On October 1st, Isetan Mitsukoshi will open a new concept store, "The Japan Store ISETAN MITSUKOSHI Paris" (101 bis, quai Branly 75015 Paris, GF shop space of the Japan Cultural Institute in Paris), inside the Japan Cultural Institute in Paris, France.
The store's concept is "ART DE VIVRE AU JAPON (= Japanese artistic life)." With interest in Japan growing in recent years, Paris is a city where there are many opportunities to experience art, and the store will propose to international customers a lifestyle that is rooted in Japanese traditional lifestyles, culture, and style, and that will enrich and enrich their daily lives through the products and the background behind them.
The store, located on the ground floor of the Japan Cultural Institute in Paris, is approximately 90 square meters in size and was designed by architect Tsuyoshi Tane. The floor is divided into a permanent zone and a pop-up zone where items will be displayed with different themes for a limited time. The pop-up zone will feature "CHABAKO (= Tea Box)," a project themed on "tea," one of Japan's traditional hospitality traditions, which will run for approximately one month from October 1st.
To commemorate the opening, three floors of the Maison de la Culture du Japon à Paris will be taken over on the opening day, October 1st, for a one-day-only tea-themed opening event produced by "NIPPONISTA," a project team made up of female employees from Isetan Mitsukoshi. Furthermore, NAKED Inc., a creative group led by Ryotaro Muramatsu, who designs experiences such as video and projection mapping, has teamed up specially with Nipponista to produce the spatial design.
During the event, the first floor store will feature "Ephemeral FLOWERS," an artwork inspired by "Mawaribana," one of the seven rituals of the tea ceremony, which will act as "the first place to welcome guests before they reach the tea room." It allows visitors to interactively experience ikebana through the action of arranging flowers. The "0 POINT FIELD Tea Room" will appear in the large hall on the third basement floor. The tea room will be viewed as a form of communication, creating a space where visitors can experience the hospitality spirit of tea ceremony with all five senses. Furthermore, on the fifth floor, Japanese and French food specialists will be on hand to provide hospitality. A standing cafe will also be open on the terrace overlooking the Seine, where visitors can enjoy original dorayaki and monaka (bean-jam filled cakes) from Suzukake and tea from Ippodo Tea Shop.
