Asahi: Balancing the past and the future
...Underneath the elevated railway tracks, between Shinbashi and Yurakucho, is a narrow, half-forgotten shopping mall -- the International Arcade. Kaoru Sakusabe, 71, is the executive managing director of Sankei Kogyo Co., the company that owns the mall. Before the arcade opened, the Sankei Shimbun's rotary presses clattered beneath the train tracks. "As its name suggests, the mall targeted foreign tourists," Sakusabe says. "There were many pearl shops in the early days. There were more than 40 stores at its peak around the time of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Now the number of tenants is down to 24. Only three of them have operated continuously since the mall opened." Although the arcade has pretty much fallen off the radar, some of its shops remain must-goes among foreign tourists, including Hollywood stars. Hayashi Kimono is one such store. It is listed on the Internet and in guidebooks for foreign tourists as the place to buy quality yet affordable kimono. Fumiyo Sawaguchi, manager of the shop, 68, has met a boatload of foreign showbiz celebrities. "Many stars have visited the shop. Danny Kaye, Alain Delon, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, you name it," she says, smiling. At her shop, many types of new and used kimono are available--from the casual happi coat and summery yukata to traditional items. Sawaguchi says: "For foreign customers, we stock many sizes of kimono and even have come up with ones with pockets. Most of the foreign customers tend to buy kimono for all their family members. They use kimono as loungewear, party dress or simply for display." Five middle-aged and older staff members operate the shop. All, including Sawaguchi, speak English. Some can speak other languages, too. "Americans and Europeans used to be our main clients," she says, "but customers from Russia and the Mideast have increased these days"...more...
