PROFILE
Born in Tokyo in 1965, he opened the select bookstore "COW BOOKS" in Nakameguro in 2002, and served as editor-in-chief of "Kurashi no Techo" for 9 years from 2006 before joining Cookpad Inc. in the spring of 2015. In the same year, he launched the web media "Kurashi no Kihon". 2017 he became co-CEO of Oishii Kenko Co. In addition, he is also the editor-in-chief of DEAN & DELUCA MAGAZINE. He has published many books, including "Today too Teinei" (PHP Bunko) and "Shigoto no Kihon Kurashi no Kihon 100" (Magazine House) as his representative works.
PROFILE
Fashion buyer. After working as a buyer at the select store "Edifice", he became independent. After working on his own, he launched "Reshop" in 2015. Currently, he is the conceptor of the store and also supervises various brands and labels.
What you like, what you have seen, and what you are researching are linked.
In the course of discussing this Series project, Mr. Kaneko mentioned Mr. Matsuura several times, which led us to this interview. First of all, please tell us how the two of you met.
Matsuura: We originally met in Paris. Stylish, isn't it?
Kaneko: It's fashionable, isn't it (laughs)? When I was still working at EDIFICE, I asked Mr. Matsuura to produce catalogs for the company's various brands.
Matsuura: I also worked for EDIFICE, IENA, and SPICK&SPAN.
Kaneko: I didn't know they did that much. I did not know that.
Matsuura: That's right. We went to Paris and England for photo shoots and interviewed local people. Kaneko-san was a buyer at the time, and when we were relaxing in the hotel lobby at night, he came back looking exhausted with a bag full of stuff. I looked at him from afar and thought, "Wow, Kaneko-san, the buyer.
Kaneko: That was more than 20 years ago.
For those 20 years, is there a void in your relationship?
Matsuura: Yes, that's right. I had seen Mr. Kaneko in the media, and I had been watching his activities from one side.
Kaneko: I am honored that you remember me that way.
Matsuura: Of course I remember. At that time, it was as if Mr. Kaneko and his staff were creating the store. We had original brand products, but it was the imported products that Mr. Kaneko and his staff found from overseas that made the store so attractive. I think European culture functioned as branding as it was.
Did you have private conversations outside of work at that time?
Matsuura: It wasn't that much. Mr. Kaneko wasn't around during the day. He was like a father who left early in the morning and came back late at night (laughs).
Kaneko: It really is always like that.
Matsuura: We also used Paris as a base and went to various locations by car. We would drive down the road to Marseille instead of taking the expressway, and shoot on the way.
Kaneko: At that time, it was common practice to shoot catalogs overseas, wasn't it?
Matsuura: Of course the clothes were attractive, but you saw the value in putting European culture around the clothes and transmitting it.
I didn't know that you were directing such a catalog.
Matsuura: BAYCREW'S (the management company of EDIFICE, etc.) originally had an office in Yoyogi, where I got acquainted with the current chairman, Mr. Kubota (Yu). When "Jena" was launched, I helped with the interior design of the store, which is like MD today.
Kaneko: You even did that, didn't you?
Matsuura: Kubota-san likes vintage clothing and furniture, and we hit it off. So we went to see furniture together and talked about music and catalogs to play in the store. That's how we came to work on "Edifice" as well.
Kaneko: I am sure the catalog made by Mr. Matsuura is available at the company. I would like to see it again.
How did you meet again after that?
Kaneko: It was through a mutual acquaintance. There is a guy who works with me at Fruit of the Loom, and he connected me with him.
Matsuura: Through our correspondence, we found out that our houses are neighbors. We would meet on the street.
Kaneko: We are extremely close. When I was taking a walk, I saw Mr. Matsuura walking on the opposite side of the street.
Matsuura: We are of the same generation, so we can talk about what we like, what we have seen, and what we are researching. That's why we get along so well (laughs).
