Last weekend at Salon de Shimaji, we invited leather artist Kiyojun Matsumura to take orders for Vanitas leather goods.


"Vanitas" is a genre of still-life painting that originated in northern Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries. It explores the meaninglessness of life and the transience of vanity, and often depicts skulls as symbols of death.


As you all know, Professor Shimaji has many skull-themed items around him. I feel like there's something about that that connects to "Vanitas."

Customer: "Why do you like skeletons, Professor Shimaji?"


Shimaji : "That's a good question. Perhaps the meaning of life is being born, suffering, and dying. I wear things with skull designs so that I don't forget that this is what will happen to everyone someday."

Customer: "If there was an elixir of immortality, I'd want it..."


Shimaji : "Humanity is a march toward death. We should accept it solemnly, and not struggle against it. It would be a waste not to rack our brains and try to enjoy each and every moment leading up to death!"

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Katsuhiko Shimaji is the producer of the Isetan Men's Residence Salon de Shimaji Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building . Born in 1941, he graduated from Aoyama Gakuin University and joined Shueisha. He was assigned to "Weekly Playboy" and became its editor-in-chief in 1983, where he created a sensation with the "Life Advice" column featuring Renzo Shibata, Toko Kon, and Ken Kaiko as respondents, growing the magazine into a million-copy publication. He later served as editor-in-chief of "PLAYBOY Japan" and "BART." After serving as the representative director of Shueisha International, he retired in 2008. He is currently a writer and essayist.

Photo: TAKU FUJII

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