From January 15th (Wednesday), the exhibition "THE ART LABEL SAKE Project Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building sawanotsuru" by Sawanotsuru, one of Japan's leading sake breweries, will be held at "ART UP" within the Men's Creators section on the 2nd floor of the Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building, and at "Iki no Za - Washu" on the 1st basement floor of the Isetan Shinjuku Main Building.

The project uses sake labels as canvases to showcase and sell works by 13 domestic and international artists. This time, we welcomed Takashi Nishimura, President and CEO of Sawanotsuru Co., Ltd., and Hiro Sugiyama, one of the participating artists, to discuss a wide range of topics, from the relationship between sake and art to the highlights of the project.

We want to continue preserving traditional flavors while exploring and spreading new appeals of Japanese sake (Nishimura)

--Could you tell us about the circumstances leading up to this event?

Takashi Nishimura, President (hereinafter, Nishimura) : It all started with the desire to get people who don't usually drink sake to pick it up, and to convey that sake doesn't have the image of being intimidating. In particular, this year is an Olympic year, so Isetan had a strong desire to do something befitting the arrival of a new era, and to send it out to the world.

--What kind of activities do you usually do, Hiro? Also, what were your honest feelings when you received the offer for this project?

Hiro Sugiyama (hereinafter, Hiro) : I have two titles: art director and artist. As an art director, I create advertisements, CD jackets, poster designs, and so on. As an artist, I belong to a contemporary art gallery, where I hold exhibitions and exhibit my work at overseas art fairs. When I was approached about this project, I thought that sake and art were an interesting combination. It's an approach that seems like it should have existed before but hasn't, so I was very interested.

-- Mr. Nishimura, could you tell us about the history of "Sawanotsuru" and your commitment to sake brewing?

Nishimura : Our company was founded in 1717, during the mid-Edo period, and this year marks our 303rd year in business. We have our roots in a rice shop, and our company symbol is a rice symbol (*). This comes from the kanji character for "rice," and it originates from the fact that we started brewing sake as a side business to our rice shop. In other words, "being particular about rice" is what is important to Sawanotsuru. Sake made without additives using only rice and water is called junmai sake, and our passion for junmai sake is especially strong.

--What specifically did you keep in mind when this project was being launched?

Nishimura : To be honest, I'm a complete amateur when it comes to art, so on the contrary, as someone in the sake industry, I want to avoid imposing any strange preconceptions. We're going to concentrate on making good sake, and for this project, I want the artists to express themselves to their heart's content in the world of art. I believe that new things are born only when there is such freedom in the creation of works. In that sense, I was very excited to see what would come of it. In that respect, I'm on the same level as a customer or fan.

--Hiro-san, I imagine that translating 300 years of history into a design is both interesting and quite challenging. What was your experience like in that regard?

Hiro : To be honest, I couldn't really imagine a 300-year history (laughs). But I thought it was really interesting to see how well art could be expressed in relation to sake. Looking at the finished works, you can see the individuality of each artist, and personally, I think this project was a great success.

-- Mr. Nishimura, what are your thoughts on brand innovation?

Nishimura : Sawanotsuru is part of the traditional sake industry, and for better or worse, it has a 300-year history, and there are things that must be passed down. On the other hand, the environment and customers have naturally changed between today and 300 years ago, so there are things that must change in terms of how to respond to those changes and what new value to convey to our customers.

However, there are still constraints that come with having a long history, and I believe this project was born from the desire to break through those constraints. In a world overflowing with information and diverse values, I strongly feel that it's impossible for everyone to drink sake just because you make good sake. So, how can sake become integrated into the lifestyles of our customers? In that sense, I think that people who are interested in art have a very keen sense of awareness, and many of them have their antennae set on different things than the customers we usually deal with, so I would be happy if this project could be an opportunity for sake to be accepted into the lifestyles of such people, even just a little.

I want people to not only enjoy looking at sake bottles, but also to enjoy collecting them (Hiro Sugiyama)

--Hiro-san, do you have any expectations for what will be created when art and sake are combined?

Hiro : That's right. I think some people have the image that art is a bit intimidating, but personally, I think sake is something that you enjoy drinking at home or in restaurants. I want art to be something that can easily fit in alongside that. (Picks up a bottle lined up in front of him) For example, having a bottle like this and enjoying the sake while looking at the label. You can think about what this design means by yourself, or you can drink it while talking about it with others, so to speak, I want art to come down into everyday life. I think it would be wonderful if people could enjoy sake and art in their daily lives.

--Mr. Nishimura, in your company's case, for example, you've pursued complete transparency in sake brewing, starting from rice cultivation, through a collaboration with Yanmar, and students at Sapporo Odori Municipal High School have made amazake using "raw honey" harvested on the school grounds as part of their curriculum. I think there are aspects that other people in the industry and sake lovers would find amazing, but do you also place importance on the visual aspect, as in this case?

Nishimura : Of course, we have put a lot of thought into some of our designs, and we have done that before. However, that has always been within the confines of the sake industry, so this is the first time that we have had the sensibilities of professionals like this incorporated into the design of our products. Moreover, we are extremely honored that we were able to have prominent artists, led by Hiro Sugiyama, participate. Everyone's work has such a wide range of styles and tastes, it's really interesting. Each piece is impactful and wonderful. It was quite a sight to see all the bottles lined up together.

Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building , attracts many customers from all over the world. What are your expectations?

Nishimura : It's one of Japan's leading department stores, visited by people of all ages and backgrounds from both within Japan and overseas. Sake, in particular, is a part of Japanese culture, so I'd really like people from overseas to know about it. Also, through this art label project, I want to show that traditional Japanese industries are also undertaking such new initiatives.

--Hiro, when you were creating this piece, did you have Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building in mind?

Hiro : It's not that it's directly reflected in the work. However, Isetan has a lot of overseas customers, and I think each of them has their own image of sake, so I created it with the idea that it would be interesting to present it in a way that changes the way they perceive it.

--I'd like to ask you both: what do you hope to convey through this exhibition?

Nishimura : To put it extremely, I think you can live your life without alcohol. But I think that having alcohol enriches your life. Especially in these times, I hope that I can help in some small way to enrich everyone's hearts and lives. It's the same with art, and in that sense, I think alcohol and art have a very high affinity. I think that while you're experiencing art, you can forget about everyday life and it provides a time to enrich your heart. I hope you'll buy your favorite piece at the venue and enjoy a happy time looking at the label while drinking alcohol.

Hiro : I think art offers two pleasures: the joy of "seeing" it, and the joy of "owning" it. In this case, the bottle itself is a work of art, so I would be happy if you could own it after you finish drinking the sake. Since it's a limited edition, it also works as a work of art. If possible, I would like you to buy all the varieties and display them as interior decorations. This time it was the bottle label, but next time I would like to focus on the box as well. If we can do that, I think the joy of receiving it will be even greater.

Nishimura : I'd love to do it again then (laughs).

• Text: Kei Osawa
• Photo: TAGAWA YUTARO (CEKAI)

• *Since the artwork is made to order, it will be delivered around mid-March 2020.
• *All prices include tax.
• *Drinking alcohol is prohibited by law for those under 20 years of age and for those who will be driving a car, motorcycle, or other vehicle.

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