Natsujiro Shoten and Koginzashi | "Wearing Ipadada" Exhibition
The "Wearing Ipadada" exhibition is organized by Natsujiro Shoten, a Kogin embroidery artist from Aomori.
This year marks the fifth time the event has been held at Yamatoya Footwear Store, which was founded in 1884 and is located in Jimbocho, Tokyo.
The fifth exhibition was held in April 2025, and as a result of our collaboration with HANAO SHOES of Whole Love Kyoto, we had the opportunity to speak with Ryuhei Funabiki, the fifth generation owner of Yamatoya Footwear Store, and the two people from Natsujiro Shoten about the exhibition, what has happened so far, and what lies ahead.
*"Ipadada" is an Aomori dialect word meaning something unique.
*"Ipadada wo uki.ten" is abbreviated to "ipa uki."
- First, the three speakers introduce themselves
WLK groove:
I work for the design company "CHIMASKI" and run a fashion brand called "Whole Love Kyoto." I moved to Kyoto when I entered university, and while meeting the Kyoto culture and artisans I had never known before, I realized that there was something interesting about how to preserve and change it in a fun way, and I continue to do this as my job today. I was approached by Natsujiro Shoten four years ago to collaborate with them in preparation for an exhibition at the CASAICO Gallery in Hirosaki, Aomori, and this was the first time I had the opportunity to work closely with someone from outside Kyoto. This time, I was approached by Natsujiro Shoten, and I had the opportunity to participate in an event with Yamatoya Footwear Store and Natsujiro Shoten. Thank you for your support.
Natsujiro Shoten:
I'm originally from Aomori. Next year will mark the 20th anniversary of Natsujiro Shoten's opening. At first, I only made small items like pencil cases and coasters using Kogin embroidery, but as the number of Kogin embroidery artists increased, I received advice from CASAICO and acquaintances and decided to focus on a single Kogin embroidery cord. I'd been a fan of Yamatoya and Mitsuko's work for a long time, and had purchased Mitsuko's tenugui hand towels. So I mustered up the courage to introduce myself as "Natsujiro Shoten," which led to us becoming friendly, and I've been holding exhibitions every year since.
I had previously talked with Mizobe and CASAICO about wanting to see the reaction to HANAO SHOES in Tokyo, and that dream came true with an exhibition at Yamatoya.
Yamatoya Funabiki:
My name is Ryuhei Funabiki. I was born as the third son of a ryokan inn in Kawaji Onsen, a hot spring resort deep in the mountains of Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture. After graduating from university, I got a job at a general insurance company and worked at the Tokyo headquarters. It was around that time that I married my current wife, and her family ran the Yamatoya Footwear Store, which is how I first encountered Yamatoya. However, at the time of our marriage, I had no intention of taking over Yamatoya; I just thought it looked like an interesting store. By chance, I thought, why not join in? And so, around 2019, we began full-scale operations as Yamatoya Footwear Store .
-How you two met and the presence of Mitsuko Ogura
Yamatoya Funabiki:
Even before I started working at Yamatoya Footwear Main Store , Natsujiro had been coming to the store and was acquainted with Mitsuko Ogura, who had told me about some interesting artists. However, we were just a humble geta shop, so I wondered if it was really okay to approach an artist whose work was featured in a gallery. I was a little hesitant at first, but I finally mustered up the courage to send him a direct message on Instagram saying something like, "We're trying to reinvent ourselves as a shop, and we'd love for you to hold an event." He readily agreed, and since the first year of our renovation, we've been holding "Ipa-fuku" every year. This exhibition made me realize the vast possibilities for collaboration between artists and shops. Four years have passed since our renovation, and while we continue to operate Yamatoya Footwear Store, our shop has become something of a gallery, too.
WLK groove:
It's been four years since the renovation. I was really surprised to find out that at 36 years old, he is the fifth generation owner, even among the various craftsmen in Kyoto and people I've met all over Japan. By the way, how old were you when you joined Yamatoya, your wife's family business?
Yamatoya Funabiki:
I was 30, in my second year of marriage. Personally, I didn't dislike being an office worker, and I didn't mind being transferred. However, Ogura Mitsuko's work had quite an impact on me, and it really struck a chord with me, even though I didn't know much about that world.
WLK groove:
What is your relationship with Yamatoya Footwear Store?
Yamatoya Funabiki:
She is my wife's aunt. She is a dyeing artist born and raised in the Yamatoya footwear store, and her work is so fascinating that I wondered why it hadn't been made public. Even I, who didn't know anything about it at the time, stopped in my tracks and thought, "Wow."
WLK groove:
Is that the "chance thing" you mentioned earlier when you said, "I started thinking about the next generation"?
Yamatoya Funabiki:
There was another "chance event" for me. It was at the end-of-year party in 2019. I asked the nearly 90-year-old grandparents, the third generation owners of Yamatoya, "What are your plans for the store going forward?" They replied, "We'd like to do something, but if things continue as they are, there's nothing we can do." They had a lot of things they wanted to do and aspirations for what they wanted to achieve, but they didn't know who would do it, or how to do it, so it was just simmering. So I said, "Well, I'll help you out, so why not take the next step?" and I think that was the main trigger .
-In the old days, there was a shoe store in every town.
WLK groove:
I imagine that starting something new in a new home after marrying into one can be very difficult. But even so, listening to your worries and saying, "I'll help out too," shows a really good relationship.
