On Saturday, March 16th, Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building will be reborn as a men's fashion store that caters to the individual needs of each customer and fulfills their unique style, under the new statement, "As a Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building , and As a human."

Up until now Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building has prominently featured its "masculine" image, but in response to changes in societal and customer values, it now wants to re-examine the importance of being a "person" before being a "man," and aspires to be an "open space."

When Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building was first established, it leveraged its entrance as a strength, creating a hall and alcove on each floor, and welcoming customers with walls decorated with single-flower vases.

To further enhance the welcoming atmosphere, Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building will be evolving from a "surface" to a "space," creating a new space called SI. Cube-shaped spaces will exist on the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 6th floors, connecting each floor vertically. In its first year, the SI will feature artworks that artistically visualize the new statement, "As a man, and as a human being."





The theme of the exhibition at SI is "Exercises in Dissecting the Body, Body, and Literary Objects."

In today's world, where digital things are increasingly dominant, we re-examined the unique value of physical stores that deal with various kinds of "physical" things, and embodied this in four "bodies = physical" that represent humanity itself: "style," "object," "body," and "deconstruction."

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Through these four "bodies," what exactly do "individuality" and "masculinity" mean?
Is it something that "exists," or something that "becomes"? Is it something that "is needed," or is it something that is not needed?
We are re-examining the concept of "what it means to be like something" from various angles, a concept that we often use without much thought.

"Stylistic Exercises" explore the variations and differences in language and style that define one's individuality; "Object Exercises" examine the distance, attitude, and meaning with which one interacts with objects; "Body Exercises" explore how contemporary artists represent the male body; and "Deconstruction Exercises" examine how clothing has influenced what is considered masculinity.

The possibilities and limitations of what is called "authenticity," the relationship between the times and fiction, the past and the future, etc.
Through SI's exhibits, we hope you will think about what makes you unique.
We also hope it will serve as an opportunity to enjoy the relationship between its unique character and fashion.

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Through each person's interpretation of "what it means to be [something]," the project expresses the diversity of Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building , and its commitment to proposing and designing various "what it means to be [something]" for its customers.

The person in charge of the direction for this project was book director/editor Hiroyuki Yamaguchi.

Hiroyuki Yamaguchi is a book director and editor. Born in Sendai City in 1981, he graduated from Rikkyo University's Faculty of Letters. After working part-time at the editorial department of the magazine "Ryuko Tsushin" while still a university student, he joined the travel bookstore "BOOK246" in 2004. In 2006, he joined the book selection group BACH, and became independent in 2016, establishing good and son. He has handled book direction for various facilities, from hospitals to private homes, including the library at Lumine's head office and CASICA in Shinkiba. He also edits, writes, and plans various books and catalogs. He is active in a wide range of fields, including creative direction for Mitsukoshi Isetan's Hanabana Matsuri and Irodori Matsuri, and copywriting from brand naming to statements. He writes book reviews for Honeycomb and Tabelog Magazine, among others.

“Exercise in PHYSICAL THINGS”

What does it mean to be "true to yourself"? It's wonderful to be able to clearly say, "This is who I am," but there's also something fascinating about people who grapple with their own existence while constantly changing and wavering. We've created a book featuring 43 words and writing styles about being true to oneself, written by 43 people from diverse backgrounds, including novelists, poets, philosophers, fashion designers, playwrights, rappers, and professional wrestlers. Isetan Men's will continue to pursue "Isetan Men's style" while engaging with the diverse "true selves" and individuality of our readers.

25. "Variability" by Kaiji Moriyama

[Title and Author]

