Shoeshine Artisans in Japan part19 Mr, Sho Kamibeppu (THE SHOESHINE AND BAR)

This is a series of "Shoeshiner's Quest". There are many wonderful shoeshiners in the world! In this 19th installment of "Shoeshine and Bar," we introduce Mr. Sho Kamibeppu, manager of THE SHOESHINE AND BAR. He is a man with a unique career that started as a chef, worked in interior design and finance, and then became a shoeshiner. We take a closer look behind the scenes of his shoeshine style called "Sexy Shoeshine.

How did you become a shoe polisher?

I started my working experience as a cook. I started as a cook at a casual, privately owned Italian restaurant in Nakano. Although I had no cooking experience, I originally loved cooking and had been doing it since I was a teenager. After working there for 5 or 6 years, I moved to another restaurant to hone my skills as a chef. I had a dream of opening my own restaurant someday, but one day I lost my recipe notebook that I had been writing down for a long time, and I decided to change jobs because I wanted to try other jobs.

A local friend of mine was in the interior decorating business and invited me to join him, so I worked there as an interior decorator for about 3 or 4 years. I worked there as an interior decorator for 3 or 4 years. Then another local friend asked me to join him in starting up a company, so I switched to the financial industry. I learned many things there, including asset management.

Talking like this reminds me once again that I am the type of person who goes wherever he feels like doing (laughs). (laugh) I have a tendency to not know what I want until I try it.

I started polishing shoes because I was in the finance business and wore a suit to work, and all the executives I dealt with had beautiful shoes, so I thought I had to take good care of my feet. One day, I learned that there was a world champion shoe polisher in Japan. I was interested in going to a shoeshine shop in Tokyo because it was close to my house.

When I learned about Brift H and actually had Mr. Hasegawa polish my shoes, I was shocked to see how different it was from what I had been doing before. The experience of having my feet polished at the counter was impressive, the space was beautiful, and the gestures were comfortable. After polishing, I thought, "Now my feet are clean, I'm going to work hard!

I was excited and thought, "I hope I can make a living at this job afterwards. I thought it would be great if I could make shoeshine my career. I liked working with my hands, as I had done as a chef and a builder. That's when I decided to become a shoeshiner.

Brift H was not looking for a craftsman at the time, but three days after I had my shoes polished, I went to the store with my resume. I looked at the shifts and ambushed Mr. Hasegawa on the day he was there and gave it to him (laughs). (Laughs). The timing was right that they were looking for a craftsman right now, so I had an interview. After I entered the company, I had a tough time being disciplined by my seniors, but I persevered and did my best.

After I joined the company, a new member came in, so the atmosphere changed as more people joined the company, and we all started to work hard together and managed to overcome the strict guidance. I was amazed at how the seniors kept improving their work, especially on holidays when everyone was working in harmony and quietly. I didn't even have time to talk at that time (laughs).

I learned at that time that the important thing was not to make the shoes shine, although I tended to focus on making them shine. It was hard to get to that point.

Soon after I joined the company, Mr. Hasegawa was closely interviewed by NHK's "Professionals: The Way of Work" and was filmed during the height of the counter polishing exam (Brift H conducts a counter polishing exam before making a debut). I was suddenly being closely followed, and to be honest, I felt like I was getting in the way (laughs). I didn't want to be on TV either, but the director of NHK, Mr. Omori, became very enthusiastic about it and we exchanged lines! I was thinking, "I'm doing my best, but.... I'm doing my best..." I thought as I was being filmed.

I was also filming inside the counter during the counter test, so my arms were hitting the camera and I was having trouble concentrating. I don't have any good memories (laughs). After the broadcast, I was very grateful to hear from people around me and customers that they had seen the show, but my impression through the TV at the time was that I was a "serious person working hard," and I wondered if it was OK that the atmosphere was so different from mine now (laughs).

(Laughs) I have been a shoeshiner for 5 years and 4 months now.

Please tell us about your specialties as a shoe polisher.

I polish right in front of the customer's eyes, so I want the customer to enjoy the process until the finish. I also pay special attention to my manners. I try to move smoothly and beautifully without wasting time so that people can enjoy the process. I make sure that my movements are well balanced, moving slowly when I am moving slowly, and sometimes speeding up the brushing process. Especially when I am polishing water, I want people to pay attention, so I move more dynamically, quickly, and carefully.

I also shine the koba more intensely. We are especially conscious of the shine when seen from the side. As for nourishment, I am conscious of making sure that the cream penetrates the leather well, and I polish it sexily by rubbing it in with my fingers, feeling the texture of the leather. I am strongly conscious of that. Firmer.

What shoes or customer left a lasting impression on you?

I have a customer named Mr. K. He comes to my shop about once every six months, but I am very happy when he says, "It's been a while since I came to talk to you. I think it is one of my characteristics that many of my customers are like that, and I would like to keep my style of counter polishing that way. I have a barbershop that I have been going to for about seven years, and I think it is just like that. I already know that the workmanship is perfect, so I spend time there talking about nothing else and leave feeling good about myself. I will continue to improve my techniques and human skills so that I can increase the number of customers who can enjoy my services at a good distance.

As for my first experience in polishing, I remember my first pair of shoes at the counter, which were monk straps by ALDEN and Chrome Hearts, and I was shocked to see what I had gotten. I thought, "I can wear any shoes I want when I stand at the counter! I thought, "I'm ready for any kind of shoes when I stand at the counter," but I got shoes that exceeded my expectations (laughs). (Laughs) When I was polishing the shoes, I was very careful with the metal fittings. I polished with care, and I was able to get a good polish and the customer was happy. Even now, I am more than happy to make customers happy.

Please tell us about the appeal of THE SHOESHINE & BAR in Toranomon, where you are currently the manager.

The most attractive feature of the Toranomon store is that it is a store with a bar, so the most attractive feature is that we can drink delicious drinks. Everyday I feel that our customers enjoy drinking and chatting with us while eating shoes. I also love to drink and know how much fun it is to drink, so there are topics of conversation that come up only because I am here, and I really enjoy it. Many customers who used to go to the Aoyama Honten also say that they feel more relaxed here, and even if they come early, they can still have a drink and relax afterwards.

We also have an original cocktail called the "Shoe Cocktail," which is a very typical menu item at THE SHOESHINE & BAR. It's so chic to polish John Lobb's shoes while drinking a cocktail named "John Lobb". We want people to enjoy it with shoeshine, and even if you don't usually drink cocktails, I think it's a good opportunity for you.

Many people who polish their shoes decide to try a cocktail, and many of them say, "I've never had a cocktail that tastes so good. I am very happy to hear that many of them say, "I've never had such a delicious cocktail before. Actually, the bartender, Mr. Kengo, is a veteran of more than 30 years in the business and has trained at many famous bars. This is not a bar that he runs on a lark, so I hope everyone will enjoy the cocktails.

I hope that this store will become a place where people can casually order shoeshine, and that it will spread and be enjoyed.

What is your favorite shoeshine tool from Brift H products?

I think it is THE CREAM. It is especially colorless and versatile. It can be used for any kind of shoes, and as a shoe polisher, I can also use it as a hand cream (laughs). (Laughs) I tend to apply it to my hands. I recommend it especially in the winter or when it is dry.

What will he achieve in his chosen profession as a shoeshiner? He loves movies and drinking, and the shoeshine space he creates is a very special space in Brift H. If you are interested, please visit Brift H and have a cup. We hope that those who are interested will experience Sexy Shoe Shine over a drink.