Shibuya culture PROJECT

"Scramble intersection around charm" (Matsunaga's)

West:In the sense that it "bird's-eye view of the city (bird's-eye view)", First Matsunaga-san has become answer I would like to see from the word "scramble intersection near attractive they become to the picture." Whether this will be the words of feel like what the "Shibuya"?

Matsunaga:Here we regarded as a place that symbolizes the "Shibuya", the Japan. There often Shibuya appear on the stage of anime and movies, has been delivered to all over the world as a scene video content is the symbolic of the "scramble crossing around". By the way, the movie in the "Heisei Gamera" is, there was also that the internal company signboard near scramble crossing our break and Gasa' (laughs). For people who like Japan of content, "scramble crossing" is or would not have been the image as a symbolic place of Tokyo.

West:TV companies such as NHK, the people who go to work in the morning towards the camera to the scramble crossing, people who go home at night, it will reflect and figure of people waiting for a signal pointing the bent umbrella when the typhoon. This place where people of life and movement can be seen live, it might stage of the of the world. Takano Do you perceive how the "scramble crossing"?

Takano:There is a small table on the second floor in the Starbucks of QFRONT, where there is space for food and drink while standing. Even when you are in a hurry, and the little stop at there becomes a little fun of me (laughs). When looking at the intersection from that location, we often see a figure which foreign tourists are photographed people across the intersection. I think I Do not I of that place images are permeated doing so.

Fukui:I'm originally from Aichi Prefecture, but the memory of when he crossed the "scramble crossing" the first to have left really. Is anyway overwhelmed many people, I thought I, "I wonder if you're doing a festival." It is to never forget still, multi of that traffic and pedestrians'd say the also impressive when viewed from abroad. It will also feel like the appearance that people are going to cross going to intersect is something different story.

West:Some people referred to as "a great figure that is fully cross the intersection without colliding with anyone." (Laughs).

"Ties without erasable the sign" (Matsunaga's)

West:The following is also a keyword of Matsunaga's "ties without erasable the sign." It is very naive expression, but the background that was written this?

Matsunaga:I am born in Fukuoka, and then in the environment of the workplace also Shibuya live in Shibuya-ku, there is experience that ties such as past and friends and parents has become without all the state of "one person only". There is of course also loneliness, but, "(in Shibuya) anything can be" in the other hand it is I think also was strong that. For example, big time even if in the fashionable, because it is good to not have to worry about the public eye. Although club shop also went to various places in Shibuya, a high degree of freedom because people have us accept the terribly Frank, you do not have to so much pursue ties. I do not know even the name is also the phone number of the other party in relation to only the fly, such as that meet or if you go to the place next week .... I think that "play happily on the spot," there were really.

West:Will city there is a sense of distance between people?

Matsunaga:I agree. And recalls the environment at the time of me to accept us, do not need a history, I feel like had spread friendship in shallow person each other to each other.

"Shibuya 24 (Twenty Four)" (Takano)

West:Then Takano keyword you, but of, do I go to read as "Shibuya 24 (Twenty Four)"? (Lol).

Takano:Yes. I just only once when Tteyuu want to cut the hair to "late-night," but I have been to beauty salon, is in Shibuya "24 hours" a lot, such as beauty salons and nail salon, which is open , there is a feeling that Do's "town there is something useful" for the consumers of such city. To my acquaintance I there are agency Woman of foreign, but finished making a presentation materials to 12 o'clock at night, and then seems to nail for tomorrow's presentation at the nail salon ... That's life style of the city I think I said.

West:It is the "city that never sleeps" impression.

"Disconnected interesting" (Takano)

West:In terms of location, where do you hit the "off".

Takano:We are researching the "Across" and "Shibuya" from 1980, interesting place not it a cheerful place with is I have a change with the times, but .... In a recent flow, Kamiyama Street fashionable people gather late at night, was entered in a little back from Jinnan on the road to exit after Daikanyama district, rest Ikejiri, it points to such as Yoyogi Uehara. Given a wide area Shibuya, you or there is hobbling To good shops in the mortar-like "lip" portion. It's always a new one can be in the "helicopter".

West:Why can the "helicopter"?

Takano:"Shibuya of the city" are commercially have to feel like there is a media device predestination something like, such as co-Masha rise, become so came down from the "helicopter", then also the new ones but be able to "helicopter", also like a falling in the middle from around, I feel like there is somehow its circulation.

West:I see. Now, the word "bowl-like" is, it is a keyword that come out as I said sure and when you talk about Shibuya. Shinjuku, Ginza, Ikebukuro, but has been expanded almost flat to the city, Shibuya there is a slope wherever you go there in the bottom station is the best, it is a city of very strange structure. So large cities that the word "helicopter" can be used is very small. But climbed to the topic now, when viewed from the Fukui, who set up the shop in Kamiyama-cho, recently of "Kamiyama-cho," Do you like?

Fukui:It is often opened eateries. It is also the impression that "magnificent" eateries are scattered. A meal, I might then drink even drink another cup at the bar, it has become the feel troubled when called.

West:Will it is often still young?

Fukui:Is not just young people. It located in the middle part of the famous bar called "Nekohachi", there, on the one hand you have regulars's elderly from the old days, all the way look at the magazine, and also eye the people you started to investigate.

West:Why there has been a growing popularity Kamiyama-cho?

Fukui:I know because it opened, maybe it is because the rent is low. Speaking honestly, I'd like to put in the center .... When you open a bookstore, you absolutely rent burden increases. But tsubo unit price from around Kamiyama-cho, it will go back down. So, even towards our other stores, even if there is a feeling in the end I think both Kana of forced around that. Since Kamiyama-cho there now while it is to some extent the image, I think that I can aim the Kamiyama-cho, as prior investment in the future.

West:It is that corner the Challenger gather. It will have trickle down that kind of area in the Shibuya.

"There are many fashionable foreigner" (Takano)

West:From Takano gave me also the keyword "is often fashionable foreigner".

Takano:In Shibuya and Shinjuku and Harajuku "street interviews" as we are every month fixed-point observation, but fashionable, if multiplied by the normal voice to cute son of hair and makeup, in fact, there is also the fact that it was Taiwan and foreign students. Recent Japanese girls of fashion as compared to in the homogenization trend, unique and stylish foreigners has become very many. Even to talk with people of Beams, recently about 30% of the audience was telling me a foreigner. Shibuya Parco is also a kind of feeling recently.

West:What is the situation in Akihabara?

Matsunaga:It came in at once a large number of people in the bus, from the people who go home and Ga' bought the Ga', until the people who come in private, it is the many foreign tourists.

West:Do you appeal something against tourists in Akihabara?

Matsunaga:I do not think that the "because the appeal". The first place Akihabara was "radio and the radio of the city" that after the war, sell the parts to assemble the radio from the vacuum tube. Then flows into the audio products from white goods, it has undergone a transformation to "the personal computer of the city" in the 1990s. We cartoon from 2000, began to store openings, games and such character goods rise, which was the motif, it has become the most competitive city also in Japan. Store to compete on price is also mushrooming, there is also a place that sells those highly specialized unobtainable elsewhere. Since the expertise of the clerk is also high, in terms that will navigate to the pretty-depth interesting information, I think that it is a city that is in response to a mania request. So mania all over the world come to Akihabara, home growling (laughs). Rather than propaganda, in which obtained only are not things and the city of charm or will not it strong is better that was transmitted in the reviews ....

West:"Otaku market" is now a world-wide, for example, whether the staff of language support such as English and Chinese are you feeling?

Matsunaga:Foreigners who come with the aim of content in Japan, the first place watching Japanese animation, words because you come to watch the content is not needed. Knowing even price, it will be able to somehow talk with foreigners to each other through the content (laughs).

West:If the character of a name in the mouth, it will become one of the common point.

Matsunaga:That's right. Than those that are localized in the country it seems to be a lot of people remember as it is the Japanese on which it is based.

West:The Akihabara, Are you satisfied with the now of the state? Or, do you want to attract more tourists?
Did you a while has issued a variety of wisdom for as the town tourist up?

Matsunaga:I am doing my best. Pedestrian begins to unity of the city from two years ago, which was canceled, is the place where now, began to move.

West:When standing in Hachiko Square, Toka foreigners who came from abroad, school excursion students who came from rural areas, often see the look of it paralyzed over there while watching something. I'd like to give to navigate, there is a frustrating not it even be from the wall of the word .... That the person who came to Shibuya tourism that "It is interesting I went over here!", Be nice if in the city that can support, I think well.