Aneesh Sen gets his shoes buffed and shares a memorable moment with...:

The world's best shoeshine man

"Why don't you come to The Imperial Hotel and see me on the 21st Floor. There is a nice restaurant there, with an outstanding view of the Palace and the gardens. They serve a good lunch buffet as well."

The invitation from my senior associate was tempting and the prospect of stepping into the hallowed portals of the famed Imperial Hotel was enticing as well. The Imperial Hotel is where visiting dignitaries, heads of state, the rich and the famous rest their heads while in Japan.

The hotel - standing tall is the epitome of hospitality and graciousness - taking service standards to a level which the rest of the chains catch up with. It has a unique vantage location in Tokyo - overlooking the breathtakingly beautiful landscaped gardens surrounding the Palace and of course, the Hibiya Park itself.

Lunch with my guest was like a milestone accomplished. The gentleman is among the early Indian settlers in Japan. He said he moved to Japan from bustling Sion in Mumbai when there were just 50 odd Indian families in Japan. Over the last three and a half decades, the situation has morphed itself and there are more than 25,000 Indians today in Tokyo itself.

Art of shoe-shining

My guest narrated how this transformation of the Indian Diaspora has taken place and how the 'Made in India' story is gradually gaining ground. Someone told me jokingly the other day that earlier the opening remark with an Indian in a conversation in Japan was: "Which restaurant do you work in?" Today, a lot of times the question is: "Which IT firm do you work for?"

The meal done in a breeze, I decided to 'explore' the Imperial Hotel. Who knows when I would get the opportunity to visit the place again?

Walking down the stairs into the arcade, a signboard caught my eye. You cannot miss it. It said that the shoeshine service of the Imperial Hotel was acknowledged as an 'experience' and considered among the best in the trade. I remembered that at The Westin Boston, the Shoeshine Corner of Paul is rated among the top ten landmark destinations in Boston. The art of shoe shining has always intrigued me.

There was a queue no doubt. A distinguished looking banker was waiting ahead of me. We got into a conversation and this gentleman said that "Kinchen-san - the shoeshine man" was indeed the best in the world.

On asking how that title of being the best came about, the gentlemen replied: "You will see it yourself - how artistically he does it." The person added that he has visited many shoeshine corners in the US and in Europe, but nobody could match Kinchen-san for his deft moves. The banker took a taxi once every fortnight to visit Kinchen-san. The taxi ride was ¥ 5000 for a service that cost one fifth of that amount. And so I waited.....

Finally I was perched up there on the chair. Kichen-san 'inspected' my shoes like a surgeon examining his patient. Mine was an average brand - probably one of those Made in China stuff, which looked good from the top but inside was more for everyday wear.

Then Kinchen-san unfolded his work of art. With gentle swooshes, he buffed, applied the polish, dabbed some cream, and went on to make the pair look immaculate. The final act was when using some heavy duty buffing cloth, he gave a final touch that he said was his 'trade secret.'

In a place like The Imperial, Kinchen-san spoke reasonably good English. So there was a conversation going-on as he gently caressed my pair. "Who were the famous people he has polished shoes for?" I asked. Kinchen-san said with pride that he has had the privilege of shining the shoes of Lee Kuan Yu - the former Prime Minister of Singapore, Mikhail Gorbachev - the eighth and last leader of the former Soviet Union, Colin Powell - the former US Secretary of State, Hosni Muabarak - fourth President of Egypt and a whole host of other dignitaries. Those were the ones he remembered over his 40-year career at the Imperial Hotel.

Lost art

Kinchen-san added with a tinge of concern: "Today, they make shoes which don't last even a year," adding that Church's and Bally were obviously the best shoes that money could buy. Italian brands had a lot of glitz but they did not last long enough, he opined.

And, while delivering the service, Kinchen-san, went into a melancholy. He told me he had two sons - both of whom were well established now. He worked very hard to give them an education so that they could enjoy the life which he and his wife never could.

With one last swoosh as he finished buffing and tapped the toe, indicating that he was done, he said: "The world is changing. Who knows if my profession will be there for long? "Today, everything is automated and professions like this are a dying business."

The signboard said, ¥ 800 for the 15- minute experience. But, obviously, the time with Kinchen-san was worth far more -an experience that one truly needs to experience.

As I walked up the stairs back to the lobby, I told myself that this surely would be a treasured day for me too.....