Kenzo Takada (2) Growing up at the foot of Himeji Castle

I was born in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, on Feb. 27, 1939, as the signs of an impending war in the Pacific were growing stronger.

We lived in Umegae-cho, just north of Himeji Castle, with its beautiful white towers soaring like a heron into the sky. Our home was in the red-light district, where my parents ran an entertainment establishment called the Naniwaro.