[Shiseido Co., Ltd.] SHISEIDO KARAKUSA Rhythm played by lines Limited time window art on display at Shiseido Ginza Building
*Shiseido Co., Ltd.*
Press release: September 13, 2024
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SHISEIDO KARAKUSA – Rhythm played by lines – Limited time window art on display at Shiseido Ginza Building
Shiseido will be displaying limited-time window art “SHISEIDO KARAKUSA” at its head office “Shiseido Ginza Building” (Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo).
“The Rhythm Played by Lines” will be open to the public until the end of February 2025 (scheduled).
This window art consists of the large front glass facade (window display) and the entrance space on the first floor, and changes depending on the season, theme, and promotion. Namiki-dori Street is lined with a variety of global brands, pleasing the eyes of people who gather in Ginza from all over the world and adding color to the cityscape.
The theme for 2024 is “arabesque” as a motif that symbolizes Shiseido’s aesthetic sense. this
Reinterpreted as “a symbol of growth towards the future with the gene of beauty,” the exhibition will be divided into three areas: a window display, a heritage zone at the entrance, and a play zone.
*About Shiseido and Arabesque*
Arabesque patterns, which are said to have their origins in ancient Egypt, have developed over several thousand years of history, absorbing the cultures of various regions. The first company president, Shinzo Fukuhara (1883-1948), found the rich vitality in the rhythmic lines of the arabesque, and chose it as a motif symbolizing Shiseido’s aesthetic sense. Since then, many Shiseido creators have continued to incorporate the mood of each era, and have expanded their range of expression to include not only cosmetic package design but also advertising.
* SHISEIDO KARAKUSA Rhythm played by lines *
* Window display *
The movement of the ribbon, which continues to change shape from moment to moment, expresses how the beauty of arabesque’s life is inherited while incorporating the individuality of the creator. * Heritage Zone *
Package incorporating arabesque design
* Play Zone *
A puzzle-shaped exhibit where you can experience the continuity of arabesque The entrance space is designed to express the beauty of life, with branches and leaves extending from the arabesque pattern that was originally placed on the floor of the Ginza Building. Shiseido’s heritage features arabesque decorations on an arabesque-shaped table, as well as exhibits where you can connect arabesques with your own hands like a puzzle, allowing you to feel Shiseido’s inherited aesthetic sense.
From November, the exhibits in the Heritage Zone will be replaced. We are planning an exhibition where you can tactilely feel the arabesques drawn by Fumio Yamana (1897-1980), a designer who established the delicate and elegant “Shiseido Style.”
* [Reference] *
*Shiseido window display*
Shiseido’s “window displays” began at Shiseido Pharmacy in 1914, inspired by the company’s first president, Shinzo Fukuhara, who was influenced by the culture and art of Paris. In 1916, Shinzo installed a three-sided glass window, which was unusual at the time, in a corner of a newly built building facing Ginza Street. He devoted his passion to creating window displays that would become the “face” of Shiseido, by incorporating ideas from stage lighting and allowing lighting to be applied from the top, bottom, left and right. Since then, Shiseido’s window displays, which change with the seasons and new product promotions, have become a part of the company’s culture and the “face” of Ginza, pleasing the eyes of people passing by.
* ■Exhibition overview *
Sponsor: Shiseido Co., Ltd.
Production: Shiseido Creative Co., Ltd. Yoji Shindo, Keisuke Hori Planning and construction: Hiroshiten Co., Ltd.
Art Director: Yuma Kano (NOU)
DESIGNER: Nunokawa Kogo, Ujiie Misaki
Technical Director: Yuto Mitani, Oka Nakagawa
Graphic designer: Jun Miyazaki
Construction management: Kohei Kumazaki
Construction: Satoshi Miyajima, Ryosuke Suzuki, Mine Matsumura Metal fabrication: Hiramiya Co., Ltd.
Photographer: Masayuki Hayashi
Exhibition period: Scheduled until around February 2025
Weekdays 10:00-18:00 (Closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays) Venue: 1st floor, Shiseido Ginza Building, 7-5-5 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Admission: Free viewing