An Adventure Concerning the "Bathe Cross"

Ishikawa: So this time I should talk about the old days of Hunting World, right?

That's right.

Ishikawa: Well, since it's about the past, I'll do my best to remember (laughs).

According to Mr. Takeshi Matsuyama in our previous interview, the first Japanese media person to cover Hunting World was Jiro Ishikawa, who was the editor-in-chief of "Made in U.S.A. Catalog."

Ishikawa: Right. The first edition, released in 1975, was covered by myself, the late Hisashi Terasaki (editor), and Yusuke Baba (cameraman). The second edition in 1976 included Takeshi Matsuyama and Yasuhiko Kobayashi (illustrator).

＿＿＿That's why Mr. Matsuyama also said that you, Mr. Ishikawa, are probably the one person who can best talk about the dawn of Hunting World in Japan (laughs). By the way, were you familiar with the brand name even before the 'Made in U.S.A. catalog'?

Ishikawa: We covered the 'Made in U.S.A. catalog' in 1974, and back then, it wasn't the convenient age where you could gather information online beforehand, so it was mostly fieldwork with little prior research. We had some collaborators locally, but we were mostly an amateur team. However, the Hunting World bags were on my mind. I didn't know the details though. Actually, I had a friend who owned one.

＿＿＿Who was that?

Ishikawa: Kazumi Kurigami!

＿＿＿No way! He's a master photographer Japan is proud of!

Ishikawa: He bought it at a store in New York and was using it. Mr. Kurigami was the discoverer of Hunting World.

＿＿＿He himself is incredibly stylish and cool, so that makes sense.

Ishikawa: For him, it wasn't about "discovering" it; he probably just bought it because it was a convenient bag, but we were very curious about it. When we asked, "What bag is this?" he told us it was Hunting World. Of course, it was a name I'd never heard before.

＿＿＿Was that the so-called Batue cloth type?

Ishikawa: No, it was made of what we now call PVC material, which is often used in brand-name handbags. I think it was called "Leatherlux." It looked very clean because it didn't have the monogram like other brands, and the color, design, and material all felt very good. I thought, "I definitely have to cover this when I go to New York!" But I had no idea what kind of brand it was. I even looked up the address after I arrived (laughs). I quickly found out it was on East 53rd Street, though.

＿＿＿That's a research style unimaginable today (laughs).

Ishikawa: Of course, I went into the store without an appointment for the interview. The founder, Bob Lee, was there, and he was happy to grant the interview. He wasn't used to interviews, but he was very kind. Although it had only been open for about a year at the time, I was surprised to see so many different kinds of bags lined up. The product lineup consisted mainly of "Leatherlux" bags, apparel like safari jackets, and miscellaneous goods that he liked. He started a business from scratch, with a good store in a good location in Manhattan, handling a solid lineup of products, so he's an amazing person. The elephant leather attaché case that Bob Lee is holding in this photo cost 3,000 dollars, so it was quite a luxury-oriented brand even back then.

＿＿＿The store looks quite upscale too!

Ishikawa Yes. At first, it had the atmosphere of a long-established, historic store, to the point where I almost mistook it for one. He was very good at that kind of branding. However, I couldn't have predicted the subsequent expansion of Hunting World. I never thought it would become such a popular brand.

＿＿＿What was the response to the magazine?

Ishikawa Initially, I don't think Bob Lee was particularly interested in our publication, and I don't think he had high expectations. However, a year later, when I went to his store for the second edition of "Made in U.S.A. Catalog," he literally ran over when he saw me (laughs). He said, "I've received so many letters from Japan, where I don't know anyone," and showed me a stack of letters. He was surprised by the unexpected huge response. That's when he consulted me about expanding into Japan.

＿＿＿That's an incredible change in circumstances in just one year!

Ishikawa I looked at those letters, and they were all from famous companies. Major trading companies and department stores all reacted at once. And since he had no connections or knowledge in Japan, he asked me which company would be best. I remember recommending Seibu Department Store, with whom I happened to have a deep relationship. I told him it was a department store that was good at grasping trends and had the power to sell new products. Seibu definitely handled Hunting World for a while in its early days, didn't it?

＿＿＿Is that so! I'm surprised to hear that Mr. Ishikawa was involved in its expansion into Japan.

Ishikawa Although on a different scale, I provided many business opportunities here and there (laughs).

＿＿＿Did you yourself often use Hunting World bags, Mr. Ishikawa?

Ishikawa They were quite expensive, so I couldn't afford one at the time.

＿＿＿I hear they were priced similarly to bags from French luxury brands.

Ishikawa Yes. Bob Lee said they were made in a factory in France. That was his selling point back then.

＿＿＿Wow, that corroborates the theory of Hunting World's French roots, which Mr. Matsuyama also mentioned! Apparently, they're made in Italy now. I guess they were aiming for the luxury market from the very beginning.

French "Leatherlax" carry-all

Ishikawa: Back then, New York had Abercrombie & Fitch, didn't it? It's completely changed now, but back then it was a luxury hunting goods store patronized by Hemingway. I wonder if Hunting World was trying to capture that mature sport of hunting from a more fashionable perspective? Although the design is casual, it's not what you'd call American casual. It was positioned as luxury sports, or luxury travel.

＿＿＿Were luxury brand bags like Louis Vuitton and Gucci recognized in the Japanese market back then?

Ishikawa: No, only a very small number of people knew about them. There weren't many good bags back then; I was even using a canvas fishing shoulder bag made in England. However, popular photographers like Yoshihiro Tatsuki and Kazumi Kurigami were already using overseas brand bags, and I think Hunting World was probably seen as "good because it's plain" among them (laughs).

＿＿＿So they were one or two steps ahead (laughs).

Ishikawa: That's right. As I just said, back then, Hunting World mainly used "Leatherlax," a PVC material used by other luxury brands, but when they decided to expand globally, they probably chose to promote BATTUE® cloth. It's more unique.

＿＿＿I see, and that's how BATTUE® cloth grew to become a staple of Hunting World.

Ishikawa: Bob Lee was a master of branding.

＿＿＿But it's fascinating that after half a century, those BATTUE-CLOTH bags are once again gaining popularity among core fashion enthusiasts.

Ishikawa It truly is interesting.

＿＿＿I'm sure the "Made in U.S.A catalog" spawned countless stories like that, not just about Hunting World. And it even changed the landscape of Japan. I think it was significant that it wasn't "Made in U.K." or "Made in FRANCE."

Ishikawa If it were France or the UK, it would have had a slightly different meaning. For us back then, it was the country of America and its changes that were interesting. Even though "Made in U.S.A catalog" was a catalog, it wasn't just a magazine introducing products. It was trying to express the lifestyle of young people through products.

^{Jiro Ishikawa's office is filled with products from his great career as an editor. A: Alberto Korda (top left), Elliott Erwitt (bottom left), Peter Lindbergh (center), Kazuyoshi Miyoshi (right)... All the photos displayed on Ishikawa's wall are original prints gifted by the photographers! B: A work by Yasuhiko Kobayashi, a pioneer of illustrated reportage. They met in the late 1960s when Ishikawa was an editor for Heibon Punch, and they are close friends who traveled to America together. C: A Beretta hunting jacket from the firearms manufacturer founded in the 16th century. A little-known masterpiece that cannot be bought in Japan. D: "A History of Japanese Contemporary Fashion: Japan Fashion Chronicle Insight Guide 1945-2021," which unravels 75 years of fashion history from the post-war period to the present day. Jiro Ishikawa was in charge of the editorial direction.}