07/04/2026
Yuki is back in 🇯🇵
I think we first met around 2012,
just before opened in 2013.
From the very first moment, it felt incredibly natural.
More than just good chemistry—it was like
we had already known each other for a long time.
I still remember that feeling so clearly.
Back then, Hi-collar was a small space
with two faces—
a café by day, a bar by night.
The concept was to shift the atmosphere
by opening and closing shoji screens,
creating completely different moods
for daytime and nighttime.
At first, there was an idea to go with an
Italian espresso machine and build something like
an American third-wave coffee shop.
But it didn’t feel right to me.
I kept asking myself,
“What’s the meaning of doing this, as me?”
And that’s when it came to me—
the nostalgic Osaka-style kissaten
I had loved since childhood.
Warm, familiar,
a place where people feel close to each other.
Not everyone immediately understood it,
but I was certain
that our guests would.
And right at that moment,
I was introduced to Yuki.
From there, everything started to flow.
Our team naturally became very Kansai-style—
lively, energetic, maybe even a bit too loud (laugh).
I heard there were complaints at first,
but I never wavered.
Because I knew
we were loved by our local guests.
And now—
With Yuki’s return, the timing feels perfect.
At Kyoto National Museum of Modern Art,
there’s a special exhibition celebrating
the 140th anniversary of Takehisa Yumeji.
In fact, the world of “Hi-collar”
was inspired by his illustrations,
reinterpreted through a modern lens.
This beautiful coincidence
just felt too special not to share.
I think I’ll start sharing more stories
about my work and journey here,
little by little.
ユキちゃんが2年ぶりに日本へ。
彼女と初めて会ったのは、2012年頃、2013年に「ハイカラ」がオープンしているから、その少し前。
出会った瞬間から不思議なくらい自然で、相性というより“もともと知ってた”みたいな感覚。
あの日の馴染み方は今でもはっきり覚えている。
当時の「ハイカラ」は昼はカフェ、夜はバーの二毛作。
障子をテレコに開けて、昼と夜で違う表情を見せる。
そんな構想から始まった小さなカフェだった、最初はエスプレッソマシーンを入れてサードウェーブ系のコーヒーショップのような案もあった。でも私の中では、しっくりこなかった。
「じゃあ、私がやる意味って何やろう？」そう思った時に浮かんだのが子供の頃から馴染みのある
“大阪の喫茶店”あたたかくて、人の距離が近い場合。
すべてのタイミングがあった
そして一気に流れが動いた。
ユキちゃんの帰国と同じタイミングで京都国立近代美術館で竹下夢ニが展示されている。実はハイカラの世界観は夢二のイラストからインスピレーションを受けてモダンに再構築したもの。
