The Trunk Market at The Fukuromachi Park HIROSHIMA
From Hiroshima! Why "The Trunk Market" is getting a lot of attention.
The term "regional development" has been on the agenda of every industry in recent years. In the fashion industry in particular, we hear a lot about "The Trunk Market," a market event held in Hiroshima, a major city in the Chugoku region. Despite the fact that it is not such a large venue, it seems to draw more than 20,000 people over two days, and all we hear is positive feedback. So we went undercover at the event held on November 11 and 12, and spoke with Kengo Nakamoto, the originator and head of "The Trunk Market" planning office.
The Trunk Market" Planning Office Manager: Kengo Nakamoto
Tell us about "The Trunk Market" again. This is the ninth time the market has been held twice a year, so it started four or five years ago, right?
the noonday meal: The first one was in November 2013.
How did you get started?
the noonday mealIn recent years, with the rise of the Internet and commercial facilities, the street front has been declining, and non-fashion stores have become prominent on fashion streets, and the original street culture was being lost. The idea came from a desire to return to the exciting street culture of my youth.
F.I.L. Indigo Camping Trailer" is being developed by Bizbim only in Omotesando.
Rocky Mountain Featherbed is an unusual dome-shaped booth.
What was the idea behind the idea of sending out messages from the park?
the noonday mealFukuro-machi Park is located in the center of the city and is a pleasant place with lots of greenery. 72 years ago, Fukuro-machi was one of the hardest hit areas within a 1 km radius of the hypocenter by the atomic bombing, and many precious lives were lost. There is a cenotaph for the A-bomb victims in the park, and I think it is meaningful to send out messages from here in terms of being grateful once again for the peaceful times we live in.
Is the area around Fukuro-machi Park originally an area with many fashion-related stores?
the noonday mealThere were few fashion stores around the park. On the east side of the park, there was a street called Namiki Dori Avenue, lined with fashion-oriented stores, and in the alleys around it, localism stores lined the streets. In recent years, this form has begun to crumble, and I felt that something had to be done about it.
And that's how this event was born.
the noonday mealYes, we did. First, we approached the local merchants' association and gathered supporters. Everyone sympathized with us, and we were able to hold the first event just two months after we called on them. A groundbreaking format was born, with each professional sharing a role and doing everything on a volunteer basis. The fact that stall fees were kept down by not using expenses, and that stalls could be opened smoothly even from outside the prefecture, also proved to be an asset.
Park South Sandwich, a cafe right in front of the park, is produced by Nakamoto.
Do you handle the leasing of new stores?
the noonday mealYes, I have been contacted by many people in the neighborhood and gradually, referrals and recommendations have increased. We were approached by people in close proximity, and gradually we began to receive more and more referrals and recommendations. I received referrals from people who said, "I have an interesting person I'm going to send to you. Because I work not only in apparel, but also in daily necessities, tools, furniture, etc., I was able to attract people from a variety of genres.
In addition to selling goods, there are also many food and beverage booths at the Trunk Market, aren't there?
the noonday mealYes. Food is an essential part of the market. We have asked restaurants that are particular about their food to participate in the market. Michelin-starred restaurants, restaurants that only members can go to, restaurants where reservations cannot be taken, and restaurants that really don't have a sign will open their stores for customers to visit. It's exciting, isn't it?
-Every food and beverage booth is a big success.
the noonday meal: Yes, I think it is very risky for restaurants to open a restaurant here. I think it is very risky for a restaurant to open a restaurant here. If there is a mishap in an environment that is not well equipped, the restaurant's signboard will be damaged. But everyone is doing their part for the town. I really bow down to them.
That's the only way to attract people, isn't it?
the noonday mealI am sure that's right. At the time of the first event, Mr. Tetsuya Suzuki, who was the editor-in-chief of "Honeycomb" at the time, came to cover the event. He said, "This is a unique, high-end flea market. I liked that phrase so much that I now use it as the event's catchphrase.
It's the opposite of a high-end flea market, isn't it?
the noonday mealWe tell our vendors, "Please don't have an inventory clearance sale. If you just display your inventory, people will not be excited. We ask that you use this event as a place to showcase items that you have made just for this event or that you are proud of. This will be a unique, high-end market that does not exist anywhere else.
It is true that the "trunk market" does not have the image of selling inexpensive items.
The event is also characterized by the large number of people with children.
the noonday mealI told him when I was making an offer to open a stall, he said, "If Giant Baba and Antonio Inoki were to stand in the same ring, the Tokyo Dome would fill up. When I was making an offer to open a stall, I said, "If Giant Baba and Antonio Inoki stood in the same ring, the Tokyo Dome would fill up, so let's be friends for these two days" (laughs).
Indeed (laughs).
the noonday mealI'm sure of it, since each of the stores with such power is opening a store like that. However, I recently realized that there is more to it than that. The day before the event, I go to greet the vendors who are coming from outside of the prefecture, and they all look like they are having a great time. It's like a school trip (laughs). They are setting up on the day of the event with smiles on their faces. That's very important. If the people welcoming them create this kind of atmosphere, I am sure that customers will want to come to the event.
