Food Leads the World's Cultures! (Part 1)

Dentsu Live Inc. creates "Moments of Truth." Whether in spatial development or events, producing food and beverage content is crucial. Especially since entering the SNS era, the viral power of "food" has gained significant attention. This time, Creative Unit Leader Tsuyoshi Kishina hosted a discussion with Shujiro Kusumoto, President of Café Company—a valued ally and steadfast partner for Dentsu Live Inc.—and Sadahiro Nakamura, President of Transit General Office.

Interview & Editing: Aki Kanahara, Dentsu Live Inc., Creative Unit, Creative Room 2
 

Is food now leading other cultural trends?

Shinomi: I believe there are entities, domains, or genres that drive the culture of their era. There was a time when film played that role, and in other eras, it was fashion, music, or other central genres. And now, I think "food" is the one driving the era.

For example, when you meet someone and want to get to know them, asking "What kind of music do you listen to?" or "What movies do you watch?" feels less revealing than asking "What are you eating right now?" or "Who are you eating with, and how?" It seems like that gives you a better sense of the person and is more important information. All kinds of talent, information, technology, money, and capital are converging on "food," which is at the center of this culture right now.

Kusumoto: Money is definitely flowing in. And girls too (laughs). Since we've always been in food, we don't really have this "Food is the future!" mindset. But through food, our connections with people in music, fashion, film—really, the entire lifestyle sphere—have deepened tremendously, and that impression only grows stronger each year.

Nakamura: When I left Isetan, I happened to visit a cafe called "Lotus" in Harajuku. I thought, "Wouldn't it be great to have a cafe like this?" My friends encouraged me to do it, and it worked out. Through trial and error, I was able to open a slightly larger cafe, which in turn attracted more staff. That's how I ended up running "Bills" and gained expertise in bringing first-to-Japan concepts. Because I could do it, I wanted to do more; because I could do it, I felt I had to do more. Now, it feels like I'm working to utilize the capabilities my employees possess.

I come from a department store background. Department stores are struggling to sell clothes, and other items are becoming just as hard to sell, so it's become all about food. But if you ask which is more profitable, selling clothes is actually more profitable. So fundamentally, we should be selling clothes. But doing food and drink brings people in, so everywhere is becoming food-centric.

Even though fashion sales have slowed, it's only department stores and street-level shops that are struggling; online sales are still strong. Look at social media among people in their 20s – you don't see many photos of eating out. The accounts with explosive follower growth are probably fashion-related. Overseas celebrities post lots of fashion snaps; you don't see many international Instagrammers posting about meals.

On the other hand, I think for the people driving Japanese business—those in their 30s, 40s, and even 50s, above the 20s—food is what really stands out.

Kusumoto: As a real-world gathering place, food naturally draws people together. In the business world, it's all about "bringing people together," so food naturally gets attention.

Nakamura: I often have meals with Hiroshi Fujiwara. Over the last three or four years, he's been traveling the world for work, eating everywhere, and has become very knowledgeable about trendy spots. But even before that, whenever we went to regional areas, he'd take me to all sorts of places. He'd already been to some of the famous restaurants I only discovered in the last couple of years. The fact that someone like him is now gaining attention as a food blogger, rather than a fashion figure, might just be proof that food is now at the center of culture.

The people who gather in that place are the community and the "media."

Kushina: Mr. Kusumoto is involved in multifaceted projects like Asakusa's "WIRED HOTEL," not just focused on food. Mr. Nakamura, you created the "Tohoku Emotion" train experience, right? You could dine on the train, with art and music creating a total experience.

I believe Dentsu Live Inc. must also pursue this kind of approach. Both of you have a deep passion for food, yet you don't stop there. Your ability to connect diverse elements and the thoroughness of your philosophy is truly impressive.

Kusumoto: I started my cafe on a whim, but I noticed the unique, core way people connected there. I realized it was a powerful medium. Physical spaces are more media-like. Unlike fashion, in food, once someone walks into your shop, they're 100% a customer. The fun part of restaurants is that the moment they walk in, you think, "I want to make them part of the community."

This leads to the concept of food and drink as community, where physical space and media functionality intertwine. On the West Coast, food trucks gather via social media, holding food festivals that draw massive crowds. It's not just plug-and-play; the line between events and restaurants is blurring more than ever. Once cars become self-driving, kitchen trucks could operate unmanned, with shops traveling everywhere.

But it won't be everyone just going wherever they please. I feel there will be some kind of mechanism, like "Let's do this crazy event here next time," creating a focal point. I think what's coming is a return to that kind of comprehensive enjoyment—where you can't tell if it's film, fashion, music, or food—and it'll be the younger generation, not someone like me, who'll break down industry and sector boundaries to make it happen.

Kaminami: It's all about being thoroughly movable—the locations, the food, the content.

