Casio
By Adam Craniotes
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in Tok yo
Take a walk with us through
the city’s Harajuku district of
the Shibuya ward with Casio’s
head of design Ryusuke Moriai
to learn about how the city
inspires his watch designs.
T
okyo is a big city. Really big. It’s so big, in fact, that it’s not a
including, but by no means limited to, the infamous F-91W and the
actually a city at all, but rather a “metropolitan prefecture”,
DBC-600 calculator watch (see above).
comprised of twenty-three wards, each of which is governed
But it was with G-Shock that he was able to let his imagination
as a separate city in its own right. In turn, these wards are comprised
run wild. He created some of the brand’s most timeless and interest-
of distinct districts that have their own unique feel and flavor. The total
ing designs. When you take into account that G-Shock alone has sold
population of all the wards combined exceeds fourteen million, and it
more than 90 million watches since its inception, that’s really saying
together they make up largest metropolitan economy in the world.
something. And yet Moriai-san remains one of the most unassuming
Like we said, it’s a big city.
and humble people you could ever hope to meet.
As such, it goes without saying that Tokyo is ripe with the sort
of varied influences that spark the creative juices. Indeed, Japanese
Hep Cat
culture–and that of Tokyo itself–looms large on the world fashion and
Our walk began in the Shibuya Ward on Cat Street in the hip Harajuku
design stage, and this can be seen as clearly on the runway as it can
district, so named because of all the — you guessed it — cats,
on the wrist. To this end, we spent the day walking through the Hara-
which used to populate the area. In recent times, Harajuku has
juku district of the Shibuya ward with Casio’s head of design, Ryusuke
become synonymous with cutting-edge Japanese fashion and pop
Moriai, to learn more about the city that inspires the designs of some
culture. This is where Moriai-san has found inspiration for some of his
of the most iconic watches in the world.
more colorful designs.
The neighborhood is known for its numerous cafes, ubiquitous
Design chops
street vending machines and, of course, fashion boutiques. A veritable
Moirai-san began his career with Casio in 1985, just two years after
oasis of calm amid the neighboring thoroughfares, it still bustles with
Kikuo Ibe created the first G-Shock. Over the course of the next three
its own infectious energy. We stopped by a sticker store (these are
decades, he was responsible for some of the most famous Casios,
very popular in Japan), a trendy fashion boutique, and yes, even a
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