Yamatoya Funabiki:
I used to work at an insurance company, so I think I'm used to interacting with people without worrying about differences in age or position. The moment I start working, I don't really think about family, and I just accept that "work is work." Above all, I don't think being the fifth generation is something "amazing." Even now, the third, fourth, and fifth generations each have their own roles. Because roles are properly divided within the family, I don't feel like I'm the fifth generation, and I don't think it's necessary.
WLK groove:
I see. I'm starting to get a better sense of the atmosphere at Yamatoya.
Natsujiro Shoten said earlier that they should muster up the courage to introduce themselves as "Natsujiro Shoten." And Funabiki- san, when the project started in 2019, you both thought "Let's try offering Natsujiro-san an event," so I think there was a mutual feeling of excitement, but what was your impression when Funabiki-san actually reached out to you?
Natsujiro Shoten:
Even the grandiose things like reaching out and receiving offers flowed so naturally, without either of us even thinking about it lightly. I think the fact that it all happened so naturally is a big factor. When people interact with each other, there's no tone of voice that tries to try and get at each other's true intentions. Mitsuko always greets me with a smile, as if I'm visiting a friend's house.
Yamatoya Funabiki:
I think we've come this far without really being aware that we're a traditional restaurant, in a good sense. If anything, it's a restaurant that was run by a family in a laid-back way. As an extension of that, our restaurant has a feeling of "Let's all have fun together."
Natsujiro Shoten:
Whenever I go there, Mitsuko-san comes running up to me waving both hands and calling out, "Natsujiro-san!" It's so cute. All of Yamatoya's staff, including the fifth-generation owner, have an adorable Heidi of the Alps illustration (laughs).
Yamatoya Funabiki:
In the old days, there were shoe stores in every town, and you didn't have to go to another town to buy shoes. I think this is an extension of that, and miraculously, they have survived in Jimbocho.
-The "Wearing Ipadada" Exhibition and what's to come .
Natsujiro Shoten:
The exhibition, titled "Wearing Ipadada.", featuring only Kogin-sashi Hanao cords, began in 2017, and this year marks its 24th anniversary. At first, I was a little pretentious, wanting everyone to see it, and also wanting to emphasize that I was doing something unusual, so I chose a longer exhibition name.
WLK groove:
Wow, the 24th time! How many pairs of hanao have you made in total over the past 23 years?
Natsujiro Shoten:
I wonder how many pairs I've made... I make just under 100 pairs every year, so I make about 900 to 1000 pairs. All by myself. It's scary (laughs).
Yamatoya Funabiki:
No, it's amazing, really. 100 legs is 200 legs.
WLK groove:
Kogin embroidery is done by hand, stitch by stitch, and the effort is immeasurable.
Yamatoya Funabiki:
I think that holding an exhibition every year puts both the artists and us on edge. As a shop, it's our responsibility to generate a certain amount of sales, so every year I think about how I can present new things to our customers.
Among these projects, we've also started a project with CASAICO, which Natsujiro introduced us to last year, to make Tsugaru-nuri geta sandals. I'm sure there are many people who have enjoyed inserting Natsujiro's hanao straps into Yamatoya's standard geta sandals, as well as those who have inserted them into Natsujiro's "Namokene" sandals, and we've created a system where we ask, "How about a second pair?" Of course, I think Yamatoya's reach has grown over the past five years, so I'd like to come up with various ideas to ensure that new customers can enjoy the sandals as well. I want to do my best every time so that Natsujiro won't say, "50 pairs is enough for Yamatoya, right?" I want to preserve the significance of having 200 hanao straps lined up.
WLK groove:
As the fifth generation owner, you have a great balance between your inner circle and your commitment to Natsujiro Shoten and its customers.
Yamatoya Funabiki:
Our customers are not just people who buy our products, but they are also important customers and business partners to our artists, so we feel that we should not do anything that is not a win-win for everyone. The moment we do that, the balance in this world will immediately be lost. So it is my job to carefully consider that balance, and I think it is the most important thing.
WLK groove:
Natsujiro, what do you think of this fifth exhibition with Yamatoya?
Natsujiro Shoten:
Exhibiting at Yamatoya is a really special thing for me, and to put it bluntly, it's very relaxing. I prefer to create alone, without having to interact with many people, because I hope that the work I create will connect with someone. I feel a great sense of mental security being able to sit in a corner of the store and watch the Yamatoya staff serving customers, and it's a rare place where I can exhibit my work with complete peace of mind.
Many of our customers have quite sharp tastes, and their passion for the special exhibitions is incredible. For example, some people come in their work clothes, clutching their wallets during their lunch break. We have a lot of funky customers who are quite edgy and passionate about unusual things and the things they like, and we are inspired every time we hold an exhibition. This year, in preparation for our 20th anniversary next year, we tried a lot of new things. We have new colors for Tsugaru lacquerware and Hanao cloth available, plus HANAO SHOES! There's a lot to see this time.
Yamatoya Funabiki:
We're very happy. It makes us happy to hear that it's easy for us. I think the purpose of holding an event is not to simply welcome customers, but rather to have fun communicating with them and interacting with the artists. It's actually a good thing that the atmosphere of the event changes depending on the artist, and I think that being able to do that is one of Yamatoya's strengths. We have an artist named Mitsuko Ogura close to us, so we have an environment where we can understand the artists' feelings. So we were able to listen to what the artists were thinking when they held their events, and I think that was also a strength.
WLK groove:
Listening to their stories, I felt like I was able to imagine the scenery and daily life I had never known during the nine years I spent crawling around Kyoto. I was truly a participant, but I also enjoyed it as a visitor, a fan, and someone I met for the first time. I'm really looking forward to Natsujiro's 20th anniversary next year.
