2011年02月23日
Revitalizing the “Mall”
My explorations of Takamatsu’s central “shopping mall” took me to Tokiwa-gai. One of the last additions to what is now Japan’s longest shopping arcade (2.7km total), the Tokiwa district grew up around an entertainment area complete with a playhouse, movie theaters and an elegant Japanese inn (Tokiwa Saryo, see Dec. 30 article). Tokiwa, however, was also the first section of the shopping arcade to suffer from the popularization of the car and the influx of large malls and amusement centers in areas with cheaper real estate. At least five movie theaters, two department stores and many shops and boutiques in Tokiwa went out of business from the mid-1990s, leaving the streets lined with closed shutters.
This row of vending machines camouflages an abandoned department store.
The area on the left is a rent-able event space at the entrance of another defunct department store.
Over the last few years, however, signs of new life have been cropping up. Many second hand and vintage clothing stores (such as the ones in the photos below) are thriving in the old shopping arcade, acting as magnets for younger shoppers.
The arcade is also home to an organic farmers’ market that attracts young and old alike.
Several live houses (one in an old movie theater) have opened as venues for up and coming bands and many younger entrepreneurs have started up new businesses. Here are just a few that I found.
Make Merry
Established in 2006, Make Merry calls itself a “box gallery”. Local artists and artisans can rent space such as a display box, a shelf, a piece of wall, etc. to display their wares.
Like “little shops” within the larger shop, the displays can become a springboard for the artist or artisan to become known and eventually set up their own shop.
Miyake-san, who runs the store, is always friendly and welcoming and she is a great source of info about what’s going on in town.
There is also a small café space where you can rest, read, get creative or participate in a workshop. Just so you don’t get lost, here’s a photo of the entrance. Make Merry is located in an area called Yoncho Patio upstairs from Pon Poko, a restaurant and baked goods outlet run by and for people with disabilities (good food at reasonable prices).
Ruff House
Miyake-san told me about this bar and live house, located just across the street from Make Merry.
The interior has a great retro décor and, like Make Merry, an interesting and friendly owner.
His name is Konjo-san, and he is a singer, songwriter and music lover himself. Music rather than drinking is the main focus. He has 15,000 songs on his music machine and customers can make requests. He also provides space for professional musicians to perform live, selecting performers via demo tapes submitted from all over Japan. As you can see below, they have left their mark on his walls!
AUN
Many interesting boutiques and shops have also opened up along the side streets of Tokiwa arcade so it’s definitely worth branching out and exploring. If you do, you’ll find little treasures like Aun.
The owner, Satoh-san (photo below), stocks her store with select designs in clothing, accessories and other items.
For example, Aun is the only shop in Kagawa that carries Cropped Heads, a clothing line created by kimono artists with decades of experience. Their original designs are hand painted and embroidered. (See the Aun blog for photos of recent additions. http://ameblo.jp/aun2006/theme-10015548431.html )
Other examples include Yokang, fashion designs that use traditional dye techniques from Okinawa, and Jim Silver accessories. If those are beyond your price range, Aun also carries more affordable items such as original postcard art that sells for only JPY105 a piece.
Not to mention stencil art produced by Satoh-san herself.
These are just a few examples of what’s out there. If you get a chance to go out and explore central Takamatsu, let me know what you find.
For those of you who read Japanese, more information about the above shops is available at the following.
Make Merry blog: http://boxgallery-makemerry.no-blog.jp/blog/
Ruff House HP: http://barruffhouse.jp/default.aspx
AUN blog: http://ameblo.jp/aun2006/theme-10015548431.html
This row of vending machines camouflages an abandoned department store.
The area on the left is a rent-able event space at the entrance of another defunct department store.
Over the last few years, however, signs of new life have been cropping up. Many second hand and vintage clothing stores (such as the ones in the photos below) are thriving in the old shopping arcade, acting as magnets for younger shoppers.
The arcade is also home to an organic farmers’ market that attracts young and old alike.
Several live houses (one in an old movie theater) have opened as venues for up and coming bands and many younger entrepreneurs have started up new businesses. Here are just a few that I found.
Make Merry
Established in 2006, Make Merry calls itself a “box gallery”. Local artists and artisans can rent space such as a display box, a shelf, a piece of wall, etc. to display their wares.
Like “little shops” within the larger shop, the displays can become a springboard for the artist or artisan to become known and eventually set up their own shop.
Miyake-san, who runs the store, is always friendly and welcoming and she is a great source of info about what’s going on in town.
There is also a small café space where you can rest, read, get creative or participate in a workshop. Just so you don’t get lost, here’s a photo of the entrance. Make Merry is located in an area called Yoncho Patio upstairs from Pon Poko, a restaurant and baked goods outlet run by and for people with disabilities (good food at reasonable prices).
Ruff House
Miyake-san told me about this bar and live house, located just across the street from Make Merry.
The interior has a great retro décor and, like Make Merry, an interesting and friendly owner.
His name is Konjo-san, and he is a singer, songwriter and music lover himself. Music rather than drinking is the main focus. He has 15,000 songs on his music machine and customers can make requests. He also provides space for professional musicians to perform live, selecting performers via demo tapes submitted from all over Japan. As you can see below, they have left their mark on his walls!
AUN
Many interesting boutiques and shops have also opened up along the side streets of Tokiwa arcade so it’s definitely worth branching out and exploring. If you do, you’ll find little treasures like Aun.
The owner, Satoh-san (photo below), stocks her store with select designs in clothing, accessories and other items.
For example, Aun is the only shop in Kagawa that carries Cropped Heads, a clothing line created by kimono artists with decades of experience. Their original designs are hand painted and embroidered. (See the Aun blog for photos of recent additions. http://ameblo.jp/aun2006/theme-10015548431.html )
Other examples include Yokang, fashion designs that use traditional dye techniques from Okinawa, and Jim Silver accessories. If those are beyond your price range, Aun also carries more affordable items such as original postcard art that sells for only JPY105 a piece.
Not to mention stencil art produced by Satoh-san herself.
These are just a few examples of what’s out there. If you get a chance to go out and explore central Takamatsu, let me know what you find.
For those of you who read Japanese, more information about the above shops is available at the following.
Make Merry blog: http://boxgallery-makemerry.no-blog.jp/blog/
Ruff House HP: http://barruffhouse.jp/default.aspx
AUN blog: http://ameblo.jp/aun2006/theme-10015548431.html
My Profile
Cathy Hirano キャシー ヒラノ
I've lived in Japan since 1978. After graduating from a Japanese university with a BA in cultural anthropology in 1983, I worked as a translator in a Japanese consulting engineering firm in Tokyo for several years. My Japanese husband and I moved to Takamatsu in 1987 to raise our two children in a slower-paced environment away from the big city pressures. We've never regretted it. I work as a freelance translator and interpreter and am involved in a lot of community work, including volunteering for Second Hand, a local NGO that supports educational and vocational training initiatives in Cambodia, and for the Takamatsu International Association. I love living in Takamatsu.
Cathy Hirano キャシー ヒラノ
I've lived in Japan since 1978. After graduating from a Japanese university with a BA in cultural anthropology in 1983, I worked as a translator in a Japanese consulting engineering firm in Tokyo for several years. My Japanese husband and I moved to Takamatsu in 1987 to raise our two children in a slower-paced environment away from the big city pressures. We've never regretted it. I work as a freelance translator and interpreter and am involved in a lot of community work, including volunteering for Second Hand, a local NGO that supports educational and vocational training initiatives in Cambodia, and for the Takamatsu International Association. I love living in Takamatsu.
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