshi's advertising department, received a design drawing from Genichiro Inokuma and added "mitsukoshi" in cursive.

The brand development manager for the "Mitsukoshi Hanahiraku Collection" recalls, "The most important thing we kept in mind when creating the product was to see Hanahiraku as Inokuma's work, rather than as a Mitsukoshi wrapping paper design. We were particular about how to incorporate it into the product as art, and we discussed this extensively with director Ken Okamoto."

As part of the Mitsukoshi Founding Festival starting October 12th, the second installment of the "Mitsukoshi Hanahiraku Collection" will add a new lineup to the products released in March of this year, and approximately 70 items featuring the "Hanahiraku" pattern will be on display and for sale at all Mitsukoshi stores (some stores may have different dates). The "Hana Hiraku" items on sale include products that combine traditional crafts, such as "Hana Hiraku"-patterned "Papier-mâché Beko" (large 3,500 yen, small 2,700 yen), Daruma dolls (large 6,000 yen, small 3,000 yen), and Maneki-neko (beckoning cats) (large 19,000 yen, small 8,000 yen). Also on display are items with ties to Inokuma's hometown of Setouchi, such as double-sided pile Imabari towels (four varieties starting from 600 yen), and local specialties such as Setouchi sake breweries' "Seiki o Koete Daiginjo Shizuku Sake Muromachi" (720ml, 10,000 yen), "Sanuki Specialty Soybeans" (155g, 300 yen), and "Drinkable Vinegar Setouchi Lemon" (150ml, 1,200 yen). Other items available include a sub-bag printed entirely with the "Hana Hiraku" pattern (large 4,500 yen, small 4,000 yen), a ballpoint pen with a "Hana Hiraku" design as a focal point (300 yen), and masking tape (two types, 800 yen each) that is said to have been a favorite of Inokuma Genichiro.

The "Hana Hiraku" collection debuted in 1950 as a pattern for Mitsukoshi's wrapping paper, and half a century later has been released with a new interpretation. We hope you will once again enjoy the designs that embody the "beauty of nature and beauty of form" that Inokuma Genichiro saw in the pebbles on the coast.

【Event Information】
Mitsukoshi "Hana Hiraku" Collection
Venue: All floors of the Main Building and New Building of Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store, as well as all Mitsukoshi stores
Dates: October 12th - 25th (some stores may have different periods)