An exhibition of works by Hiroshi Nagai, an illustrator who has been at the forefront of Japanese illustration for over 40 years and has received high acclaim from overseas, titled "Palm Street Songs," will be held at Isetan The Space from Wednesday, August 2, 2023. The exhibition will feature approximately 20 original works, including newly commissioned pieces, as well as limited-edition goods that can only be seen here. Hiroshi Nagai himself is also scheduled to visit during the exhibition period (date TBD). If you're lucky, you might even get to meet him!

1. Interview with Mr. Hiroshi Nagai

—Could you tell us why you titled this exhibition "Palm Street Songs"?

I happened to be looking at the design for an LP-sized calendar with the same title (Palm Street Song) that I made a long time ago, and I decided to set the title now with the image of returning to my roots. I've likened these works to music, and instead of keeping the original title, I've made it plural. I'll also be exhibiting some works that have been used for song covers.


—Could you tell us about the concept and key points in the production process of the new artwork you've created?

Originally, I wanted to paint various landscapes featuring palm trees, but due to the effects of surgery on one eye, my eyesight has been poor, and I haven't been able to paint many pictures. Given my current physical condition, I've been working on not only my usual meticulous and detailed works, but also pieces with a refreshing sense of openness by focusing on a limited number of motifs, and a style I call "unfinished," which deliberately avoids detailed work overall and pursues simple composition and beautiful colors. If I strip away too much detail, it just becomes an illustration, so the key to this style is deciding how much detail to include and where to stop.
I have been working as a writer for a long time, but I would like to pursue creating works that are suited to my current state as I get older.


--Mr. Nagai, you have a deep knowledge of music. Do you always listen to music when you're creating your works? Could you tell us about your production routine and any particular preferences you have regarding your production environment?

I don't listen to music at all while I'm working, but I do put on a channel specializing in period dramas. Many period dramas have been airing the same stories for a long time, so I can follow along with the plot while I'm drawing, which is just right—it's neither boring nor distracting. I often listen to the "Kenkyaku Shobai" series, which is based on a representative work by Shotaro Ikenami.
Also, following the same logic, I sometimes put on Korean dramas that I've already seen. Sometimes, something I saw a year ago seems fresh again, and I end up getting so absorbed in the drama that I can't get any work done, and before I know it, it's morning (laughs).


—With the boom in city pop music, your art is gaining popularity among an even wider audience. Do you feel that you're attracting attention from younger generations and overseas audiences through the reactions on social media and the work opportunities you're receiving?

My overseas followers on Instagram and Twitter have increased significantly. My recognition has spread through people who travel to Japan and buy Japanese records, and I'm receiving more job offers from overseas than before. I still feel that the influence of "LONG VACATION" is significant, given the popularity of city pop overseas.
While I'm happy that people are interested in my work, I also feel that the fact that whatever I draw is well-received might mean I'm being overrated, or that only a part of my work has been taken out of context and established as my signature style.
It feels like I'm redoing works I created when I was in my 30s or 40s, so I want to update that image.


──Now that the COVID-19 situation has calmed down and we can travel freely both domestically and internationally, are there any places you would like to visit in the future, or any places you would like to use as motifs for your artwork?

I guess the only thing left to do is die (laughs). Just kidding, but I've been working too much these past few years, so I want to take a break and get my health back on track.
Also, I would like to move to a larger space where I can create my work. I have always loved architecture and designer furniture, and I admire buildings designed by excellent architects, so I am looking for such properties and thinking about new furniture to use.
After that, I want to reduce the amount of client work I do and focus on creating and exhibiting new themes that I've always been too busy to work on properly.
While many artists change their style as they get older, I still strive to create detailed and meticulous drawings, but I also want to draw more roughly and freely. There are many artists in Japan who are better at reproducing motifs than I am, but I believe that the perspective on what to paint is the most important point in making a work interesting. I want to challenge myself with new forms of expression without being bound by my previous style.

2. Art Introduction

3.Product information

Audio-Technica's "Soundburger" portable record player combines a retro design inspired by the aesthetics of the 1980s with modern features such as Bluetooth connectivity and USB charging. This device, which was reissued last year after a 40-year hiatus and became a hot topic among audiophiles, is now collaborating with illustrator Hiroshi Nagai, a big record collector himself who still performs analog DJ sets at events.
This limited-edition blue version features Nagai's signature poolside motif on the top panel, while the slipmat has a playful design with a penguin motif (which Nagai uses as a record stabilizer) and his signature printed on it.
This set includes a postcard featuring the poolside artwork as its motif, signed by Mr. Nagai himself.



VERTERE, a brewery located in Okutama, has collaborated with Hiroshi Nagai on a craft beer can. Enjoy three different flavors and the artwork.








Selected by Hiroshi Nagai himself, this collection includes works ranging from his early pieces to recent ones, featuring images of poolside scenes, cars, people, nightscapes, waves, buildings, and his signature palm trees swaying in the wind—works that everyone has likely seen at least once on record covers, in advertisements, or in books.

This collection of works focuses on landscapes featuring buildings, created in recent years. Hiroshi Nagai, himself a great lover of architecture and buildings, transforms his beloved scenes into unique works through his own lens, imbuing the entire book with a refined charm.

View Products

View the product list of Hiroshi Nagai at the Mitsukoshi Isetan Online Store.

Read the original article here ▶
Read the featured article on the Mitsukoshi Isetan online store.


*Drinking alcohol is prohibited by law for those under 20 years of age.
*We will not sell alcoholic beverages to anyone whose age we cannot verify as 20 years or older.
*All prices include tax.
*Some images are for illustrative purposes only.
＊The information in this article is current as of the time of publication. Product information may be revised or changed without notice.
*Some errors were found in the text, and it has been corrected. July 31, 2023

For inquiries, please contact Isetan Shinjuku Store at 03-3352-1111 (main number).
For inquiries via email, please click here.