Shoemaker Yohei Fukuda, whose work is highly acclaimed worldwide, and up-and-coming tailor Nobuhito Yamaguchi, whose future is highly anticipated. Their first-ever conversation revealed a similar mentality between them.

Yohei Fukuda (left)

Yohei Fukuda is from Toyama Prefecture. While studying in the UK, he became fascinated by shoes and enrolled in the Tresham Institute, a vocational school for shoemakers. During his studies, he trained at numerous prestigious brands such as JOHN LOBB , EDWARD GREEN , and Church's , while also apprenticing under bespoke shoemaker Ian Wood. He learned the know-how of the traditional British technique of hand-sewn welted construction. After graduating, he returned to Japan after working as an outworker for companies such as GEORGE CLEVERLEY , EDWARD GREEN , and Gaziano & Girling. In 2008, he launched his own brand, Yohei Fukuda.

Nobuhito Yamaguchi (right)

Nobuto Yamaguchi ● Born in Tokyo. He enrolled in a fashion design school and aspired to become a tailor. After graduating, he learned the basics of tailoring at Osaka Five One, then went to Milan and spent a year attending language school and working at a tailor shop. After returning to Japan, he joined Mitsukoshi Isetan, and the following year he began taking custom orders exclusively for customers. He was impressed by the clothes of Gennaro Solito, who was visiting Japan for an event at ISETAN MEN'S store, and while working, he made time to go to Naples to study Neapolitan tailoring. In Spring/Summer 2016, he launched his own brand, La Scala.

Fukuda , it's been a long time. I'm looking forward to this, as we've never had the chance to sit down and talk face-to-face before. Let's get straight to the point. What inspired you to pursue this career?
I went to fashion school because I love making things . I somehow ended up choosing a course that was mainly focused on womenswear, which I couldn't really picture myself in (laughs). That's when I came across a British gentleman's book. I was instantly captivated, realizing that there was such a cool world out there.
Fukuda : It seems I inherited that trait from another generation. My grandfather was the kind of person who would single-handedly do construction work like putting glass walls in the hallway and extending the garden pond under the floor. That's why we could watch the koi fish from inside our house (laughs).
Yamaguchi, that's professional level (laughs).


Fukuda and Yamaguchi admired Savile Row, but they actually trained in Italy.
Yamaguchi moved to Osaka when he was 20 to start saving money for studying abroad, and his mentor recommended Italy, saying it was the best place to study because it was just like the old Savile Row.
After completing his training in Fukuda , he returned to Italy. He went to study under Gennaro Solito.
Yamaguchi (nodding): They were incredibly exciting days. I heard that Gennaro didn't use patterns, but drew chalk directly on the fabric and cut it that way. I thought it was an urban legend, but it was true (laughs). And the suits he made were so cool, it was breathtaking. Because he wasn't bound by the wearer's body shape, he was able to maintain his own golden ratio. However, since a fitting was required every time, it was extremely inefficient.
What I stole from Gennaro is still at the core of my work. I still keep the patterns, of course, but I've become much more conscious of the lines I want to create.

*Gennaro Solito... One of the four greatest tailors of modern Naples, son of Luigi Solito, who was Vincenzo Attolini's right-hand man. Vincenzo was a legendary cutter who worked at London House, which laid the foundation for Napoletana tailoring.


Fukuda , you're leading a double life, working at Isetan and all. You have a lot of vitality.
Yamaguchi : I actually think Fukuda is more amazing. Back in the 1990s when he went to England, it must have been rare for someone to go abroad alone to train. Didn't you hesitate?
For me, having been born and raised in Toyama , Tokyo was actually a higher hurdle (laughs).
Yamaguchi: So that's how it is (laughs).

The superiority of this type of work remains unshaken.

How was your life in England , Yamaguchi ?
I was captivated not only by Fukuda 's craftsmanship, but also by the very philosophy behind it. For example, there's the quote attributed to George Bryan Brummell: "It is shameful to dress in a way that makes people turn their heads on the street." I felt a strong admiration for the tasteful aesthetic sense that they arrived at after countless years of dedication.
Yamaguchi: And that's how we arrived at the direction of "the best kind of ordinary," with Oxford as our house style.
Fukuda: Yes. Who are you spending time with and where? My top priority is choosing shoes that will make the wearer stand out in that situation. I think it's nonsense for the shoes to be cool on their own.
Mr. Yamaguchi Fukuda, you also infiltrated a factory, right? Could you tell us why you chose to work with your hands after seeing both sides?

*George Bryan Brummell... A dapper gentleman of commoner origin who dominated high society with his exceptional fashion sense.

The history of Fukuda Machinery began with the question of how to approach the precision of human hands. Either method is fine as long as the product is good, but the world of human hands is truly profound.
Yamaguchi: No matter how automated a factory is, there's still some manual work involved. (After a brief pause) To me, factory-made suits look pretty much the same no matter which country they're from. Whether they're from Italy or England.
Fukuda: I see (laughs).

In the age of social media, we can compete on equal footing with established companies.

Ms. Fukuda and Ms. Yamaguchi just launched La Scala this April, and it seems they've had a very successful start.
Yamaguchi : Thanks to you. I'm grateful to have received positive feedback from a man with extensive experience in bespoke tailoring overseas. Currently, it feels like customers are bringing in more customers. I hear that more than half of Fukuda's customers are now from overseas.
Thanks to Fukuda 's social media. Not so long ago, the idea that "British shoes are the best" was firmly established, and I was one of those people. But with the advent of the internet, shoemakers all over the world can now start from the same point. We can compare and contrast what's good and what's bad.
In this age where you can buy anything with just one click, what do you think our strengths lie in?
No matter how thick and warm Fukuda tweed may be, in terms of heat retention alone, it can't compete with thin down. I'm the type who absolutely refuses to wear down (laughs), but anyway, now that such information is so readily available, I think that people who go out of their way to come see us are looking for something more than just functionality. If I may say so myself, the richness that comes from the leisurely process of working one-on-one with the wearer and creating something from scratch is all the more appealing in today's world.
Yamaguchi , you're absolutely right.


Let's conclude this interview by asking Fukuda about his aspirations for the future.
Yamaguchi : It's a bit vague, but I want to raise the status of craftsmen. People who make things are respected overseas. That's why good things endure, and younger generations can dream and aim for that world.

Text: Takegawa Keiji
Photo: Fujii Taku

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