Kusumoto: Being from Hakata, I picture it as a futuristic revival of Hakata yatai food stalls.

Kishina: What sparked your "Tohoku Emotion" project, Nakamura-san? That completely defies the concept of a restaurant or cafe, right?

Nakamura: It happened when JR approached me. A three-car train had been damaged in the earthquake, and they wanted to run a restaurant train as part of the recovery support. They asked me for ideas. I love mixing various elements around a restaurant concept, so I just fired off ideas – art, food, interior design.

We had the Towada Art Center curate the art, musicians from Miyagi Prefecture provide the BGM, and Intentionaries—who specialize in using local materials—handle the interior design. We kept adding layers, involving more local elements. So, it felt more like creating an event than focusing on my core business of food.

We do continue coordinating chefs on an ongoing basis. That's where we've been able to involve the food-related people we regularly meet. The joy of work lies in how you involve the talented people you meet, taking them from mere acquaintances to true partners—taking that step forward in the relationship. Through our work, we turn acquaintances into more than just acquaintances; that's how we approach our daily work.

Kusumoto: It's true that the food industry makes it easy to go beyond mere acquaintances. Farmers and such—the field is vast, right? The players are truly diverse. People's lives differ by region, and what they're passionate about producing varies too, so it's easy to find common ground each time you meet. There are so many places that move you.

Finding the extraordinary in the everyday, discovering common ground between different things

Nakamura: My fundamental motivation is creating new cultures that didn't exist before in Tokyo or Japan through what we do. It's my personal feeling, but when I think "This feels foreign," it often gives me the sensation of encountering a new culture.

For example, when people eat breakfast at Bills, they often think, "This feels like being abroad." Even with our shared office spaces, the moment people step inside, they might say, "This feels kind of like Brooklyn."

At the Greek restaurant "Apollo," with its dark, spacious interior, lots of foreigners, food served, and music playing, almost everyone says, "It feels like being abroad." Creating that atmosphere is what I want to achieve through food right now.

Kaminami: Is doing it in Tokyo important?

Nakamura: Tokyo has a lot of people who like that kind of thing. With fashion or music, I can't make people think "This feels like being abroad" at all, but with food, hotels, or "places," it's easier to create that feeling.

Kusumoto: I think the connection between feeling like you're overseas and such places becoming culturally rich spaces is, in a way, about creating a little bit of the extraordinary within the everyday.

Kaminami: Mr. Kusumoto, your approach is different from Mr. Nakamura's, right?

Kusumoto: But there are similarities. I don't have the skill to just plonk an overseas vibe down like Nakamura-kun does, but I've always wanted to mix in different things.

That's partly due to regional differences, but also generational ones. I often wonder what commonalities exist between the 1950s and today, viewing things from that perspective. I frequently see things through the lens of film. Woody Allen's "Café Society" is set in the 1930s, and that era was incredible, right? The power of Hollywood.

And how does that mix with today's Japanese food or entertainment? The historical context and technology are different, so of course the style is different, and I think the development paths will be completely different. But within those differences, what commonalities exist?

When I connect those dots, I get this feeling like, "Oh, so this and that were actually the same thing," as if I've made this discovery all by myself. And I get really excited about expressing that (laughs).

Kaminami: I don't know if there's a term for it, but I really sense this kind of social romanticism in Mr. Kusumoto. Mr. Nakamura, on the other hand, has such strong curiosity – he's like a trend hunter who never lets his target escape.

Kusumoto: Nakamura-kun's antennae are always up (laughs).

Nakamura: I don't have this idea of trying to express Japan or anything like that. For example, with Shichirigahama, there's the Pacific Drive-In, but fundamentally, if I think something I experienced in Hawaii fits perfectly here, I'll use it.

I'm not really conscious of my Japanese identity. It's more like, "Oh, that's what's popular right now," and I don't have much of my own identity.

Kusumoto: That's exactly why it feels so effortless.

Nakamura: Why am I not fixated on Japan? Well, I absolutely love Tokyo. I was born and raised here, and I have tons of friends who live in Tokyo. The one thing I can't stand is Tokyo falling from its position as one of the world's coolest cities (laughs).

So hosting the Olympics makes me incredibly happy. I feel a sense of purpose in keeping Tokyo shining. I view things city-by-city, so in my mind, Tokyo's competitors are New York, London, Paris, Shanghai. I really hate it when Tokyo loses to places like Shanghai, Seoul, or Singapore within Asia.

So what New York has should just be normal in Tokyo. And regionally, what Fifth Avenue has should be in Ginza, what Soho has should be in Omotesando, and what Brooklyn has... maybe the East side or Nakameguro would be a good fit. Filling those gaps is my job. I believe the world's top cities should have stores of the same level, at the very least.