On the 2nd, Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings announced that it will open a pop-up shop called "NIPPONISTA" in New York for one week from February 6th to 13th next year, offering seasonal Japanese products and carefully selected Japanese materials and techniques.

This project has been selected as one of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's Cool Japan Strategy Promotion Projects for fiscal 2013, and aims to introduce Japanese brands and artists whose business models are not yet fully developed, along with their techniques, and support their expansion into the global market.

To this end, it will be held during New York Fashion Week, a timely opportunity for fashion presentations. A party will be held on the 5th, the day before the opening, to not only sell products but also to match with New York showroom owners and select shop buyers, and to approach them for future business development. Approximately 45 brands and artists will be introduced this time, and under the theme of "Japan Luxury," "Fashion & Art" will feature young designers such as ANREALAGE, FACETASM, MINT DESIGN, SOMARTA, THEATRE PRODUCTS, and YOKO CHAN, as well as Japan's leading designers such as Kansai Yamamoto and Yohji Yamamoto. "Aomori Ai" products, which will be unveiled for the first time at Japan Senses in April next year, will also be shipped overseas in collaboration with Japanese designers.

Furthermore, under the theme of "Japan Style," "Food & Design" will feature tin products from NOUSAKU, furniture from OGATA, and food products from Ina Food Industry, Nagai Sake Brewery, and Shinso Grocery.

"One of the purposes of this project is to introduce Japan Senses, which our company has been working on for some time, overseas, but it also has great significance as the first large-scale project centered around female employees. There's no doubt that women have superior sensibilities, and it's important for the company to find ways to utilize that power and have women take on new challenges," said Taiyo Onishi, president and CEO of Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings. Everything from selecting brands and products to negotiating store openings is handled by young female employees.