2005 Spring - Intro - Meguro-gawa - Claska Hotel - Neighborhood Shops
Tokyo Hot Spot
Magnetic Meguro-gawa draws a creative crowd
photography by Takashi Honma / text by Toshie Tanaka
The thick Japanese cherry trees that line the banks of this small river display the beauty of each passing season. Occasional small shops complement the peaceful scene. You'll find a cafÈ serving food from Okinawa, a secondhand bookstore where you can sip your coffee over a splendid art book, and a shop specializing in beautiful Japanese confections and tea supplies. Every one of these, though modest in size, is as original as it is welcoming. Such is the relaxing atmosphere along the Meguro-gawa (Meguro River).
"I started my store in this area almost 10 years ago," says Kazumasa Aihara of the furniture business he opened in 1995." The place was full of people who had lived in the neighborhood for years, and it was very cozy. But at the same time, there were already many offices of creative people working in graphic design and other things, which meant that you would come across highly fashionable folks in the local drinking holes and blue-plate eateries. Then you started seeing more types of shops opening alongside Meguro-gawa. The transformation over the past few years has been a very speedy affair."
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Mascot of the "organic cafe," Organic Bo-ya (Organic Boy) is a pristine white figure. Although plans are in place to relocate the business in 2005, ahead of the Nakameguro redevelopment program, this landmark cafe on the Meguro-gawa bank continues to welcome customers. Chappie stands outside. |
Aihara moved his shop to its current location and turned it into the lower-cased "organic cafe." It is still a landmark in the Meguro-gawa area, which boasts many shops that are petite and friendly, with a very homey feel to them.
This is probably due to the personalities of proprietors like Aihara. He says, "I get the impression that people who run shops here are truly pursuing what they enjoy. They cherish the time to pursue their interests rather than money. And they are highly educated and cultured. I think it's this collective sense of enjoyment and their magnetism as individuals that create the relaxing mood of this area."
Meguro-gawa was featured in Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation. What is it that draws the attention of artists from overseas?
"Around here," Aihara answers, "you can never get bored just watching the people, what with their interesting sense of fashion and so on. I think foreigners can sense Tokyo's peculiar reality in that." Despite their eccentric looks, these people live and work here. It's typical of the real-life avant-garde of Tokyo. And this sense of the extraordinary in the ordinary is one of the main appeals of Meguro-gawa.
Kazumasa Aihara
Aihara opened the furniture store called "organic design" in 1995 and later turned it into the "organic cafe." Since then he has opened numerous businesses—mostly eateries—around Nakameguro. Ever a fan of typographic effect, he named two of them NEMS and "depot"; another he calls simply "dish" cafe in Yoyogi Uehara. He also has a sea bream - shaped confectionery shop in Kichijoji. Aihara is one of the pioneering shop owners along the Meguro-gawa and an important part of the Nakameguro culture.
"organic cafe," Tamagawa Building 1F, 1-24-1 Kamimeguro, Meguro-ku
tel. 03-3791-5151; open daily from 12 noon to 3 AM www.organic-design.com
Articles from the 2005 SPRING issue:
Kateigaho International Edition Issues:
2005 SUMMER - 2005 SPRING - 2005 WINTER
2004 AUTUMN - 2004 SUMMER - 2004 SPRING - 2004 WINTER
2003 AUTUMN - INAUGURAL ISSUE
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