The Isetan Shinjuku Main Building's 5th floor Living Floor, which has been undergoing phased remodeling since the fall of 2014, finally held its grand opening on March 4th.
The remodeling project was designed by Noritaka Tange, president of Tange Associates, and Yasumichi Morita, president of the design office GLAMOROUS co., ltd. Based on the concept of "the world's greatest fashion museum," the new floor offers a place where visitors can discover high culture and new lifestyle ideas while strolling through the floor.
In addition to "Center Park," "West Park," and "East Park," the Living Floor is divided into sections themed around "Living Personal (Relaxation)," "Kitchen Dining (Gathering)," and "Bed Bath Powder (Relaxation)."
The "Kitchen Dining" area will house "FLOWER OF ROMANCE," the first florist in a department store, created by flower artist Makoto Azuma. The flowers displayed in the display cases can be made into custom bouquets and flower arrangements. In addition, a wide range of floral items are available for purchase, including pressed flowers (starting at 3,000 yen) and orchids in jars (1,000 yen). The store also offers a flower concierge service to match food and fashion. A press representative commented, "As a department store, we want to be in touch with the lifestyles of our diverse customers and provide a floral lifestyle." The surrounding area was enveloped in the gorgeous fragrance of vibrant flowers. In addition, each corner of the store will be hosting a variety of special events and content to celebrate the remodeled reopening. The "Living Decor" section will feature a special exhibition titled "LIFE LIVE LOVE," a collaboration between Akira Minagawa's "minä perhonen" and Fumiko Sakuhara, an interior stylist who has appeared in numerous magazines, including "VOGUE NIPPON" and "ELLE DECOR." Minagawa commented, "Whether it's 'fashion' or 'living' items, there shouldn't be any barriers when choosing things. That's why I wanted to create an atmosphere where customers could enjoy shopping within the broader framework of everyday life." Sakuhara explained the items he selected, saying, "I've collected items that I've used in photo shoots and items that I've personally used and found to be great. I believe that by deliberately selecting items with styles that are the polar opposite of minä perhonen, I can broaden the perspective of customers."

In addition, West Park will host an opening event featuring an exhibit of "Ultraman" objects created by Kutani ware artists using gorgeous painting techniques, as well as a solo exhibition by Kagoshima Mutsumi titled "Decoration Exhibition: Flowers and Birds." Items on sale include a collaborative sofa between Arflex and N.HOOLYWOOD, and original Isetan letter sets (3,000 yen) in the store's exclusive Macmillan/Isetan and Black Watch/Isetan Men's patterns.

There's also a rich lineup in the food category, an essential part of daily life. Starting with the cafe "RAIKA," "Kitchen Dining" will feature coffee and tea cafe "KITCHEN DINING DECOR," which will have different vendors every one to two weeks, a kitchen studio, and a corner dedicated to tea utensils, which will propose "free ways to enjoy tea without being bound by formalities."

Other interesting features of the space include "WALPA," a shop specializing in imported wallpaper, a newly opened stationery corner, a print studio specializing in letterpress printing and foil stamping, and a postbox where you can post letters on the spot.