The LEON editorial department is located in Kyobashi, just one street from Ginza. Partly for that reason, I’m familiar with the Ginza district and visit often. The area has lots of spots I like. One is GINZA SIX. More than anything, it’s vast and spacious, and that alone makes me feel good. And because GINZA SIX has stores of every kind, including clothing stores, bric-a-brac stores, food and dining, and bookstores, I make a new discovery every time I go. When you work as an editor, there’s not much distinction between being on duty and off duty. Even when I come here on days off, I find myself getting into work mode. No wonder. GINZA SIX is such a fun and valuable place partly because it offers so many inputs concentrated in one location. When I arrive, as excited as a child on the cusp of an outing, I wonder what new discoveries I’ll make this time around.

The first store I visit is ATTACHMENT on the fifth floor. I tend to wear classic suits and jackets nowadays, but I’m essentially agnostic when it comes to fashion. When I was younger, I was more drawn toward trends. Perhaps that’s why I’m still drawn to clothes with some original flair. But I’m middle-aged now and don’t feel I can make impulsive choices to look stylish in the way I did before. Such things just don’t suit me. At times like this, this is where I drop by.

ATTACHMENT’s clothes are basically minimalist, but you sense signs of trendiness here and there. Their clothes look good and right to be worn by grownups, but there’s a bit of individuality, a touch of exquisite seasoning, that ensures you won’t disappear into the crowd.

Take this jacket (18,000 yen; all prices listed before tax). It’s black and lightweight, so you can wear it like a cardigan three seasons of the year. But it also presents some understated individual features. The fabric is sleek and dry, and the lapels are shawl collars.

What strikes me as a discovery this time is this long jacket (35,000 yen). It’s a coat, but so light you’d think it was made of feathers. The rustling texture strikes a casual note. The front lacks any buttons; you don’t so much wear it as wrap yourself in it. It offers a modernity that’s ideal for strolling around today’s Ginza. The designer, Kazuyuki Kumagai, is an acquaintance of mine, and I sometimes bump into him at the airport when, for example, he’s off to Paris for a show. His style is really well embodied in ATTACHMENT apparel (as one would expect), and the brand really suits him: that relaxed, but standout style, the result of overcoming various challenges. It’s a state of mind I want to achieve some day, but I’m nowhere near there yet. Fans of the brand include lots of older musicians, which I think says something about his personality and style.

My next stop is the HOUSE, a select shop that enjoys great popularity among fashion-aware golfers. The store carries items from various brands, most notably Pearly Gates, whose popularity has been spurred by Instagramming female golfers. I myself got hooked on golf soon after I turned 40. Now I enjoy a round whenever I can, practice my swing, and drop by golf stores. This store is on the side of GINZA SIX that looks out onto Mihara-dori Street and so has its own entrance. The great thing about this is that I can just pop in for a look around when, for example, I’m pressed for time. The store also features a lineup of Italian brands—great for looking good on your way to and back from the links. The problem is you’re likely to find yourself buying something even if it’s not specifically golfwear!

When picking out golfwear, I tend to go for louder styles than I would normally wear, a look that strikes the right note when you’re surrounded by greenery and nature, lifts your mood, and really lets you enjoy your golf. And pretty much the only time I wear something with a logo on it like the one shown in the photograph is when I’m playing golf. Incidentally, the “1989” stitched into the breast of this polo shirt (17,000 yen) is the year Pearly Gates was founded. Items from the brand often feature the number 89. Back when I couldn’t shoot anything under 90, I used to wear one in the hopes it would bring me luck. It was as though I was saying, “This time I’m going to score under 90!

During this report, I purchase a golf fork that also comes with a ball marker (2,200 yen). Another enjoyable experience: when you buy the golf fork you’ve selected, you can twist a gacha-gacha capsule vending machine, out of which comes a capsule containing a marker. The colors of the markers are random. I feel surprisingly excited as I open the capsule. I made a mental note of quite a few stylishly-dressed female staff working at the store. Whether you’re visiting by yourself or you’ve brought a female friend, they’ll provide a quick tutorial on what’s trendy in the golf world right now. An objective outlook is invaluable when it comes to questions of style.

My last stop is ISHIYA GINZA on the second belowground floor. The photograph shows some Fuwari Butter Omelets (300 yen each) exclusive to GINZA SIX. Created from a base of fermented Hokkaido butter and containing wine, rum, or Japanese sake, they’re an unusual confectionery.

The addictive Pali pies (250 yen each, eight varieties available) have strikingly different textures from the aforementioned Fuwari. They’re flaky pies with multiple buttery layers. These really piqued my curiosity. The staff kindly allowed me to sample one topped with a chocolate cream in the shop—it made me long for a companion glass of wine!

Due to the nature of my work, I’m selective about choosing gifts. ISHIYA GINZA is the perfect place for picking out just the right ones. The brand was established by a company called Ishiya Co., which makes one of Hokkaido’s most famous confectionery products: Shiroi Koibito cookies. All Japanese people, young or old, male or female, know about Shiroi Koibito, but the product isn’t sold here. ISHIYA GINZA is a totally different venture established exclusively for GINZA SIX. Nevertheless, the Sagu Langue du Chat line are wonderful products that inherit the Ishiya DNA. Give a brief account of the background as you present your gift—it’s bound to inspire a smile. Since I’m an editor, people tend to hold my gifts to unrealistic standards; still, with a gift like this, which not only tastes great but has a story behind it, you can’t go wrong.

This stroll around GINZA SIX in response to a request to write an article took around an hour and a half—fairly leisurely, but, honestly, not enough time—mostly because wherever I go, I see so many wonderful things my gaze is constantly shifting. I first mentioned how spacious the mall is. That prompts the thought that tucked away in that space are more new discoveries. My job definitely plays a role here, but when it occurs to me there’s something out there I don’t know about or that I might find new or delightful, I can’t stop thinking about it. Perhaps a character flaw, or perhaps something to do with GINZA SIX…

Text：Hiroshi Ishii　Photos：Yuichi Sugita　Edit：Yuka Okada