NEIGHBORHOOD is one of the brands that have been leading Japan’s fashion culture since 90’s when its business was launched at Harajuku, Tokyo. Centering on the countercultures deriving from motorcycles that Designer Mr. Shinsuke Takizawa is falling love with, this brand has been, through its own interpretation, pushing up the elements such as military, outdoor and trad to the stage of basic clothes productions and lifestyle proposals. Without losing its momentum, NEIGHBORHOOD has been successfully recognized as one of the representative domestic brands. NEIGHBORHOOD is going to celebrate its 25th anniversary next year – 2019. With such landmark around the corner, Mr. Takizawa talks about the collaborative work with Ippudo.

INTERVIEW & WORDS by SHOTA KATO
PHOTOGRAPH by SINYA KEITA

―Let me ask you about your dietary life before talking about the uniform. Mr. Takizawa, would you regularly eat ramen?

I love it. Actually, my family runs a noodle company, so I have been growing up always eating noodles since my childhood. I still eat ramen whenever I have a chance. I like Tonkotsu (pork bone broth) ramen best. I would prefer the flavors asserting themselves. Those things kind of make me feel that there might be a mysterious connection between ppudo and myself.

Then, have you ever visited one of Ippudo ramen shops?

Sure. I have made several visits to their Ebisu shop along Meiji Street and, outside Japan, their shop in Singapore. Ippudo shop in Singapore has an atmosphere a little bit different from that of ordinary ramen shops in Japan, doesn’t it? Ippudo ramen shops, including those in Japan, have been taking an approach not in line with the concept of so-called “Ramen Shops (ramenya-san)”. What I have learned through this uniform project is that Japanese-style ramen is positioned as more like a new Japanese dish overseas while being regarded as more like soul food in Japan.

How did you feel honestly when receiving from Ippudo a request to produce its uniform?

I had absolutely known that other brands had been producing their uniforms for overseas shops, but I honestly never expected it’s happening to me until actually receiving their offer. However, I genuinely felt happy when I heard Ippudo’s local officer in charge was a big fan of NEIGHBORHOOD and such officer’s enthusiastic proposal leaded to a project like this. They trust NEIGHBORHOOD. Well, if that is the case, we should produce their uniform simply based on the idea that a uniform is nothing but a type of workwear. I believe workwear is not a style of fashion chasing around fads but one being created out of necessity, so, in addition to such belief of mine, I have been esigning uniform plans while referring to the image photographs of their shop in Australia. I have been wondering, like, an urbanized uniform would be better for an Ippudo shop overseas as it has an urban atmosphere more than one in Japan.

Both Mr. Daiki Suzuki having produced a uniform for their New York shop and Mr. Takayuki Fujii having done it for their Santa Monica shop told that workwear had been born just out of necessity.

Workwear and military wear that are my favorite styles have been now recreated as fashion styles. Originally, workwear and military wear have gone through the history of being added by details and updated as necessary, and I find it very attractive. As fashion always stays next to trend, it can be expressed in various ways accordingly. I like such aspect of fashion, but, actually, what attracts me more is style instead of fashion. I prefer the lifestyle of each individual and what are expressing the way he or she lives. In short, clothes are your self-expression, identity and style, aren’t they?

The uniform you have produced this time has the message of “CRAFT WITH PRIDE” on it. Would you please share with us your thoughts hidden in this message?

We have been using this slogan since the launch of our brand in 1994. Let’s take a pride in what we create anytime and at any given moment. Let’s pay our best attention to all the elements relating to the production of clothes. I want to emphasize such attitudes through this message. I am convinced that these words are true with all of those creating things.

In terms of its coloring, any color but black is used in your uniform. Is black is the base color in your creative activities, isn’t it?

I am not such a stoic person as using only black color in creating things. I myself have found after all that the color I like best and am most comfortable with is black. It is the color changing its face depending on the expression of different materials. Say, clothes, the color of black best represents the differences in the expressions of various fabrics such as cotton, wool and nylon. Some black colors make us feel very heavy, while some of them appear to be very light. This might be the No.1 reason I find black color very interesting. Black can be sometimes the color playing a supporting role, or best blending into the space, and sometimes the present color full of confidence. I guess those working for Ippudo would also relate themselves to such idea of, like, changing their presence according to the situation. I would be happy if they get a feel of such universal nature of black.