01 "Specific Conditions" Hiroshi Inamura, 02 "Bullet Points" Yasuhiro Mihara, 03 "Your Uniqueness" Ryohei Shima, 04 "Contrasts and Contours" Yukio Gunji Pegio, 05 "Mirror" Naruyoshi Kikuchi, 06 "Failure" Masaya Chiba, 07 "Muscles" Hiroshi Tanahashi, 08 "Consciousness/Unconsciousness" Dai Tamesue, 09 "Honesty/Rightness/Suffering" Sekai Kozuma, 10 "The Proliferation and Evolution of Ideas" Hiromitsu Yoshikawa, 11 "Tempura /Fry" Kimura Sota, 12. "Gluttony" Shimizu Michiko, 13. "Visible Words" Saito Harumichi, 14. "Seasonal Words" Sato Fumika, 15. "Japanese Language" On Yujou, 16. "Vague" Hoshino Kaname, 17. "Who Are You?" Sakuma Yumiko, 18. "Breaking Free from Curses" Akko Gorilla, 19. "Breaking Free from Coercion" Takeda Satetsu, 20. "NEO Cute" CHAI, 21. "Routine" Udo Yuki Tsukasa - 22 "Things I Like 1" Keizo Shimizu - 23 "Things I Like 2" Daiki Suzuki - 24 "Unchanging Nature" Isamu Katayama - 25 "Variability" Kaiji Moriyama - 26 "Influence Relationships" Yasushi Machida - 27 "Influence and Education" Kazunari Arita - 28 "Life and Death" Bunta Shimizu - 29 "Immortality" Atsushi Yanaka - 30 "Seasons and Hunting" Katsumi Okuno - 31 "Things I'm Not Good At" Daisuke Obana - 32 "Nameplates" Rin Ishigaki 33 "Sensitivity" Noriko Ibaraki, 34 "Loneliness and Isolation" Koichiro Kokubun, 35 "Overwriting the Gaze" Minori Suzuki, 36 "Poison/Medicine" Hirofumi Ashida, 37 "Dissatisfaction" Toshiki Okada, 38 "Anger" Nemumi Yumemi, 39 "Ethics" Yudai Mochizuki, 40 "As You Are" Ellie, 41 "Negative" Mitsu Mangrove, 42 "Honesty" Toshiyuki Makihara, 43 "Rainbow" Ken Matsunaka

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The abstract concept of masculinity, generally referred to as such, varies greatly in its mental and physical aspects depending on the era, country, and region. From the physical to the virtual/data-like. When contemporary artists represent masculinity, what kind of ideas, methods, and physical forms do they express? Sculptor Kenichi Asano creates sculptures based on the worldview of traditional performing arts such as Noh, using themes of "possession" and "unification" that move between reality and virtuality, and incorporating a post-game, CG-driven sense of the body.

"IKIGAMI (INCANATION) 2008"

Kenichi Asano
Sculptor. His work explores themes of "possession" and "unity" with traditional Japanese performing arts, fusing wood carving with pop culture elements to elevate it to contemporary art. His formative experiences stem from childhood visits to temples and shrines. He was drawn to the tension and mystery of solemn spaces where prayer and reverence were directed, suggesting something lurking within. His involvement in Buddhist statue restoration led him to acquire classical techniques using wood carving, lacquer, and animal glue. Born and raised in the Owari region, a place that has produced karakuri doll makers since the Edo period, where craftsmanship has been passed down through generations. Influenced by this, he learned the art of karakuri, using ball joints and strings, and his work evolved into moving wood carvings. Since then, he has boldly incorporated modern technology into his wood carvings, from the "Radio Wave Type" tea-serving doll powered by a motor to the "Warrior God No. 1," which incorporates a small camera to provide a visually immersive experience. Asano, with his flexible thinking and originality, revives traditional Japanese performing arts with a modern sensibility.

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From the "Habit à la Française" of the French Revolution to the "lounge suit" of the early 20th century, there is a progression leading to the modern suit. In this shift from ornamentation to practicality, jackets also played a role in shaping a man's body through their structure, fabric, and sewing methods. Together with Akira Hasegawa of the "Half-Deconstruction Exhibition," which disassembles and displays half of clothing from the French Revolution to the present day, we will half-deconstruct/disassemble clothing from over 100 years ago and reductively explore the relationship between men's attire and their sense of style through its details.

