Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings supports the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' "Agricultural Women Project" and will host the "Isetan Styling Marche" event at the rooftop I-Garden of the Isetan Shinjuku Main Building from November 1st to 3rd.
The Agricultural Women Project was launched in 2013 with the aim of connecting female farmers with various companies and sharing the knowledge they have gained through their daily lives, work, and interactions with nature, to widely disseminate new products, services, and information to society. Under the theme of "We want to communicate, learn, and deliver our thoughts," Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings joined the project this year with the aim of proposing ideas that only a department store with a deep connection to food and lifestyle can offer. In collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and other companies, the event aims to help resolve the challenges facing Japan's agriculture.
In addition to selling agricultural products, the event will promote the various values of agriculture to customers through a lifestyle-based approach. The agricultural women members will be provided with a venue to showcase and express the agricultural products (creations) they have created, and events have been prepared to serve as an opportunity for consumers to become more familiar with agriculture as something deeply and stylish.
In addition to food, the market will target women's items, women's accessories, baby and children's items, and living items, selling apparel, miscellaneous goods, kitchenware, cosmetics, and home gardening sets. The agricultural women will also be on hand to serve customers, offering food menus using agricultural women's vegetables and fruits, and holding workshops and talk events.
The five agricultural women members participating in the marche are Nahoko from Yamagata Girls Farm, Yuki Naganuma from Shiki no Kajitsu Naganuma Orchard, Kaori Nukui from Nukui Garden, Hiroko Taka from NOTO Taka Farm, and Kana Takahashi from Minori Farm.
Mr. Naganuma, who grows pears and other fruits in Kaminoyama City, Yamagata Prefecture, says, "The Marche allows us to reach out to people who don't have a connection to agriculture, and we enjoy talking with those who come. Getting direct feedback and opinions is a very valuable experience. It's also appealing because it allows us to expand the circle of exhibitors."
Mr. Nukui, who grows log-grown shiitake mushrooms and green tea in Iruma City, Saitama Prefecture, says, "Isetan is Tokyo's most famous department store and has collaborated with them in various ways, so I wanted to participate because I thought it would be a fun event. I hope everyone will enjoy this unique Marche, where they can not only shop, but also eat and relax."
An opening ceremony will be held on the first day, November 1st, at 1:00 PM. The event will also feature introductions of the Nogyo Joshi members and an explanation of the project.
