small talk - Vol.02 Learn about the past at the Tokyo Main Store with its old interior

small talk - Vol.02 Learn about the past at the Tokyo Main Store with its old interior

September 9, 2022 (Friday) Kadoya Tokyo Main Store will make a new start, reborn with a more sophisticated and calm interior. Therefore, in this small talk, I would like to introduce the Kadoya Tokyo main store with its old interior. I want to expand my expectations for the new store by knowing the past year.

The old interior of the Tokyo main store before the reopening

If I had to describe the old Kadoya Tokyo main store in one sentence, it would be "a space where you can feel the history and warmth."

Riders jackets and leather products are arranged in a combination of metal textured floor and walnut, each of which has its own charm.

Looking back now, I think that the attractiveness of the items, including the products being sold and the display shelves, and the atmosphere of the people who gathered there, created a “space where you can feel the history and warmth.”

I spent 11 years from 2011 to 2022 as the manager of Kadoya Tokyo Main Store, so I think I can tell you various things about the former Tokyo Main Store. At that time, the reference for the in-store display was not books for large stores, but interior books written for individual homes.

The 1st and 2nd floors of the Kadoya head office building is the Tokyo head office, and the garment factory "HEAD FACTORY" is located in the same building. I wanted to convey that atmosphere, and the display of sewing machines in the store was an issue that I had been considering for a long time. Meanwhile, my heart trembled when I discovered a vintage sewing machine table that had been sleeping in a warehouse.

Helmets were displayed on the stairs from the first floor to the second floor and on the transom window beams. These helmets have increased one by one over the course of about 20 years, and each has a story. The two in the front are signed by Kevin Schwantz and Shohei Higashimoto (titles omitted).

It was a space where many people gathered, so I had an encounter with someone who I could never have known. I think that was the fun unique to the shop staff. As an example, I asked the oldest customer to tell me about Tokyo and Kadoya 60 years ago.

When I was in the shop on a daily basis, I often encountered rare vehicles. When Marianna, a single Ducati 125cc from the 1960s parked beside the shop, looked as casually as a bicycle, I could not believe it was a mistake.

"Kadoya has been in business for a long time," said the former president and current chairman.

Kadoya Tokyo Main Store, which has a long history, will be reopened on Friday, September 9th. I would like to expect the future of the store with a new look.