Feature: Kazuma Ieiri of partycompany Inc. – An Interview

Creators Behind 『ON THE CORNER』 and 『SUNDAY ISSUE』

Vol. 5: Interview with Kazuma Ieiri of partycompany Inc.

『ON THE CORNER』, a cafe that opened in Shibuya on July 24th, and 『SUNDAY ISSUE』, an art lounge that opened on July 15th. In the final installment of this series, featuring the voices of those involved in creating these two establishments, we speak with Kazuma Ieiri, President and CEO of partycompany Inc., the company operating 『ON THE CORNER』 and 『SUNDAY ISSUE』.

Text & Photo by Naoyuki SASAKI

Creating Playgrounds, Both Online and Off

Kazuma Ieiri founded paperboy & co. in Fukuoka at the age of 22 in 2001. He launched the rental server service "Lolipop!" as a solo venture, growing it into a popular service that supported the boom in personal homepage creation. The company went public on JASDAQ in 2008. In 2010, he established partycompany Inc. and ventured into the food and beverage industry. Currently, he operates 10 establishments, including cafes, restaurants, and art lounges.

—What prompted you to start a business in the food and beverage industry?

Kazuma Ieiri

When I was with paperboy & co., I worked in the Cerulean Tower in Shibuya. The idea for our first cafe, 『HI.SCORE Kitchen』, came about from the simple thought that it would be nice to have a company cafeteria nearby. Coincidentally, a good property became available, and as we were about to start, nothing was decided – not the interior design, not the menu, not who would manage the operations. I had no prior experience in opening a restaurant. However, we found a contractor for the interior, and as I discussed it with them and my friends, more and more people offered to help, and we were able to open the restaurant successfully.

—The internet and the food and beverage industry are completely different fields.

What has remained at my core, unchanged from the past, is the theme of "creating places." That was providing rental servers and web services, and now it's cafes and restaurants. Even though the business format has changed from then to now, my essence hasn't. It's a stance of, "We've made this, please take a look! Let's play together!" Of course, I knew nothing about the food and beverage business, but as I continued, I became serious about it. I also secretly harbored a desire to prove wrong those who thought I was just pursuing this as a hobby.

—Why did you decide to expand into a cafe, gallery, and shared office this time?

For the building housing 『ON THE CORNER』 and 『SUNDAY ISSUE』, and our offices, we initially planned to have only a cafe on the first floor. But by chance, the second floor also became available, so I thought, why not create a gallery here and move our offices too? As for the office space, it's a bit larger than what we need for our current size, so I thought we could make the unused parts into a shared office. Regarding the gallery, I used to paint with oil colors, so it was something I had wanted to do for a while. The image of a cafe, gallery, and shared office all gathered in the heart of Shibuya gradually became a reality. Moreover, the idea that we could also work here was the most exciting part for me.

ON THE CORNER｜SUNDAY ISSUE｜partycompany｜Kazuma Ieiri 03

—How do you hope customers will enjoy these spaces?

The company name, "partycompany Inc.," comes from the idea of collaborating with people of diverse talents on a project-by-project basis. With the creation of 『ON THE CORNER』, 『SUNDAY ISSUE』, and the shared office 『partyground』, I hope that an even wider variety of people will meet here and that many new services and businesses will emerge. Our slogan, "Creating a culture of playful mischief," stems from our belief that interesting things are born from such free connections and play. If 『ON THE CORNER』 and 『SUNDAY ISSUE』 are successful, we'd like to challenge ourselves with a complex shop with a different concept, based on this foundation.

『ON THE CORNER』

『ON THE CORNER』: Enjoying Two Facets as a Cafe and a Coffee & Deli Stand

Upon entering the first-floor entrance, you'll first see the coffee stand 『No.8 BEAR POND』 and the deli takeout counter. Further in, there's the cafe 『ON THE CORNER』 where you can relax and enjoy a meal. On a nice day, you can take out your lunch and enjoy it in the adjacent Mitake Park, or perhaps do some work with Wi-Fi in the cafe during a break between meetings. It seems poised to be a cafe that can be used freely, adapting to the customer's situation at any given moment.

『SUNDAY ISSUE』

『SUNDAY ISSUE』
2F, Mitake Nomura Bldg., 1-17-1 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-3797-1288
Hours: 13:00–24:00 (Last Order 23:00) (Tues-Fri)
12:00–19:00 (Sat, Sun, Holidays)
Closed Mondays
http://www.sunday-issue.com/

『ON THE CORNER』
1F, Mitake Nomura Bldg., 1-17-1 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-6427-7273
Hours: 9:00–02:00 (Last Order 01:00)
http://onthecorner-shibuya.com/