Graphpaper Nagoya's ongoing special project "Re:" is now in its sixth edition.
Unlike a typical directly operated store, Graphpaper Nagoya is run as a franchise - owned externally while still being an official Graphpaper location. Through back-and-forth communication between Director Takayuki Minami and store manager/buyer Ken Kokubo, new ideas continue to take shape.
Here is an excerpt from their latest exchange - slightly disjointed at times yet strangely aligned at others. (Despite the name "Re:", most communication in reality happens over phone or the messaging app, LINE.)
Interview & Text by Rui Konno
Kokubo: I actually came down with the flu recently. I was stuck in bed, scrolling through Instagram Stories, and everyone was posting "Happy Birthday" to Minami. I thought, "Damn... I missed it." If I messaged him afterwards it would just feel like I forgot.
Minami: You really don't need to bring that up (laughs).
―Actually it's nice to hear how the relationship is between you guys, so let's continue with this (laughs).
Minami: Like how he's always saying, "Minami keeps telling me my ideas are no good."
Kokubo: (Laughs) Well as a buyer, it's rare to get told "No" so directly, you know?
Minami: If I don't like something, I don't like it. It's that simple.
Kokubo: Usually with special requests, the store side says "We'd like to make this," and the brand responds. But with Minami, the first round almost always gets rejected. I show ideas - "How about this?" "No." "How about this then?" "Still no." That's the back-and-forth. Most ideas get shot down at the start.
Minami: It's not that severe (laughs). But you did originally suggest that Re: should be about taking something that already exists and reworking it - changing the fabric or rebuilding an item with a new idea, right?
Kokubo: Yes.
Minami: A concept suggested in desperation?
Kokubo: Not at all (laughs). We've known each other nearly 10 years now. I'll never forget - when I turned 30...
―Oh, here we go.
Minami: We've started now...
Kokubo: Minami celebrated my 30th birthday with me!
Minami: No, it was just that we were drinking, and then we were like, "Let's go to our usual snack bar next." And in the taxi on the way there, he suddenly goes, "Oh yeah, by the way, it's my birthday today…" out of nowhere. I mean, celebrating someone's big day at a snack bar like that makes me look pretty lame too, right? (laughs)
Kokubo: We spent a pretty important night drinking together, didn't we?
Minami: What nonsense are you talking about (laughs).
Kokubo: …Anyway, we've always had that kind of relationship, but when I first proposed the concept for Re: and Minami said, "Oh, looks like you've grown up a little," I was honestly really happy. He praises me hardly ever, if at all (laughs).
Minami: I'm always listening thinking, "He's probably going to bring up some useless idea again."
―That's a little harsh.
Minami: I really hate when people only talk about means without purpose. Like, when someone says, "Let's make it kinda Amekaji-style…" I'm like, I don't care. If that's what you want, just go ask an Amekaji brand for an exclusive order! What matters to me is the reason behind it — the legitimacy, the concept. But that time, Kokubo for once came from the starting point properly.
Kokubo: Yeah, true.
Minami: I was expecting him to say something like, "People in Nagoya loved that product we did back then, so..." or whatever.
―That's cruel.
Kokubo: (Laughs) And honestly, just doing a reissue for the sake of it wouldn't have been interesting for me either. This brand is one of the few where I feel close enough that I can casually say, "How about something like this?" Whether it passes or not is another story, but I can pitch it. That's definitely different from a typical collaboration.
―Kokubo, officially you're the store manager of Graphpaper Nagoya, right? It's an unusual distance between you two.
Kokubo: Yeah, I think so too.
Minami: Originally, Kokubo was staff at a shop in Nagoya called Jack in the Box, which was one of the wholesale accounts that handled Graphpaper. They also hosted some events with us. That's where we first met.
Kokubo: Right, that's where I first met Minami.
Minami: And when they decided to do a Graphpaper pop-up store there, the conversation was like, "We want something special for it." Then they said, "But something one-off would be boring — we want a capsule exclusive to us, a concept-based series." So I asked, "Okay, what exactly do you want to do?" — and that's how the whole thing started.
Kokubo: It took ten years to get here.
Minami: Yeah. From that 'Jack' period onward, we eventually opened Graphpaper Nagoya under a franchise model. The owner is the same company as Jack in the Box, so Kokubo joined as staff for Graphpaper — and he said, "We still want to do Re:."
Kokubo: This new Re: is the first one in two years. From the beginning there were lots of customers who loved Re: and some even came from other prefectures asking, "Are you ever bringing it back?" Because we had such a close connection with Graphpaper and with Minami, we thought people would be happy if there was something exclusive to Nagoya — something that exists because of that relationship.
―That's a nice story.