Akira Hasegawa

Clothing specimen artist. Born in 1989. To convey the emotions of 100 years ago to the next 100 years, he holds the "Half-Disassembly Exhibition" throughout Japan. The "Half-Disassembly Exhibition" is an exhibition in which clothing from the French Revolution to World War II is half-disassembled and made into specimens. In the actual exhibition, there are models that can be tried on, allowing visitors to experience the comfort of wearing the clothes from 100 or 200 years ago. He continues to embody the "emotion" that has brought him to tears, by exploring the essence of beauty from the invisible comfort and internal structure. In October 2016, he held the first "Half-Disassembly Exhibition," which toured Tokyo, Aichi, and Kyoto, attracting more than 1400 people. In May 2018, he held the "Half-Disassembly Exhibition 2018," which deepened the exhibition to allow visitors to experience the comfort of wearing the clothes, and toured Tokyo and Aichi, attracting more than 2000 people. In April 2019, he held the "Half-Disassembly Exhibition 2019." Shifting from concrete to abstract expression, the artist toured Kyoto and Fukuoka. A "Half-Deconstruction Exhibition 2020" is scheduled to be held in Tokyo in May 2020.

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In today's world, where various things are digitized and tools are becoming increasingly concentrated, the relationship between people and objects is changing in many ways, much like fashion. Furthermore, re-evaluating our relationship with our ever-increasing possessions and reducing our belongings, as exemplified by decluttering, simple living, and the magic of tidying up, is essential for our limited living space. People are constantly making various choices: when choosing, buying, giving, discarding, finding, displaying, using, and storing things. Even if people own the same object, their relationship with it is not uniform. When choosing objects based on a particular theme, the way a person interacts with those objects becomes apparent. We explore the possibilities of individuality through our relationship with objects.

Yuko Mohri is an artist born in 1980. She creates installations that sense invisible and intangible forces such as magnetism, gravity, and light. She has received numerous awards, including the 67th Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award for New Artists (2017). She has participated in many international exhibitions both in Japan and abroad, including the Lyon Biennale (2017) and the Asia Pacific Triennial (2018). In 2018, she held solo exhibitions at the Camden Arts Centre in the UK and the Towada Art Center. She is currently a full-time lecturer at the Global Art Practice, Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts.

Teppei Kaneuji is an artist. Born in Kyoto Prefecture in 1978, he lives in Kyoto City. In 2001, while enrolled at Kyoto City University of Arts, he studied abroad at the Royal College of Art (London) as an exchange student. In 2003, he completed his graduate studies in sculpture at Kyoto City University of Arts. He is currently a lecturer in the sculpture department at the same university. He collects everyday objects and creates works using collage techniques. His forms of expression are diverse, including sculpture, painting, video, and photography, and he consistently explores the invention of a sculptural system that makes the relationship between matter and image apparent. In addition to exhibitions both in Japan and abroad, such as solo exhibitions "Teppei Kaneuji's Mercator Membrane" (Marugame Genichiro Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art, 2016), "Square Liquid, Metallic Memory" (Kyoto Art Center, 2015), "Towering Something" (Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, 2013), and "Melting City, Blank Forest" (Yokohama Art Museum, 2009), he has also done a lot of stage design and book design. His stage designs include those for Owl Spot Produce's "We Can't Understand Each Other Like Home Appliances" (2011) and KAAT Kids Program 2015's "Wakatta-san's Cookies" (2015-2016), as well as the stage adaptation of his own video works for "tower (THEATER)" (2017). In 2019, he is scheduled to participate in KYOTO GPAPHIE and the Setouchi Triennale, and will also have a solo exhibition in New York.




Shinya Aota is an artist born in Osaka Prefecture in 1982 and currently resides in Aichi Prefecture. He creates works that question the essence and value of things, primarily through a series of works in which he uses sandpaper to remove the familiar surface of various materials, such as everyday objects, mass-produced ready-made products, and spaces. His major exhibitions include "Aichi Triennale 2010" Chojamachi venue (Nagoya), "Everyday Life/Off the Record" KAAT Kanagawa Arts Theatre (Yokohama) in 2014, "MOT Annual 2014" Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, "Shinya Aota 2014" Aoyama | Meguro (Tokyo), solo exhibition "AB" Utrecht/NOW IDeA (Tokyo) in 2015, and "General Goods Exhibition" 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT (Tokyo) in 2016. He has also served as co-director of art programs in the Nagoya Port area since 2015.