We spoke with Tomohiro Matsushita, chair of the Harenomino Kurashiki organizing committee, and Yasumasa Saito, a committee member.
What inspired you to start Harenomino Kurashiki?
Matsushita
I heard about other bar events and thought they sounded really fun.
No one was doing anything like that in Kurashiki, so we looked into whether we could organize one ourselves, then invited some shops we knew to take part and held the event.
I guess the main inspiration was that it sounded fun.
How was it when you held the first event?
Matsushita
It was fun.
Lots of customers came out into town, and there were lines. It was like a festival for restaurants.
It was very rewarding.
I think we’ve been able to keep it going all this time because of that sense of accomplishment.
How have customers responded?
Matsushita
We’ve received a huge increase in heartfelt messages saying, “I’m looking forward to it again this year.”
That makes us happy.
Saito
That’s the kind of feedback you get after holding it several times.
Can people who don’t drink alcohol take part?
Matsushita
Of course.
We ask every participating shop to make sure they offer non-alcoholic drinks.
Cafes are popular too, and lots of families come during the day.
For Hare-kura, the shops offer their food and drinks at “barely break-even” prices.
You should be more than satisfied with food and a non-alcoholic drink.
It’s also nice to be able to visit shops that you might not usually feel comfortable going to.
Saito
Once you’ve actually visited and talked with the staff, the barriers come down, so I think it becomes easier to go again.
Do you have any recommendations for how to make your way around?
Saito
First, we recommend taking a good look at the guide map beforehand and narrowing down the shops that interest you.
Participating hours vary by shop, so be sure to check the times.
People who want to keep walking distances short seem to start at one end of an area and work their way around.
Matsushita
It’s a good idea to have a backup plan so you can switch to another shop if the line is so long that you feel like giving up.
Saito
You might discover something by visiting a shop you hadn’t expected to go to.
About how many shops does each participant visit?
Saito
I get the impression that many people use at least one set each.
For example, two people might use three sets. Some people buy one set for two people, then buy more if they run out.
When I took part before, I initially thought I’d visit about three shops.
But other participants told me, “This shop was great,” and the number of places I wanted to visit kept growing. In the end, I went to five or six shops.
Saito
It seems people also enjoy exchanging tips with other participants, such as striking up a conversation with someone looking at a map.
Why did you partner with the shop app “Porkun”?
Matsushita
Many participants are repeat visitors.
So we wondered if there was something else we could offer to make the event even more enjoyable, beyond one drink and one food item.
It’s great that you can just eat, tap the app, and even win a prize.
Do you have a final message for us?
Saito
Harennomino Kurashiki is an event you can enjoy at your leisure.
We hope you’ll enjoy it as a way to “discover new shops.”
We also share information on social media, so please take a look.
Harennomino Kurashiki official social media
Check out the shops taking part in Harennomino Kurashiki
Kurashiki Tocotoco is covering the shops taking part in Harennomino Kurashiki one by one.
Be sure to check out the articles for ideas on which participating shops to visit.
Harennomino Kurashiki 2019 details
| Name | Harennomino Kurashiki 2019 |
|---|---|
| Date | November 4, 2019 (Monday, national holiday) 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. the following day *Hours vary by shop |
| Location | Around JR Kurashiki Station |
| Admission (tax included) | Advance tickets: 3,500 yen for a set of five 700-yen tickets Same-day tickets: 800 yen per ticket |
| Website | Harennomino Kurashiki | Kurashiki City food and drink walking bar event |
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