On October 15th, the "Maruyama Landscape" museum celebrating the 20th anniversary of "KEITAMARUYAMA" opened at The Stage on the first floor of the main building of Isetan Shinjuku. Keita Maruyama himself visited the store and gave an opening speech.
The museum shop will be open until the 21st. The museum is filled with limited-edition products and commemorative goods themed around "JAPAN," "Anniversary," "Archive," and "Gifts," bringing a vibrant atmosphere to the interior.
The "20th Special Sukajan" (280,000 yen), inspired by the store's "Isetan JAPAN SENSES" campaign, which began on the 15th, is a masterpiece hand-embroidered by a Kiryu artisan who specializes in uchikake kimono. It took approximately 29 hours for the artisan to hand-embroider a design selected from KEITAMARUYAMA's 20 years of designs. Only six are available. The decorative haute couture coat (¥500,000) covered in floral petals is a masterpiece, dyed by hand, with a circus pattern and original lace lining. Reissued embroidered knitwear from past archive collections (starting at ¥56,000) features intricate embroidery of the brand's signature motifs, including dragons, plum blossoms and nightingals, chrysanthemums and peonies, swans, and rock 'n' roll circuses. Tasteful interior items, such as a floor lamp (¥190,000) and a trunk (¥124,000), created in collaboration with Lloyd's Antiques, a retailer specializing in a wide range of furniture, primarily British antiques, add a touch of elegance to the venue. The walls of the venue are decorated with designs from the archive collection, and the entire stage is dyed in Keita Maruyama colors. Furthermore, at the front of the venue, Maruyama's costumes for Miwa Yoshida of Dreams Come True were unveiled. The suit was originally worn at "Dreams Come True Wonderland 2007" and was borrowed from Yoshida himself for this campaign. On the morning of the 15th, the first day of the event, Keita Maruyama and Chie Morimoto, the art director in charge of museum direction, attended the event. Maruyama, who began his career at the store 20 years ago, commented on the fact that this will be his third campaign at The Stage, following his first in 2011, saying, "I'm so happy to be able to bring to life my fantasy of 'I want to do this at a department store.'" Furthermore, as someone who "has loved Isetan since childhood," he actively proposed ideas for events during the campaign. "I wanted customers to enjoy browsing the various floors, so I came up with the idea of setting up stations throughout the building and holding a stamp rally." "Japanese people have a wonderful sense of appreciating the four seasons, which I think is a valuable asset when going overseas, but it's meaningless without someone who can effectively sell the products they create. In that sense, I think the development of Isetan and Japan Senses, which effectively communicate the quality of their work, is wonderful." Morimoto also commented, "It's clear that Maruyama loves Japanese traditions, but working with him on this project, I learned that he doesn't simply promote the beauty of Japan; he also thinks about what kind of stories he can tell in his products to make them enjoyable for customers. What's more, through such ingenuity, he is playing a role in connecting the artisans who preserve tradition with the younger generation, which is incredible." Before working on this project and seeing his work up close, Morimoto said, "I thought he placed importance on making an impact through the beauty of his designs." As they worked together to create the products, he felt a connection with Maruyama's approach to craftsmanship. On October 19th, Maruyama will serve as the store manager for one day at the Isetan Shinjuku store, welcoming customers at the store's opening and participating in lunch and tea ceremonies. During the event, the talent Shimizu Michiko will also be heard making announcements in the store.
