history of shiseido palour│shiseido parlour

Picture of Shiseido Parlor store at the time of its opening

HISTORY OF
SHISEIDO PALOUR

Shiseido Parlour was established in 1902 as Japan's first "soda fountain," producing and selling soda water and ice cream -which was still a rarity at the time. This section traces the history of Shiseido Parlour, which has continued to value the spirit of hospitality since its establishment.

1870
1900
1930
1960
1990
2020

1870

1872

Arinobu Fukuhara established Japan's first private Western-style dispensing pharmacy (later Shiseido) in Ginza, Tokyo.

1900

1902

Japan's first soda fountain, which produced and sold soda water and ice cream, which was still rare at the time, was established within Shiseido Pharmacy. This soda fountain later developed into "Shiseido Parlour" as a restaurant business. (The company was founded at 1 Izumo-cho, the current location of the Tokyo Ginza Shiseido Building (Ginza 8-8-3).)　

soda fountain: Arinobu Fukuhara, the founder of Shiseido, visited the Paris Exposition held in 1900 and returned to Japan via the United States. Based on his experience, he opened a soda fountain in the corner of his dispensing pharmacy, modeled after the American drugstore format. Arinobu's policy was always to focus on authenticity, and he even went so far as to import not only the complete machine, but also the glasses, straws, spoons, and syrups from the United States. This pursuit of "new value," "high quality," and "authenticity" remains the policy of Shiseido Parlour to this day.

The customers at the time were the geisha working in the Shimbashi district of Tokyo. For every glass of soda water, a bottle of "EUDERMINE " (introduced in 1897), a lotion, was offered as a free gift. Soda water was advertised as the perfect beverage to quench the thirst of drunken customers, and became a big hit, as well as a major attraction of Ginza. The soda fountain is said to have greatly increased the number of customers to the pharmacy. There was an episode in which a shamisen stand was built later in the establishment for geisha to take a break with soda water from their shamisen practice.

1916

Shiseido created the cosmetics department as an independent department and renamed it the "Takekawa-cho Store" (currently the FUKUHARA GINZA Building) and renamed the old store the "Izumo-cho Store" (currently the Tokyo Ginza Shiseido Building), retaining the pharmaceutical and beverage departments (Shiseido Parlour).

1921

The building was renovated with white tiles on the exterior, white paint on the second floor, and white railings to create a building intended to be a "palace of white." The building was designed by Kenjiro Maeda (a graduate of the Tokyo Fine Arts School’s Department of Architecture who was a personal admirer of American architect Frank Lloyd Wright who designed the Imperial Hotel).

palace of white: "The building gained a reputation for having the most modern exterior on Ginza-dori Street, and while the sidewalks of Ginza were replaced with concrete slabs from 1-chome to 6-chome, the red bricks in 7- and 8-chome were specially left in place, and so the white color of the building stood out. The contrast was especially vivid after a rainfall, and the beautiful blending of Meiji-era Ginza and Taisho era Ginza was poetic." (From Shiseido's Centennial History)

1923

In September, Ginza was completely destroyed by the Great Kanto Earthquake. Shiseido's cosmetics department in Takekawa-cho and beverage department in Izumo-cho were also completely destroyed.

In November, two months after the earthquake, a one-story temporary building was constructed in Izumo-cho and business resumed. Designed by Riichiro Kawashima, a Western-style painter living in Paris, the exotic exterior with white walls and purple window frames created a European atmosphere.

a one-story temporary building: "While the Izumo-cho building was a wooden one-story temporary structure, it could also be called a solid piece of architecture. The white walls and purple window frames and battens on the exterior created a certain exotic atmosphere, full of a new sensibility in the European style. Inside, the interior was decorated from the pillars and counter to the sides of the tables, but the decorations were not gaudy, rather they created a pleasant atmosphere. The wall behind the counter also added to the atmosphere. The store combined the cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and beverage departments, and light meals were available. (From Shiseido's Centennial History)

1928

In May, the Takekawa-cho Store was newly renovated and reopened as a Shiseido cosmetics store.

