Discover the Victoria Eggs x Maruzen collection - a British-made tribute to Japan’s beloved 100-year-old short story "Lemon," hand-drawn by Victoria and available exclusively at Maruzen’s iconic Kyoto bookshop.
Last year, Victoria was approached by one of Japan’s most storied booksellers Maruzen to collaborate on something rather special: a collection to celebrate 100 years of "Lemon" (檸檬, Remon), the much-loved short story by Motojirō Kajii.
Founded in 1869, Maruzen has been a pioneer in bringing Western literature and culture to Japan. Though the flagship store sits in Tokyo, it’s the Kyoto branch that holds the nation’s heart, and it’s here where our story truly begins.
"Lemon" has a special place in the bookshop’s history due to Maruzen being featured when the narrator wanders into the store in Kyoto, picks up a lemon he’d bought earlier and places it on top of a precarious stack of foreign art books he’s built on a display table. This became the inspiration for the collection.
The collection includes beautiful hand-drawn Tote Bags, Bookmarks and Keyrings depicting the famous bookshop and of course, the pile of books with the Lemon sat proudly on top. Just like in the book, these small meaningful objects have been placed thoughtfully in the bookshop setting and you can also shop the collection online at Maruzen’s store
Photo courtesy of Maruzen
"Lemon" became such a cultural touchstone in Japan that when the Kyoto store closure was announced in 2005, fans reportedly left lemons behind in tribute and sales of the book also increased sharply as a result with life imitating literature.
Photo courtesy of inside kyoto (insidekyoto.com)
With the store reopening in 2015, "Lemon" is still referenced to this day, so if you find yourself in Kyoto, do pick up a copy of "Lemon" alongside your Victoria Eggs pieces - you’ll be given a commemorative stamp as a lovely nod to the story’s setting. It’s the little details like this that make a moment worth remembering.