There will also be a booth by popular illustrator Misaki Tanaka.
The "Sora - Qusamura" in Hiroshima, which displays Christmas trees collected from all over Japan.
Live performance on a simple stage.
-I feel that holding the event twice a year is a good pace.
the noonday mealI think there is a face of summer and a face of winter. Like an ice cream shop and an oden shop, or a place that sells T-shirts and a place that sells down. We hold the event twice a year because we want people to compete with their strongest products. The park where the event is held has autumn leaves in the fall and fresh greenery in the spring. The image is totally different.
What about the events in May and November?
the noonday mealI thought: Yes, May is the off-season after Golden Week and before the rainy season; October has many events; November is the off-season and before the real cold weather; and November is the off-season and before the cold weather. I thought it would stand out if we could attract customers here. Also, it is a place where people in the fashion industry tend to move.
I have a collection overseas.
the noonday mealMay and November are the most critical months for people in the fashion industry. So people often say to me, "You've ruined the most relaxing time of the year for us," (laughs).
I had known about "Trunk Market" for a long time, but each time I heard "I heard that one is good" or "Do you know that one? I thought I had to see it once, so I finally made it to the 9th show.
the noonday mealI am very grateful to be featured in the media in this way.
Looking at the lineup of new restaurants, I see a good balance between local Hiroshima restaurants and those outside of the prefecture.
the noonday mealI am aware of that. We are drawing a microcosm of the city in the near future with this event. It should become an attractive city through friendly competition between strong stores from all over the country and those in Hiroshima.
Nakamoto-san's store, "ref.The "Glass Container" exhibit is an organic cross between a reagent bottle and a plant. The new work is called "Glass Container Cylinder".
The reason why you opened your store at Trunk Market is that manufacturers are opening real stores on the street, right?
the noonday mealWe have opened 6 stores so far because of the appeal of Hiroshima's streets. We have helped them find properties and introduce partners so that they can smoothly open new stores. Our employees ask us, "Why are you attracting so many rivals?" I tell them, "No, no, no. When world records are set at the Olympics, fast runners line up in all eight lanes, and we want to be among them. We are trying to build up our muscles by holding exhibitions in Tokyo with our brand so that we will not lose out.
Nakamoto-san, have you always lived in Hiroshima?
the noonday mealI was inspired by the streets of Hiroshima when I was young and wanted to go to Tokyo, so I moved to Tokyo. I came back and joined a local apparel company and here I am today. It has been exactly 25 years since I started my business. In the past, I didn't think so much about my hometown. I was going my own way.
What do you want to do with the city of Hiroshima?
the noonday mealI would like to return the city to a place where people can feel the culture as it used to be. In terms of fashion, I don't think there is a place to go even if you are fashionable now. Everyone comes to The Trunk Market dressed up. I think it is important to go out dressed up like that. I think it is important to dress up and go out like that. I am sure there are things that you feel, like you want to be like this or want to do that kind of work. I would like the younger generation who feel this way to go to Tokyo or overseas and work in the creative world. For example, I would like to create a climate in which people from Hiroshima can be active in professional baseball and Major League Baseball. I want to make Hiroshima a city where there are people who are active in their hometowns, and there are also people who return to Hiroshima for the sake of Hiroshima, like Kuroda (, former Carp ), and even win a championship.
So you want to create that base from the trunk market.
the noonday mealNakamoto: Yes, that's right. Since we started "The Trunk Market," people often say, "You are doing something new," but that is not true at all. What we are doing is very analog, and we are just going back to the old days. I believe that analog is superior to digital.
It seems that even creators who are working hard in Tokyo, when they reach their 40s, start to wonder what they can do for the city where they grew up.
the noonday mealI think there is definitely something like that. I would like to make Hiroshima a good model case. Up until now, Hiroshima has never been chosen as the next best city after Tokyo. I want to make Hiroshima the second most creative city after Tokyo. Tokyo is the absolute champion "Giants," and Hiroshima should be like the Carp, where there is no money, but people work hard and sweat to win the championship. Besides, there is a tailwind blowing now. Former President Barack Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit the A-bombed city of Hiroshima in 2010, and once again made a strong appeal for Hiroshima. The recent popularity of the Carp baseball team is also a factor.
So, Hiroshima is once again attracting a lot of attention.
the noonday mealI would like people who visit Hiroshima for sightseeing to think that Hiroshima is a city where they can enjoy not only the World Heritage sites but also shopping.
Lastly, please tell us about the future of the "trunk market.
the noonday mealThe next event is scheduled for May 19 ( Sat ) and May 20 ( Sun ). This will be the 10th anniversary of the event, and we are planning to involve the whole city and make Namiki-dori Avenue a pedestrian zone and to use the roof tops of department stores for a night marché. The event itself will be held twice a year for a total of 4 days, but we would like to create a city that is exciting not only for 4 days, but for 365 days, and have many people from all over the world visit Hiroshima.