Kokubo: So when we thought of a new concept for Re:, I wanted to surprise Minami again. I pitched a bunch of ideas - and he said, "Too complicated. In the end, Re: itself is the best."
―And there goes the heartwarming story.
Minami: (Laughs)
Kokubo: But honestly, I felt that too. So here we are - Re: Vol.6.
―So what's the item this time?
Kokubo: This is personal, but I've always wanted to do chambray. When I first entered fashion around 15 years ago, Amekaji was booming. Stylish people wore chambray, and it left a strong impression on me. I still think "Chambray = stylish, cool people." That feeling stuck.
Minami: Graphpaper rarely does chambray.
Kokubo: Exactly. But chambray changes drastically depending on who wears it. 'Gyaru' used to wear it, hardcore Amekaji guys too. That variability is interesting. Graphpaper Nagoya is located in Osu - very mixed, from elderly to youth, various subcultures, foreigners. Like a crossroads.
Minami: Like Akihabara meets Koenji, with a bit of Brazil mixed in.
―True diversity.
Kokubo: Old kimono shops, food stalls, audio shops Minami loves, Brazilian stores selling mysterious things. Not inbound hype - real everyday diversity. Chambray felt right for this place.
―A human intersection.
Kokubo: Yes. At first all I could say was "I like chambray," but eventually I shaped the idea.
Minami: (Laughs) At first, I didn't want a standard chambray. The fabric is from our 23SS season - Supima, very fine, with a slight sheen. Instead of making it workwear-like, what if we make a regular shirt using this refined chambray? Not too Amekaji. That felt interesting for Re:.
Kokubo: The 23SS version had more denim-like pockets. Changing the balance made it unexpectedly good.
Minami: So as usual, formal shirt construction with a casual silhouette.
Kokubo: For the pocket label - I asked for it. I like that street-like approach.
―When you proposed chambray, did Minami say "OK"?
Kokubo: Not exactly. He never says "OK". If he replies, "I'll send it to the production team," that means it's happening. If not interested, the idea just disappears.
Minami: He says "How about this?" and I'm like, "Speaking of which..." and change the subject (laughs).
Kokubo: Completely ignored (laughs). That's why this chambray shirt being approved made me so happy. It's Graphpaper's popular oversized broad shirt shape, using a fabric I love. I can't wait to wear it.
―This shirt comes in two collar styles, plus a matching set as well?
Minami: Yes. We have a carry-over matching set in cotton 'typewriter' cloth. For Re:, we remade it in Scale Off Wool fabric. Mixing existing ideas into something reversed.
Kokubo: Originally, I just wanted shorts. I love pairing chambray shirts with shorts in a casual way.
Minami: We already have shorts, but not in this wool fabric. So we tried making them. Then added a shirt for balance.
Kokubo: It changed more than expected.
Minami: Annoyingly, it turned out great (laughs). With the fabric's firmness, shoulders shape beautifully. I almost forgot this was Re:.
Kokubo: Because summers are brutally hot, I wanted shorts that aren't too casual or trendy. I'm pretty satisfied.
―Has Re: always developed through conversations like this?
Kokubo: Yes. Some ideas derailed wildly (laughs). During COVID, we did an IG Live during Re:. A viewer commented "Please make sweatshirts!" and we actually made it for the next Re:. Minami was into it too.
Minami: It felt like the intention reached us.
Kokubo: The girl who commented even came to buy it. That was great.
―Re: is almost democratic, isn't it?
Minami: At pop-ups, I talked directly with customers. One guy told me he kept buying the same trousers because the inseam always wore out. I immediately messaged the production team - "Tomorrow, everyone review the fabric here." True feedback matters.
Kokubo: That's why even though I plan the project, it never feels like "I made this." It's shaped from everyone's voice - customers, the brand, staff. We should announce at the pop-up: "We listen."
Minami: I'll get roasted by complaints (laughs). Nagoya customers seem intense.
Kokubo: The first customer at opening was a group of grandmas. Another time someone suddenly played a 'shakuhachi' (traditional Japanese flute) inside the store.
Minami: What? I wish I saw that. Tell me next time!
Kokubo: (Laughs) That's the energy of Nagoya. Everyone enjoys things freely, and that closeness with the brand is what makes it special.
Minami: Your girlfriend is part of the community too.
Kokubo: Right. Once you were visiting Nagoya and asked, "Are you free tonight?" I was in Tokyo, so instead she went drinking with you and waited for my return. The first time you guys met! It was total chaos.
Minami: She called me "Boss man~!" in a super high voice the whole night.
Kokubo: Even now she still calls him "Oyabin." ...Do we really need this story in the interview (laughs)?
■ Release
Saturday, April 26, 2025, 12:00 -
Available in-store at Graphpaper NAGOYA /
Graphpaper NAGOYA WEB STORE simultaneously