You have designed the uniform in a way to simply position on it those typographies including “CRAFT WITH PRIDE”, “IPPUDO” and “NEIGHBORHOOD”. Please let us know how did you settle down in such design.

One of my favorite generations and styles of workwear is the uniform after 1920’s that used be worn by those working at the car factories of Ford, an automobile manufacturer. I suppose it should be a demonstration of their being proud of their company and belonging to it. Imagining such stuff, I used these typographies in a simple manner. By the way, denim had not been appearing yet in 1920’s and 30’s, so I like that style for its characteristics in this context as well.

Now, the functional aspects of your uniform. What kinds of efforts have you made to its details as the uniform specialized for a ramen shop?

I think what would first catch your eye is the details of its pocket. We don’t usually cook ramen but do physical work a lot like customizing our motorcycle. As always having been researching practical details as a real experience from such stuff, we have been able to make some efforts to its pocket so that it can hold a pen and a memo pad. Also, I chose, as its jacket, a coach jacket with a snap button for enabling you to put it and off easier. I think this is just another example of how my uniform is good in terms of functionality as well.

Ippudo delivers the message of “Keep Changing for Not Changing”. The times and fashion come and go at a very fast speed. However, the core parts of NEIGHBORHOOD’s production process have been securely unchanged even if its designs have been renewed. I feel sympathy for this message in this point.

I think it is very true with today. Our societies are changing at a breakneck speed, aren’t they? I suppose they have been evolving very fast especially in the past several years, and I cannot ignore this phenomenon with saying that I have nothing to do with it. I believe it is important for you to accept the changes of the times and adjust yourself to them to some extent. This is how I understand the message of “Keep Changing for Not Changing”.

Are you saying that your brand has to change according to the times for continuing to deliver its unchanged message of “CRAFT WITH PRIDE”?

Yes. To this end, the most important point is not to get rusty anyhow. You have to keep using both your mind and body. In Japan, I often feel the idea of not changing is highly respected even as beautiful. I am not saying that I will deny such idea completely, or rather, I guess it would be great to express yourself based on such idea although depending on how you express it. Having said that, however, I feel you might get rusty if you are too much obsessed with such virtue. Keep your inquisitive mind and curiosity. I think that’s the way it should be.

On the theme of Ippudo Australia uniform, we have been interviewing you about a wide range of things. Mr. Takizawa, what kinds of images would you have toward local staff members to wear this uniform?

They could be a Japanese, an Asian or a woman. If you ask me, I would go with a tough, wild guy like the one appearing on the movie titled Crocodile Dundee (lol). Looking at their mental side, I would be happy if their motivation for the work and their job performance are raised just by putting on this uniform. We touched earlier on where this project came from, the staff member responsible for Ippudo Australia being a fan of NEIGHBORHOOD. Likewise, I myself was a big fan of London’s street fashion items when I was young. I can still clearly remember the feeling of satisfaction when I managed to get one of those items because obtaining it then was not as easy as today. I know I am talking about the two completely different situations, but I wish local staff members would have a sense of excitement like mine when they put on my uniform.

NEIGHBORHOOD is going to eventually mark its 25th anniversary in 2019. Would you please tell us about your vision on your future production activities?

Actually, we have already launched a new line of business, like producing tents in collaboration with outdoor manufactures. We live in the era requiring the stuff called lifestyle gear, so I have been thinking it would be interesting to continue to produce practical gears. Putting it into the words like “gears produced by a fashion brand” would sound pretty cheap, but I have a dream of one day producing fishing rods and lures. Such fishing gears should come with style, so I want to make a proposal on their style as well. Speaking of the 25th anniversary of our brand, while honestly surprising with the fact that 25 years have been already passed, I actually feel a sense that nothing has been changed since its establishment in 1994. We will not celebrate by ourselves our 25th anniversary as an opportunity to be proud of what we have done, but would rather celebrate it by releasing some of our products through a collection for showing our gratitude to people concerned and our customers. I don’t think we deserve attention just by staying in the business for 25 years, so I am thinking about holding an event or like that will amuse and please people other than us.