Mitsuharu Kurokawa
President of Toraya Confectionery Co. Ltd.
What does “Clothing” mean to you?
A necessity. A means of comfort. A way of self-expression and satisfaction. A communication tool. A medium for sensing seasons and trends. An archive of memories. My personal preference is for designs that have universal value.
What does “Contemporary Life” mean to you?
A life and way of thinking that is free of boundaries such as gender, race, nationality, and position. A present that is not bound by the past or future. Making effective use of the developed mobility of information, communication, and transportation to do things that were impossible in the past. Including travel, urban thinking, etc. In contrast, a life with exercise and activities in nature or interaction with nature, that seeks the opposite of such developed technology.
What are the things you are thinking about lately?
I am thinking about improving the quality of wagashi.
At the same time, I would like to see wagashi being loved around the world. I would like to see people all over the world making and enjoying various forms of wagashi, such as sushi, chocolate, and coffee.
A human society that can live in harmony with nature without war.