Shiseido cosmetics store: Designed by Kenjiro Maeda, the building had a four-story reinforced concrete structure in the Neo-Renaissance fashion with an element of the Sullivanesque style (the front has three stories).
At this time, the ground floor housed a sophisticated salon-like establishment named “Kokyu Inryobu” (high-end beverage department) that served beverages and sandwiches. However, this appears to have disappeared after the opening of the Shiseido Ice Cream Parlour in July of the same year (date unknown).

In July, the Izumo-cho Store was remodeled into the "Shiseido Ice Cream Parlour" and opened as a restaurant offering authentic Western cuisine.
(The name at the time included the popular word "ice cream".)

Shiseido Ice Cream Parlour: The two-story wooden building (building area 360 sq. m), designed by Kenjiro Maeda, had a beverage counter at the front and center on the first floor, with staircases near the left and right side entrances, which were joined together at the landing to ascend to the second floor. Tucked to the side of the entrance was a flower shop, and in the center of the foyer was an open ceiling with chandeliers and an orchestra box situated at the front space of the second floor.
The exterior walls of the building were clad in ochre-colored tiles and a large arched show window was installed in the center of the first floor, flanked on both sides by vertical and narrow show windows. The center of the second floor had a 2-meter diameter circular window with balconies and flowerpots at both ends.

ice cream: Shiseido Parlour ice cream. At the main Ginza Salon de Café, ice cream is still produced in the ice cream room, where only a limited number of people within the company are allowed to enter, with the same earnestness and dedication to the flavors that were present when the company was founded. In those days, a wide variety of ice cream pots were available for customers to take home. At a time when ice cream was still a luxury food, the staff on duty would respond to customers' urgent requests to feed the sick, even during the night.

Seizaburo Iida was the first executive chef when the restaurant opened. The sous chef was Einosuke Takaishi. Under them were 10 cooks and 15 waiters, all male. The waiters, who had just graduated from elementary school, were dressed in white coats with collars and brass buttons. They had their hair cropped short and addressed their colleagues and juniors using the suffix "don" to indicate respect.

Silverware and porcelain used since the late 1920s are special order items

1930

The names of the districts in Ginza were changed to become the current names.
(The location of Shiseido Parlour was renamed from "Izumo-cho" to "Ginza 8-chome".)

1931

Einosuke Takaishi invented the "meat croquette," which remains popular to this day

Einosuke Takaishi: Einosuke Takaishi joined Shiseido Parlour in 1928, the same year the restaurant opened, and served as the third executive chef from 1949 to 1976. He established the traditional menu, including "meat croquettes," and laid the foundations of Shiseido Parlour. It is said that he was a hard worker who never compromised on anything, taught himself French, and strictly instructed his successors without cutting any corners. Takaishi's extraordinary passion and persistence in paying attention not only to cuisine but also to customer service has been passed on to successive generations of chefs and staff.

meat croquette: Thought to have been born out of Takaishi having been amazed at and impressed by the croquettes made with foie gras served at a farewell dinner for the Crown Prince (Emperor Showa) at the Akasaka Palace (present-day State Guest House) in the early spring of 1921. The meltingly smooth golden croquettes made without potatoes with finely chopped veal and ham, finished with a béchamel sauce, a crispy batter, a special tomato sauce, and fried parsley are a Ginza specialty that have remained unchanged since they were first served.

1932

Started full-scale production and sales of "BISCUIT HANATSUBAKI."

BISCUIT HANATSUBAKI: "BISCUIT HANATSUBAKI" are simple biscuits that are like the archetypal Western-style confectionery. They have been baked with pride since the late 1920s and have become an iconic confectionary of Shiseido Parlour. The biscuits have been loved by customers of all ages for their simple and gentle taste, just like a mother's snack. The image shows "BISCUIT HANATSUBAKI" as they were in 1987, and the current octagonal can in the shape of a camellia was created when the product was relaunched in 1990.

1934

Renovated exterior circular windows to square, interior railings, etc.

1950

"BISCUIT HANATSUBAKI" resumes postwar sales.

