12 Rue Jacob
At 12 Rue Jacob, we opened our Paris store in May 2018. This location in the 6th arrondissement of Paris is near the Saint-Germain-des-Prés Church, said to be the oldest church in Paris, as well as famous cafes like Café de Flore and Café Les Deux Magots, frequented by Sartre, Beauvoir, Hemingway, Alain Delon, Catherine Deneuve, Karl Lagerfeld, and others. It is an area often described as quintessentially Parisian, with the house where Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin once lived still standing nearby.
There is also a song called "Rue Jacob" by my beloved Kazuhiko Kato. This area is filled with galleries, particularly those dealing in antiques that feel ancient, and next to our store, there is a gallery displaying items that look like they belong in a museum.
Japan in Paris
In recent years, this area has become a gathering place for shops that genuinely convey the essence of Japan. For example, I love the soba restaurant "YEN" where they hand-make soba in front of the store. I always visit on the first day of my trips to Paris. When they opened in 2000, they helped me gather tools like griddles for our Kappabashi store and delivered them to a designated warehouse in Shibaura. I never imagined at that time that we would open a store in Paris, making it a deeply emotional experience.
Exterior of YEN (top) and hand-made soba (bottom).
Additionally, there is a gallery called "1st and 7th" that handles hard-to-find pottery by artists in Japan, and "AREA Paris" on the same Rue Jacob, which designs high-quality furniture and fixtures as a Japanese interior brand. In the neighboring area, there is a concept store called "Biën;" run by a friend that conveys Japanese cosmetics, pottery, and culture. The interior shop "BOLANDO" even sells tatami mats, and there are two delicious ramen shops nearby.
Map around KAMA-ASA Paris
KAMA-ASA's first overseas branch opens in Paris
It was by chance that we opened our store in such a place in 2018, but this location was actually where we first held a pop-up shop overseas in 2014. At that time, we used a gallery run by a friend for the pop-up, and later, when they moved, the space became available, and we were invited to take it over, leading us to where we are now.
KAMA-ASA's first overseas pop-up 'Japanese Knives and Their Background -EXPOSITION VENTE DE COUTEAUX JAPONAIS-'. This was held at a place that was then called "NAKANIWA" (photo taken in 2014)
The second and third overseas pop-ups were held in May and December 2016 at Atelier Blanmant in Paris (photo taken in 2016). We have since held a couple more pop-up events in Paris.
The four years from the first pop-up to the actual store opening were marked by a clear goal of establishing a physical store, during which we held up to two pop-ups a year. Looking back, it was an incredible amount of effort and energy. I am deeply grateful to the friends who supported me through such a seemingly impossible endeavor, and they continue to pour their efforts into it even now.
Beyond the gate facing Rue Jacob, a courtyard opens up, with the KAMA-ASA Paris store on the right.
Currently, the Paris store is operated by three unique and talented members. Although Tokyo and Paris are physically distant, I am grateful for the miracle of being able to work together while looking towards the same light. At 12 Rue Jacob, many more things are sure to be born in this important place. It's a bit far, but if you have the chance, please visit!
KAMA-ASA PARIS
Address: 12 Rue Jacob, 75006 Paris, France
Closed: Wednesdays, Sundays, and public holidays
