Usain Bolt, Hublot Ambassador, 8-time Olympic Champion and 11-time World Champion, travelled all the way to Kyoto in order to celebrate the opening of the new boutique.
The grand opening event started with the champion appearing with children, followed by Hublot’s announcement to donate 1.5 million JPY (about 13,100CHF) to Gion. Bolt and Hublot then created a charity run, whereby Hublot agreed to add 500,000 JPY to the donation if total record of 5 children’s time beats Bolt’s 100m record with 9.58secs. The 14.8 sec result was close but regrettably was not able to break the legend’s record. Nevertheless, Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe spontaneously changed the check’s amount to 2 million JPY. The check was presented to Gion Minamigawa Chiku Machizukuri Kyogikai, a non-profit organization which maintains the historical scenery in the Gion area and preserves traditional Japanese culture to next generations.
Usain Bolt and Ricardo Guadalupe, alongside Mr. Tatsuya Yoshimoto (President of Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Store), and Miwa Sakai (Hublot’s Asia Pacific Regional Director), then performed Kagami-biraki ceremony. The traditional Japanese ceremony involves opening a specially designed sake barrel with a wooden mallet to invoke good fortune.
In the evening, Hublot hosted a gala dinner attended by more than 150 VIP guests to celebrate the opening of the Hublot Boutique Kyoto at Shogunzuka Seiryuden, located on the mountaintop of Higashiyama where an entire view of Kyoto city can be enjoyed. A raffle was held and Usain Bolt’s signed valuable items were presented to the lucky winners.
Hublot Boutique Kyoto
Once you enter through the traditional noren curtain with the Hublot logo, you are in a totally new world of Hublot fused with Japanese culture. Paying respect to the traditional architectural style of Machiya, typical local materials such as wickerwork, bamboo and Japanese paper customized with Hublot monograms are used throughout the interior, while the ground floor is decorated with various artworks of Hublot watches in a colorful pop-art style. In contrast, the first floor offers a more tranquil atmosphere with spaciously a laid-out VIP lounge with custom-made sofas upholstered with Nishijin Brocade and Hublot’s first tearoom with a custom-made black “tatami” mat printed with Hublot monogram, adding the brand’s essence to the traditional space in Kyoto.
The first floor is also used for showcasing the most recent collection and innovations under seasonal themes. In October, customers can enjoy an exhibition of Hublot’s iconic materials around the theme of “The Art of Fusion”. Going forward, exhibitions and events will be scheduled on a regular basis.
Visitors will find something that will suit their taste from the wide range of Hublot collections offered at the Kyoto boutique. The boutique will have the iconic “Big Bang” and “Classic Fusion” as well as Hublot watches exclusively created for the Kyoko boutique. In addition, the “Hublot World Limited Collection” with rare models from around the world which have never been available in Japan previously will be showcased. Customers who purchase the the Hublot Boutique Kyoko will be offered a special Hublot fan designed by Miyawaki Baisen-an as a gift.
