Head into town and you’ll meet someone you know
It’s been a year since illustrator Rui Nakamura moved from the town where he was born and raised to the neighboring city of Nagano. He says that since moving here, he has made friends all over the city, so much so that he suddenly bumps into them when walking around.
“I come to the neighborhood cafe “NorthSouthEastWest” about once a week. I come here to read books and clear my head. The owner, Kojima-san, commissioned me to create original goods when I started out illustrating.”
Rui’s “essence” – namely the store’s trademark signboard, hand-painted letters “OMIYAGE”/ “REJI,” hand towels and staff T-shirts – all combine to create a gently relaxing atmosphere in the dignified interior of the renovated vintage building.
Kojima-san chuckles upon being introduced as a drinking buddy despite their age difference. “I tend to work too hard at the store,” he says, “so I felt healed by Rui and the slackness of his drawings, and wanted to incorporate it. In other words, I fell in love with it.”
After promising to meet Kojima-san for drinks later this evening, Rui headed for the Zenkoji Temple, and the Nagano Prefectural Museum of Art. Rui cheerfully commented that the rig FOOTWEAR “moja” series allows him to stride with ease up the steep inclines to his destinations.
“I didn’t set out to be an illustrator, so in the beginning, I was too reserved. There were many things I didn’t understand, and I wrestled with it day in and day out. But when I started drawing rough sketches, it became easier. I thought I could just scribble in a loose, everyday doodle-like style.”
With that said, Rui started a rough sketch. Within a few minutes, the eloquent stone lanterns and Togakushi mountains were down on paper.
“Don’t get confused, I’m an illustrator rather than an artist. I have to come up with what the brief says.”
Here thanks to the grace of folk, fate and serendipity
Rui’s foray into illustrating all began when a friend contacted him after seeing one of his sketches posted on SNS. He is evidently grateful to those who have helped him along the way: “It just happened out of the blue, luckily for me.”
This was the first of a series of coincidences that culminated in Rui and fellow illustrator Zagiyama-san setting up their store “POOLSIDE”. The place has the pleasant ambiance of a toy box, thanks to the copious stuffed teddy bears and hand-made vases that complement the original goods.
“A friend told me about this four-story building, and I had a gut feeling about it and decided to move in. I knew I couldn’t live here by myself, so I invited Zakiyama to join me. I wasn’t thinking of opening a store, but I was just lucky to have the space available.”
“POOLSIDE” started off in such a casual manner and naturally blended in with the town. They even hold a “drawing club” on an ad-hoc basis at a major hamburger chain where they draw free illustrations with customers. This has given rise to casual associations that traverse boundaries of age or gender.
“We also sell goods created by younger kids who come to the store and become friends. I don’t know what they usually do or where, but it’s just a conversation that goes something like: ‘That’s great, we should stock that.”
“I just like to call out what is good, regardless of status, reputation, and so on. I don’t feel comfortable with this tendency to think that what someone else says is good or what is the same as everyone else’s is good. I think it is important to have a style that allows you to find and deepen what you like.”
It was already 3:00pm when he invited us to a wine bar called “BIRD”. “I was there last night, but there’s a great place that serves natural wine.” True to form, when we entered, Rui was immediately busy saying hello to all the familiar faces who happened to be gathered there.
Nagano, a place where the more you walk the more friends you make
“Whenever I come here, I am bound to run into someone. Nagano is that kind of place, or rather, because it is compact, you can meet people you know as soon as you step out the door. I work alone during the day, so it is always refreshing to have a drink and talk with someone in the evening, even if it is only for a short period of time. I can forget about work and just shoot the breeze.”
“Everyone soon becomes a friend,” – no sooner has he said it, Rui’s buddies start showing up at the bar one after another, as if on cue. I have an inkling that new friendships may be born this evening as well.
【Spot List】
1. NorthSouthEastWest
Shinryo Center Building 1F, 1607-12 Midoricho Tsuruga, Nagano-shi
TEL：02-6219-3319
2. Zenkoji
491 Nagano Motozen-cho, Nagano-shi
TEL：02-6234-3591
3. Nagano Prefectural Museum of Art
1-4-4 Hakoshimizu, Nagano-shi
TEL：050-5542-8600
4. POOLSIDE
2341 Tsuruga Gondo-cho, Nagano-shi
5. BIRD
2238 Tsuruga, Nagano-shi
TEL：02-6217-7020
Rui Nakamura
Illustrator. Born in Nagano, 1995. After 7 years as a desk jockey, has been working as an illustrator mainly in Nagano Prefecture since 2020. He started doing client work and exhibiting his paintings from 2022 and also works on goods, illustrations, packages, logos, among others. He also opened “POOLSIDE” store in Nagano City with a friend in June 2022, which sells clothes and sundry goods that incorporate his illustrations.
Instagram：@ruinakamura_1995
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