1954

Trademark changed to "Shiseido Parlour Co., Ltd."

1960

1962

In September, the Shiseido Kaikan was completed. Designed by Yoshiro Taniguchi, the architect who designed the Crown Prince's Palace. With 9 stories above ground and 3 below, it was the tallest building in Ginza at the time, measuring 50.075 meters from the ground to the top of the penthouse.

the Shiseido Kaikan: The construction area was 320 square meters, with a total floor area of 3,996 square meters. The elevator doors were adorned with a continuous pattern of camellia flowers woven into a gold Myoshinji brocade, created by master weaver Heizo Tatsumura.
The ornamental carving lighting fixtures on each floor, shaped like camellia flowers, were the creation of industrial designer Yoshitake. On the first floor there were receptionists and elevator girls, and on the walls of the stairwell from the first floor to the basement floor hung a large tapestry which underwent a design change every two months.

Tapestry artist schedule at the time of renovation: January/February "Mt.Fuji" by Heihachiro Fukuda / March/April "Camellia" by Takeshi Hayashi / May/June "Deer" by Marie Laurencin / July/August: "Houses" by Shikanosuke Oka / September/October: "Mizuumi" by Kaii Higashiyama / October/November: "Sphinx" by Seiji Chokai

1973

In December, the Shiseido Kaikan underwent a complete renovation and was reopened as the Shiseido Parlour Building. The Restaurant L'Osier, serving French cuisine, and Bar L'Osier were opened, and a new coffee shop, Salon de Café, was established.

Restaurant L'Osier: The name "L'Osier" comes from the French word "Osier" meaning "willow". The willow tree used to be the symbol of Ginza, and the name expresses Shiseido's love for the place where it was founded.

Bar L'Osier

Salon de Café: Salon de Café Ginza Main Store still carefully preserves the spirit of Shiseido Parlour's beginnings, when the "Soda Fountain" opened in 1902, at the site of its founding. The most popular item now is the beautiful crown-style strawberry parfait, which offers a sumptuous taste of seasonal strawberries from all over Japan.

1974

The retort-pouch food "Gourmet Foods" was launched.

1978

"BRANDY CAKE" launched.

1978

"CHEESE CAKE" launched.

1984

"Restaurant Cuisine Shiseido" is opened in Uchisaiwaicho, Tokyo.

1985

“Shiseido Parlour Yokohama Takashimaya" is opened.

1985

"Shiseido Parlour Yokohama Sogo" is opened.

1986

Jacques Borie became Grand Chef of Restaurant L’Osier.

Jacques Borie: Born in 1946 in Périgord, France. Came to Japan in 1973 after building his career at the iconic Hôtel de Crillon, Grand Vefour, and other fine restaurants in Paris. In 1986, became the chef of Restaurant L'Osier. Received the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (French Best Craftsmen award) in 1982 and a Knight of the National Order of Merit of France in 2002. Was executive producer for Shiseido Parlour in Tokyo for many years.

1989

Gourmet Foods renewed. Total design by Shin Matsunaga. Package design by Vivienne Flesher.

1990

1990

Western-style confectionery completely renewed. Total design by Masayoshi Nakajo.

Masayoshi Nakajo: Born in Tokyo in 1933. Graduated from the Department of Design, Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts in 1956 and joined the Shiseido Advertising Department the same year. Became a freelancer in 1960 and established Nakajo Design Office the following year. Was Art Director of Shiseido’s Hanatsubaki magazine from 1968 to 2008. Conducted a major update of the Shiseido Parlour logotype and package design in 1990 and has been deeply involved in Shiseido Parlour design, including logotype and sign planning for the Tokyo Ginza Shiseido Building. Has arguably been one of the most influential graphic designers in Japan in and after the 1990s.

1992

Started operating the confectionery factory in Kasukabe City, Saitama Prefecture.

1994

Launched LA GANACHE in October.

1996

June: Shiseido Parlour released its Blue Bottle wine. This was followed by wines in bottles of different colors and with calendar motifs.

