〈SUPER LABO STORE TOKYO〉, which opened in 2019, is located in the area of Jinbocho, which is famous as a town of old books. In the early Meiji period, Senshu Gakko (currently Senshu University) and Eikoku Riho Gakko (currently Chuo University) were opened one after another in Jinbocho, and the number of bookstores targeting students increased rapidly, which led to the area becoming known as a town of books and gradually becoming known as a historical landmark of Tokyo. The area is a little out of the city center, so it doesn't seem like the best place to open a shop, but he chose this area, which is steeped in Japan's historical culture, for a reason. “I had a feeling that Jimbocho would change. At first, of course, I thought Shibuya and Harajuku would be good. But at the time, I felt that the flow of people in Jimbocho was decreasing, the amount of publications was dropping, and the secondhand bookshops were declining. So I thought it would be interesting if I could open a new store like ours. When things change, the town naturally becomes more accepting, and since I opened, a skate shop has opened nearby. Pager is a store, but it seems like they opened it because we're so close”. Normally, if you feel that a place is declining, you wouldn't choose to open a store there, but for Hoki, who is opening his eighth store as a business owner, it's not enough to simply ‘make a store a success’. He probably feels a sense of reward in taking on a challenging place that inspires him. He values his own intuition. His intuitive side, which is difficult to explain in words, is similar to the message left by the famous artist in front of the store. “I was running a gallery before I opened this store. When I told Joel Meyerowitz, that famous artist, that I was going to close my gallery, he said that if I did his first, it would make things easier for me later. I wanted to have an eye-catching feature in the shop, and I like neon, so I decided to have a message put on it. In English, we call major artists like him “established artists”, so I started with Joel Meyerowitz and Ed Tempelton as a way of expressing my intention to go both ways, as an established artist and a street artist. Whether you can say yes to what you like without worrying about what others think. Photography is a reflection of oneself, and〈SUPER LABO STORE TOKYO〉is communicating the importance of this.

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  In addition to photo books, the showcase also sells original goods and prints. The main focus is on overseas artists, but there are also some Japanese artists, and there are many rare works that can only be purchased at〈SUPER LABO〉.

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  In addition to photo books, the showcase also sells original goods and prints. The main focus is on overseas artists, but there are also some Japanese artists, and there are many rare works that can only be purchased at〈SUPER LABO〉.

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  In addition to photo books, the showcase also sells original goods and prints. The main focus is on overseas artists, but there are also some Japanese artists, and there are many rare works that can only be purchased at〈SUPER LABO〉.

While other bookstores and stores that specialize in photography books often sell books published by other publishers alongside their own, 〈SUPER LABO STORE TOKYO〉 only sells books that they have published themselves. Usually, stores sell products made by manufacturers. “As we sell them, I often think that they could be made even better. Of course, the best thing for business is to sell your own brand, which is quite difficult. But I think the reason I'm still able to do this is because I've always had the dream of one day making my own brand go global.” Comparing the scale of the market, of course, targeting overseas has a lot of potential as a business, but the risks are also high.But there was a reason why he was willing to take on the challenge. “To compete in a big market, you have to be strong enough to do so. There will be more competitors, and it will be tough to survive. But in the end, I think it all comes down to what you want to become. Do you want to aim for a high school championships in Japan, or do you want to become a world-class player? I think the approach you take will depend on what you aim to achieve. There's nothing wrong with targeting Japan. But if you want to aim at the top, you have to do things in a way that's in line with that. Before I started my own gallery, I spent a year or two traveling around the world, going to local galleries on a whim, asking people for contact details, and meeting artists in person. So I initiated action myself, and when I thought it looked like it might work, I proactively brought up the idea”. It is not easy to fight and survive on the world stage. But what makes it possible is his energy and drive. The power to take action on his own initiative and create something from absolutely nothing. Perhaps it is this power that naturally attracts many photographers to him.

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  The exhibition space is lined with photographs selected by Chad and Hoki. Coming from New York, he expresses the city of New York through the people around him by photographing his friends. Additionally, without using Photoshop, he captures the subjects as they are, so the images reflect the subjects true appearance.

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  The exhibition space is lined with photographs selected by Chad and Hoki. Coming from New York, he expresses the city of New York through the people around him by photographing his friends. Additionally, without using Photoshop, he captures the subjects as they are, so the images reflect the subjects true appearance.

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  The exhibition space is lined with photographs selected by Chad and Hoki. Coming from New York, he expresses the city of New York through the people around him by photographing his friends. Additionally, without using Photoshop, he captures the subjects as they are, so the images reflect the subjects true appearance.

Hoki went to America alone at the age of 17 to pursue a career as a professional tennis player. After returning to Japan, he taught tennis as a coach, but later went on to open a café bar, a chocolate shop, and a furniture shop, and is currently involved in publishing. He also has a background as a canoe racer. At first glance, it seems like he has done completely different things in each of these fields, but he says that his approach to business has been consistent. “It's a business of sensitivity, or rather, it's something that's been consistent in my mind, like, 'If I do this, my life will be enriched. ' But I knew how difficult it was to get people to buy something, no matter how cheap it was. It's not enough to just be pretty. There's a big difference between knowing the difficulties involved and thinking that people will buy something just because it looks cool. You have to know the meaning of paying even 100 yen.” It's not just about pursuing a cool appearance or atmosphere, but about understanding the true essentials. This may seem like an obvious thing to say, but hearing it from Hoki, who knows a lot about the difficulties of running a business, made me feel like I was being reminded of its importance. The café-bar and chocolate store he ran in the past were so famous that they were covered by TV programs and magazines. Having achieved success in so many different fields, has Hoki ever had any major failures? “Americans are incredibly positive. They're positive without any context. When you lose a game, you think about why you couldn't win, but people over there think about how they can win next time. They're always assuming that they'll win. Whether you think of it as a setback because things didn't go well or not is up to you. For people who are always trying, there's no end. Before the interview, Hoki had been to Dover Paris for MiuMiu's Lotta signing event, and to Romar House in Hawaii for the premiere and book launch of Alto Sarri with VICE. His attitude of not just being a publisher, but also trying out a variety of things from different angles, and his energy, are truly inspiring. When I asked him about his future plans, he replied with a characteristic answer: “I want to get back into canoe racing before I turn 70.” As always, Hoki has been a winner. We can't take our eyes off the future of 〈SUPER LABO〉, which continues to take on new challenges without stopping.