Isetan Mitsukoshi and BEAMS have teamed up to host "STAND Kyushu," a project event to rediscover the charms of various parts of Japan, which will begin on March 29th at The Stage on the first floor of the main building of Isetan Shinjuku and on the first floor of BEAMS Japan.
FASHION HEADLINE interviewed Kyushu creators participating in the event, focusing on them.
■OK SHOP "Building a circle of face-to-face connections"
"STAND Kyushu" will support "OK SHOP," a new manufacturing initiative by shops in Oita and Kumamoto (O・K), which were affected by last year's Oita-Kumamoto earthquakes.
One of the initiators of "OK SHOP," Mr. Kazunori Nishikido, is the owner of "GREEN NOTE," a store in Kumamoto Prefecture that sells plants and miscellaneous goods. Although he himself was affected by the earthquake, he immediately began working with friends in his hometown of Amakusa, Kagoshima, and Fukuoka to provide supplies to the local community.
Nishikido Kazunari, one of the founders of "OK SHOP"
"Once things started to calm down a bit, we ran into a wall: how retailers like me could get our daily lives back on track. With damage to buildings and products and a drop in tourists, some shops were in danger of losing their business, so we thought about what we could do to help, and one of the things we came up with was the launch of OK SHOP." To explore how the Tohoku region recovered, Nishikido first connected with people from Kumamoto, Oita, Fukuoka, Tokyo, and the rest of Tohoku through Hangouts, creating a forum for discussion. From there, he explored ways to expand OK SHOP, and the idea for the "OK Market Caravan Kumamoto/Oita" project, which would hold markets across the country, emerged. The original members were participants in markets held in Kumamoto and other areas, along with their connections. Approximately 50 shops in Oita and Kumamoto, selling food, clothing, miscellaneous goods, stained glass, coffee beans, and more, connected with the host department stores and other businesses. The events were held in a wide variety of locations, including Tokyo, Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Amakusa, and Oita. Music events were also held, creating a warm and shared atmosphere. "Since the earthquake calmed down considerably, we've been holding pop-up shops to cherish the national network we built through the caravan. Through an acquaintance, I also had the opportunity to promote Kumamoto culture in Taiwan."
And this time, OK SHOP will be appearing at STAND Kyushu with a diverse lineup.
SEEDSTORE (Vegetable Seeds) / Thyme, chives, arugula, radish, Swiss chard, basil, broccoli sprouts (all 500 yen), chicory (670 yen), Italian tomatoes (800 yen)
Panda Manager Series: White Tenugui (Tenugui) (1,200 yen), Pouch (2,500 yen), Plush Toy (5,000 yen), Masking Tape (450 yen), iPhone Case (1,900 yen)
GREENNOTE×Yoichiro Uchida T-shirt (3,500 yen)
While nurturing the circle of people that has sprouted, Nishikido also told us with a smile that he plans to make a fresh start and reopen "GREEN NOTE" in Kumamoto City.
"We are now connecting with Innovation Tohoku again, and are preparing to launch a website that will provide information about the people and shops in Kumamoto. I hope that events like this will create contact points and deepen our face-to-face connections."
【Event Information】
"STAND Kyushu"
■Isetan Shinjuku
Dates: March 29th - April 4th
Location: Isetan Shinjuku Main Building, 1st Floor = The Stage
Time: 10:30am - 8pm
■Beams Japan
Dates: March 29th - April 11th
Location: Beams Japan, 1st Floor
Time: 11am - 8pm
FASHION HEADLINE interviewed Kyushu creators participating in the event, focusing on them.
■OK SHOP "Building a circle of face-to-face connections"
"STAND Kyushu" will support "OK SHOP," a new manufacturing initiative by shops in Oita and Kumamoto (O・K), which were affected by last year's Oita-Kumamoto earthquakes.
One of the initiators of "OK SHOP," Mr. Kazunori Nishikido, is the owner of "GREEN NOTE," a store in Kumamoto Prefecture that sells plants and miscellaneous goods. Although he himself was affected by the earthquake, he immediately began working with friends in his hometown of Amakusa, Kagoshima, and Fukuoka to provide supplies to the local community.
Nishikido Kazunari, one of the founders of "OK SHOP"
"Once things started to calm down a bit, we ran into a wall: how retailers like me could get our daily lives back on track. With damage to buildings and products and a drop in tourists, some shops were in danger of losing their business, so we thought about what we could do to help, and one of the things we came up with was the launch of OK SHOP." To explore how the Tohoku region recovered, Nishikido first connected with people from Kumamoto, Oita, Fukuoka, Tokyo, and the rest of Tohoku through Hangouts, creating a forum for discussion. From there, he explored ways to expand OK SHOP, and the idea for the "OK Market Caravan Kumamoto/Oita" project, which would hold markets across the country, emerged. The original members were participants in markets held in Kumamoto and other areas, along with their connections. Approximately 50 shops in Oita and Kumamoto, selling food, clothing, miscellaneous goods, stained glass, coffee beans, and more, connected with the host department stores and other businesses. The events were held in a wide variety of locations, including Tokyo, Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Amakusa, and Oita. Music events were also held, creating a warm and shared atmosphere. "Since the earthquake calmed down considerably, we've been holding pop-up shops to cherish the national network we built through the caravan. Through an acquaintance, I also had the opportunity to promote Kumamoto culture in Taiwan."
And this time, OK SHOP will be appearing at STAND Kyushu with a diverse lineup.
SEEDSTORE (Vegetable Seeds) / Thyme, chives, arugula, radish, Swiss chard, basil, broccoli sprouts (all 500 yen), chicory (670 yen), Italian tomatoes (800 yen)
Panda Manager Series: White Tenugui (Tenugui) (1,200 yen), Pouch (2,500 yen), Plush Toy (5,000 yen), Masking Tape (450 yen), iPhone Case (1,900 yen)
GREENNOTE×Yoichiro Uchida T-shirt (3,500 yen)
While nurturing the circle of people that has sprouted, Nishikido also told us with a smile that he plans to make a fresh start and reopen "GREEN NOTE" in Kumamoto City.
"We are now connecting with Innovation Tohoku again, and are preparing to launch a website that will provide information about the people and shops in Kumamoto. I hope that events like this will create contact points and deepen our face-to-face connections."
【Event Information】
"STAND Kyushu"
■Isetan Shinjuku
Dates: March 29th - April 4th
Location: Isetan Shinjuku Main Building, 1st Floor = The Stage
Time: 10:30am - 8pm
■Beams Japan
Dates: March 29th - April 11th
Location: Beams Japan, 1st Floor
Time: 11am - 8pm
