The Grand Seiko Co-Creators

About “The Grand Seiko Co-Creators”
Leading Japanese Artists and Cultural Icons, who are first and foremost fans of Grand Seiko. A Creative Alchemy that brings our story “THE NATURE OF TIME” to life as a tangible and compelling brand experience from Japan to the world.

The boutique in Paris is located in the most special area of the city. Place Vendôme is at the center of French culture and it is one of the cultural centers of the world. I wanted to create the boutique where you could feel Japanese sensibility, or Japanese culture where people have a special affection for nature. So, I focused first on the materials to be used that show the ultimate attention craftsmanship places on details.

The Best Grand Seiko studio is in an exquisite location in Shizukuishi. The place embodies THE NATURE OF TIME philosophy. In such a location, I wanted to make sure the studio itself would convey a sense of nature, so we decided on a wooden building. A large glass area gives a full view of Mt. Iwate and the adjacent mountain range. Just the experience of being here, I think, is symbolic of the Grand Seiko philosophy.

What is the perception of time in the first place? For example, the shape of a waterfall forms over a long period of time. The shape of a rock is formed by nature over a long time. And the relationship between humans and nature takes a long, long time to form. In each of these instances, we gain some awareness of the continuity of time.

There’s the element of nature, and the element of time itself, and then how we chefs express those elements. We have a sense of the four seasons inside us. From this sense I felt I could express a way of thinking about time that is uniquely Japanese. After all, we not only want to express ourselves, but also to be close to others, so I gain inspiration from various things, such as nature, and from people, and I put great value on such things.

I want to express in my cooking that time won’t stop, but will start moving from here and will always continue. In cooking, we have different ways of perceiving time. I would like to express this for people to feel. I would like to work together with everyone to provide the enjoyment of the passage of time from the unique Japanese sensibility.