[Held on Friday, March 20] 15th Mercado Rico (Mercado Rico)〜 A gathering of bakeries and coffee shops! A market launched by Tamashima Shinkin Bank to support local restaurants

As spring approaches, opportunities to go out are increasing.

“Bread” is an easy food to enjoy when you’re out and about.
Okayama Prefecture is said to be a region with high bread consumption, with Soja City known as a city of bread.

Here’s an event that bread lovers won’t want to miss.

What is “Mercado Rico”?

“Mercado Rico” is a market event held once every three months in the open space at Achi Terrace Kurashiki.

In Spanish, “Mercado” means “market,” while “Rico” means “rich” or “delicious,” so together the name means “delicious market” in Japanese.

The event is organized by Tamashima Shinkin Bank.
A market organized by a shinkin bank may be unusual, but the event was launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It began in 2022 to support local restaurants, make effective use of the open space at Achi Terrace Kurashiki, and bring more activity to the area.

One feature of Mercado Rico is that each event has a theme. Past themes have ranged from straightforward ones such as craft beer and Japanese sweets to more unusual ideas, including shops recommended by female Tamashima Shinkin Bank employees and a collaboration among seven shinkin banks in the prefecture.

The next event will be the 15th, with 11 distinctive shops gathered under the theme “Bakery & Cafe.”

For details, including information about participating vendors, see the images below.

Interview with Sakata Toshiaki of Tamashima Shinkin Bank

We spoke with Sakata Toshiaki of the Business Planning Department at Tamashima Shinkin Bank, who plans and runs the event.

Could you tell us how the “Mercado Rico” event came about?

Sakata (honorific omitted)

It originally began because restaurants were having a very difficult time during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a social solution to support businesses while reducing the risk of infection, we planned an event that could be held outdoors in an open setting.

Also, the open space at Achi Terrace Kurashiki, which opened in October 2021, was not being used much at the time. We started the event to support restaurants while also making use of the space.

In fact, we do not charge vendors a participation fee. Our staff take care of everything, from providing tents and setting up and taking down on the day, to helping each shop with sales.

We have a strong desire to help build social capital—connections between people—and bring more activity to the area by creating reasons for people to gather, meet one another, and connect with local shops.

What are the highlights this time, or the points you especially want people to notice?

Sakata

The main theme this time is “bread.” Many bakeries recommended by our branches will be participating.

Mercado Rico is held once every quarter, but during the hot season it can be difficult to handle bread, including managing the products. March is a pleasant time to go out, and this is a long-awaited event—we’ve been talking for some time about wanting to hold an event featuring bread and coffee.

What would you like visitors to take away from this event?

Sakata

It’s important for people to know that Tamashima Shinkin Bank is involved in initiatives like this, but above all, we want them to learn about the shops taking part.

Our greatest hope is that they’ll think, “I’d like to go eat there again,” or “I’d like to visit the shop itself next time.”

Finally, do you have a message for our readers?

Sakata

Many bakeries are participating this time, so if you come to Achi Terrace Kurashiki, you can enjoy the flavors of all the shops in one place.

March is here, and the weather is gradually getting warmer, so we hope many people will come by.

From the Writer

Among the many markets held, bread is a popular category. It’s probably because it’s easy to browse and buy from multiple vendors, and you can take your purchases home.

If you love bread and coffee, visit Achi Terrace Kurashiki on March 20.
Some items may sell out early, so if there’s a particular bread you want, we recommend arriving early.

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