In fashion, in lifestyle, and in food, GINZA SIX brings together the best brands from around the world. Along with Sumally Pocket, a storage service, I currently operate a social media site called Sumally. Ahead of the coming age of not needing to have things, we continue to refine our services daily to create a system that makes it as easy as possible for people to manage their immediate material goals and possessions. All the same, I visited the stores today for two brands that make things you’ll want to keep, even in the age to come, things you’ll want to spend time with your entire life. I also visited an exclusive lounge that expresses this same perspective.

The first store is Moynat Maison, located right next to the entrance on the first floor. Founded in 1849 by Pauline Moynat, it was the preeminent, longest-established trunkmaker in Paris. The brand ceased to exist after the war, but was revived in 2011 with a personal investment from Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH. It now operates stores the world over. The boutique here in GINZA SIX is positioned as the brand’s Japanese flagship.

The interior, inspired by the Orient Express, was designed by Gwenael Nicolas, who also designed the brand’s flagship store on Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris. Moynat’s iconic design is its concave curved-bottom trunks, designed to hug the contours of the hood of a car. You see this curve in the boutique’s ceiling, too.

I look at the bags displayed in the showcase. What catches my eyes is the Regate buckskin tote bag (595,000 yen; all prices listed before tax). Now an actual product, this was once a sample created by Moynat designer Ramesh Nair to suit his own tastes. Quantities are limited around the world, and it’s only available in three cities: London, Paris, and Tokyo. The design suits both men and women. The size is especially convenient, too.

This Mosaïque Plane Clutch Bag with the airplane design (114,000 yen) looks like a print at first, but it’s not; the differently colored pieces of leather have each been carefully cut and precisely attached, as with traditional maki-e lacquer decoration. This sort of craftsmanship strikes me. There’s also a classic car motif and a steam train design, reflecting once again the brand’s close ties to modes of transport.

I have friends in Paris who are deeply involved with the Moynat brand, so I feel a personal intimacy about it. I talked today to Rashid, the store manager in Paris before taking the reins here at GINZA SIX. He knew my friends well. I’m overjoyed to see this extensive a lineup in Tokyo. A quick look may not be enough to tell you the brand, but the bags exude elegance and an undeniable presence. Appreciating luxury known more often by connoisseurs is a major appeal of Moynat.

Next, I go up the escalator to the fifth floor. An enormous work by Daniel Buren hangs in the atrium off to the side; a large elephant by Nicolas Buffe is scheduled to be exhibited from November 12, 2018. Now, the Leica store comes into view. There’s another Leica store in Ginza, kitty-corner from Taimei Elementary School, but it’s especially convenient to have one in GINZA SIX.

I’ve loved the Leica Q, the ultimate beginner’s model with autofocus and a macro mode, since it first came out. I’m pretty tough on it, carrying it about to take pictures out in nature and so forth, so I come to the store fairly often to discuss maintenance issues. Once new items with certain color trims available exclusively at GINZA SIX are released, I will come and check these out.

This is the Leica Sofort (33,500 yen), an instant camera released in 2016. New black and pink colors came out just a few days ago. Riding the wave of analog nostalgia, the Sofort is deemed highly affordable among Leica cameras, which explains in part why it’s so popular with young people. Also available here is a limited edition LimoLand model (46,000 yen) designed by Jean Pigozzi, a famous paparazzi photographer.

Of course, Leica is known for the Leica M, a camera I’ve always wanted to own, the Leica flagship. I’m holding the Leica M10-P (980,000 yen) released just a few days ago. The chic and classic design here goes beyond the standard M, incorporating a host of cutting-edge technologies. The shutter is unbelievably quiet. Handling a quality object like this makes me want to work even harder!

Since I enjoy hiking and going to concerts and the theater, a pair of binoculars often comes in handy. My current binoculars are also Leica. I’ve had them a long time, but each time I lift them to my eyes, I’m surprised once again by their optical clarity.

My final stop is Lounge Six on the same floor. It’s a lounge for VIP members who spend a certain amount each year (for more information, see https://ginza6.tokyo/membership). The interior was designed by New Material Research Laboratory, an architecture firm headed by contemporary artist Hiroshi Sugimoto. Traditional materials are the newest: That’s the firm’s design concept. Opening the secret door in the middle of the black plaster entrance reveals granite paving slabs on the floor, slabs once used as paving stones for the streetcars that operated in Kyoto until the 1970s. Just before me, I’m greeted by Sugimoto’s “KAIKEI” (SEASCAPES). This 1995 work is a photograph of Lake Superior, one of the five Great Lakes in North America.

All pieces of furniture are original special-order designs made by New Material Research Laboratory. The arrangements of tables and chairs, reminiscent of plum flowers, bring to mind the iconic lounge designed by Yoshiro Taniguchi in the historic Main Wing, itself recently demolished, of the Hotel Okura. The GINZA SIX building itself was designed by his son, Yoshio Taniguchi, who also designed the new Hotel Okura lounge set to open in September 2019. It’s interesting to compare his worldview expressed in GINZA SIX with that of the architect Hiroshi Sugimoto embodied in this exclusive lounge.

There’s a special menu here from which members can order light meals and drinks. I choose a carbonara-flavored baked croquette exclusive to the lounge, provided by TAKAZAWA 180 ICHI HACHI MARU, which operates a restaurant on the second belowground floor, along with a highball with Ichiro’s Malt whiskey. The enjoyment of delicious whiskey and a gourmet accompaniment in a space like this is the definition of luxury.

As you can see here, the lounge offers various services, including a personal stylist and a porter to take care of all the things you’ve purchased. All in all, it falls nothing short of perfect. With visions of someday becoming a member myself, I resolve to work extra hard today.

Text：Kensuke Yamamoto　Photos：Satoshi Minakawa　Edit：Yuka Okada