1996

October: Cuisine Shiseido reopened after renovation.

1997

June: The Shiseido Parlour Building temporarily closed for renovation.

1997

June: The Shiseido Parlour Ginza 4-chome restaurant opened.

1997

June: Foods Shop & Tea Room "Shiseido Parlour GINZA SHOP" opened.
Launch of SPECIAL CHEESE CAKE and other products exclusive to the Ginza Shop.

1997

November: The Shiseido Parlour YAESU SHOP opened.

1998

The retort pouch "Western-style food series" launched in October.

1999

Restaurant L'Osier moved to Namiki-dori for renewal reopening in October.

2001

The Tokyo Ginza Shiseido Building completed in March.
Completed as the first building to which the “Ginza Rule” of district planning was applied.
Designed by world-renowned Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill and built on the site of the former Shiseido Parlour Building, the Tokyo Ginza Shiseido Building embodies its Lighthouse of the Ginza moniker as the messaging hub for information on cuisine and culture. The cornerstone bears the inscription “Bambutsu Shisei” from which Shiseido derives its name, and the red brick exterior, symbolically reminiscent of the bygone Ginza Brick Town, is a favorite with many visitors.

Shiseido’s company name is taken from “Zhì zāi kūn yuán wàn wù zī sheng” (How excellent are the virtues of the earth, from which all creation is born), a phrase from I Ching, one of the Four Books and Five Classics of ancient China.: Shiseido was founded on the basis of state-of-the-art Western pharmacology while taking its name from Eastern philosophy. This point of origin reflects the company’s pioneering spirit, fusing Western science with Eastern wisdom.

2002

Celebrated the 100th anniversary of the company's founding. Commemorative 100th anniversary products featuring illustrations designed by Ayao Yamana were released.

Ayao Yamana: Born in Hiroshima Prefecture in 1897. A graphic design pioneer in Japan, known for his modern, Art Deco styles from the late Taisho to early Showa periods. The Shiseido Hanatsubaki (flowering camellia) logo was drafted by Shinzo Fukuhara (Shiseido’s 2nd president and initiator of the Design Department) and ultimately completed by Yamana. During his time with Shiseido, and even after heading out on his own, Yamana worked on a series of Shiseido assignments in his capacity of advisor or Director of the Advertising Creation Department, producing exquisite expressions of feminine beauty. He helped enhance Shiseido’s image and established the “Shiseido Style” of design.

2003

Shiseido Parlour NAGOYA opened at JR Central Towers

2004

Shiseido Parlour NIHOMBASHI opened

2007

March: The Western confectionery series renewed. The theme was "Neo-Classic.”

2007

November: Kotohiragu Shrine (Kagawa Prefecture) opened Café & Restaurant "KAMITSUBAKI."

2011

Our confectionery factory was awarded "Excellent Food Hygiene Facility" by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare.

2012

"LE SALON JACQUE BORIE" cafe and cuisine opened at the Isetan Shinjuku store.

2013

"L’OSIER" reopened in the Shiseido Ginza Building.

2015

June: "BAR S" opened on the top floor of the Tokyo Ginza Shiseido Building.

2015

October: Complete renewal of food products. The theme was "Ginza Avant-garde."

2016

August: Opened our first overseas store "Shiseido Parlour Singapore Takashimaya Store."

2016

September: Supervised our first collaborative in-flight meal "Shiseido Parlour for Resort" on Japan Airlines’ Honolulu flights.

2017

115th anniversary of the company's founding

2018

May: Opened "Shiseido Parlour Salon de Café Lazona Kawasaki Shop.”

2018

October: New "FARO" opened

2019

"S PARK Café" opened at Shiseido Global Innovation Center.

2019

May: Shiseido Parlour JIYUGAOKA opened.

November: The following shops in Tokyo Ginza Shiseido Building reopened after renovations: 1st Floor Ginza Main Store Shop; 3rd Floor Ginza Main Store Salon de Café, 4th & 5th Floor Ginza Main Store Restaurant; 8th Floor Salon; 9th Floor Word Hall.