The Hayashi Genjuro Pharmacy Museum, a commercial facility housing lifestyle goods stores, denim shops, restaurants, and more.
A popular spot where fashionable and discerning people gather.
You can encounter high-quality products that enrich your life.
Hayashi Genjuro Pharmacy Museum is not just a place to enjoy shopping and dining with a collection of stylish stores.
The courtyard is filled with greenery, and the view from the observation terrace is excellent, providing a comfortable space where you can feel the history of Kurashiki.
For the author, it is a shop where it is easy to find favorites, and I have been visiting frequently since its establishment.
Let me introduce Hayashi Genjuro Pharmacy Museum, which conveys local craftsmanship.
Some stores prohibit photography.
This article has been granted special permission for photography.
Overview of Hayashi Genjuro Pharmacy Museum
Hayashi Genjuro Pharmacy Museum is a space that proposes the rich lifestyle of Kurashiki.
It was renovated from an old pharmacy located in the Bikan Historical Area and opened in March 2012.
The building, constructed in 1934, has a calming atmosphere.
At the time of its construction, three-story wooden buildings were very rare in Kurashiki, and it became one of the landmarks of the city.
As of April 2022, the following stores are located here.
| Location | Store Name | Genre |
|---|---|---|
| Main Building 1st Floor | Achibranch | General Goods |
| Main Building 1st Floor | Art Studio ART & ANTIQUES | Antique Shop |
| Main Building 1st Floor | Cafe Gewa | Cafe |
| Main Building 2nd Floor | Hayashi Genjuro Pharmacy Museum Room | Exhibition |
| Main Building 2nd Floor | shop Miyake Shoten | General Goods |
| Main Building 3rd Floor | Kurashiki Machinami Shokudo Akaneiro | Restaurant |
| Main Building 3rd Floor | Rooftop Observation Terrace | Terrace |
| Main Building 3rd Floor | KURABO INDUSTRIES LTD. | Office |
| Main Building 3rd Floor | pizzeria CONO FORESTA | Pizza |
| Detached Building | T.S.L Kurashiki | Leather Goods |
| Warehouse | EL CANEK | Denim |
| Courtyard | Ryoja No. 2 | