Kazunari Arita settled in Chigasaki because he wanted to live with his dog in a town near the sea. He took the Enoden train to Ippei, a restaurant highly regarded as a top-class Kyoto-style restaurant. In a conversation moderated by Naoya Kudo of Onward Kashiyama, it became clear that although he had only recently started frequenting the restaurant, the owner, Ippei Takemura, had a very similar sensibility to Arita's.

From left to right: Tailor & Cutter owner Kazunari Arita , Ippei Takemura , owner of Ippei, and Onward Kashiyama Kudo Naoya

The Kyoto tradition my wife discovered

Do you frequent Ippei Kudo's place?
Arita: This is a restaurant I'd like to become a regular at, so I've actually only been there a few times. I think it was last year that my wife found it. You can enjoy first-class kappo cuisine at reasonable prices, and above all, it's a very relaxing place. When I heard about this interview, I secretly dropped by to get a feel for it (laughs).
What does it mean for Kudo to calm down?
Ippei Arita has a slow-paced atmosphere that is unique to Kamakura. This is true of Ippei himself, the shop, and the customers who come in. As you leisurely ride the Enoden train from Fujisawa Station, your spirits inevitably lift.
Mr. Takemura, you live in Chigasaki, right? Our shop is in its third year this year, and it seems like it has spread through word of mouth from locals like Mr. Arita.
Mr. Takemura Kudo trained in Kyoto, didn't he?
It's a long-established restaurant called Takemura Tankuma. (At the urging of me) I've loved working with my hands since I was a child. I made some of the restaurant's signs and chopstick rests myself. Oh yes, the flower arrangements that decorate the counter too. I learned that during my apprenticeship. I thought that if I was going to cook, I should do it in the traditional Japanese style. I am Japanese, after all. An acquaintance of my father had a connection with Tankuma, and that's how it all started.


From Kudo 's perspective, it seems like a pretty tough world.
Takemura is more than just strict. For the first few years, there were hardly any days off, and if you made even the slightest mistake, an ashtray would be thrown at you (laughs). Looking back, I feel that I was able to work in the best possible shop and in the best possible location, but it was tough at the time. It was especially difficult because it's a place where people who come from the Kanto region are often met with resistance. However, at some point, they suddenly became much closer to me. They helped me without considering personal gain or loss, and some customers I met in Kyoto even made the effort to come all the way to Kamakura to visit me.
What motivated Kudo to continue?
It all boils down to the fact that I encountered Takemura 's authentic dashi (broth). I still can't forget the感動 (deep emotion) I felt the first time I tasted the bamboo shoots harvested that morning. Normally, bamboo shoots are boiled in rice bran to remove the bitterness, but with the morning-harvested ones, they're added directly to the broth. I was blown away. I learned the power of minimalist cooking, where nothing is added.


How long did you stay in Kyoto, Kudo ?
This is Takemura 18-year-old sake.
Kudo, that's a long time.
At Takemura Tankuma, you usually become the head chef after about 10 years, and then you go on to open your own restaurant, but I was terrified of standing behind the counter in front of customers. Things I could do easily in the kitchen became stiff and I couldn't do them the way I wanted. My dream of owning my own restaurant withered away.
It's true that the apprenticeship is long, but you can never have too much time before you become independent. What I struggled with most during my apprenticeship was experience. I was confident I could keep up with older craftsmen, but you can't underestimate the difference in experience. However, this is something you can only accumulate.
Kudo , what motivated you to take that step, Mr. Takemura?
Takemura: This is the property. I saw it and immediately thought, "Let's give it a try." My family home, where I was born and raised, is in Hayama, so I also felt a sense of geographical security.


Kudo : I think Arita also decided on his second attempt, right? In that respect, they're similar, but their early days were quite different. Arita knocked on the door of Gieves & Hawkes in England, and he got in by saying something as humble as, "I'll work for free, just give me a job," but within two or three months he was negotiating his salary with the president (laughs).
I was doing twice the amount of work as my colleague Arita . That said, I do regret a little that I approached him directly while he was taking a cigarette break in the smoking room (laughs).
I've never heard anything about Kudo's training being tough, but did he really act like he owned the place and take charge?
Arita: That's not true (laughs). It's because I had a clear goal. And I was acutely aware of my lack of experience. I even sewed while people were sleeping, so it wasn't difficult at all. However, I was in a much more fortunate environment compared to Ippei. The president of Gieves even accompanied me when I went to get my visa. It was raining that day, but as soon as I got out of the taxi, he went ahead and held an umbrella for me. When he saw the long line for applications, he quickly went to the back of the line and suggested we take turns, and started reading the newspaper while munching on a Kit Kat. That was the moment I understood what a gentleman was.

Wrapped in a soft, palatable wafer

Please tell us about Ippei Kudo's particular preferences.
In the world of Japanese cuisine, there are chefs who are called star chefs. Their success contributes to raising the overall level of the industry, which is a welcome trend. However, I would rather focus on preserving the unchanging flavors of traditional Japanese cuisine than on being in the spotlight.
Kudo : However, the shop is modern.
We want younger people to experience the authentic taste of Takemura 's food. It's a way to broaden our appeal.
Arita tin chopstick rests are nice too, aren't they?
A sense of the seasons is important in Takemura pottery. While maintaining that, we also actively use works by young artists.
Kudo, have you always held that view?
I think Takemura Tankuma had a big influence. Their specialty is soft-shelled turtle dishes, but they started serving soft-shelled turtle in small pots, whereas before it was something you'd eat with a large group. They kept the product the same, but by being creative with the packaging, they uncovered a new market need. I was really inspired by that approach.
Kudo has a deep respect for tradition at his core, and he creates new values through his unique perspective. This is something that resonates with Mr. Arita as well.


Arita : I'm also surprised to hear about Ippei's background for the first time and to find that we share similar views. To be honest, I don't like shops that are bound by tradition, and that applies to clothing making as well. I went to England because I thought that if you want to know about clothes, you should go to a tailor, and I was blown away by the stylish suit style of British gentlemen. That's how Tailor & Cutter started, and I wanted to spread their charm in Japan. That's why what I sell isn't suits, but fashion. The trigger that made me clear what I should be doing was a local postman. He was a rather overweight man, and his uniform was worn out, but he was incredibly stylish. What's important is being able to dress in a way that suits the person and the situation, and a suit is just one option. That way of thinking also connects to the spirit of gentleman that I learned from the president of Gieves. And that's how everything connected.


So that explains why Arita-san is so casual outside of Kudo's business hours.
You'll definitely stand out in Arita and Chigasaki.
Kudo: That's true (laughs).
Arita (returning to a serious expression): I sympathize with Ippei's stance of wanting to broaden the scope of things. And that's not limited to customers. I've been teaching at Bunka Fashion College for about 15 years now. Teaching people is very tiring, but it's even more rewarding. I was deeply moved when I heard that one of my former students was working at the Ginza Mitsukoshi storefront.
Kudo's blonde hair and silver accessories were, in my opinion, the kind of attire only Mr. Arita, who championed fashion and created a new image of a tailor, could wear. After all, creating an entire garment by yourself was avant-garde at the time.
When Mr. Takemura first came to our shop, I thought he was a hairdresser (laughs). The jacket had a classic silhouette, but the fabric was camouflage, so it really stood out.

Text: Takegawa Keiji
Photo: Fujii Taku

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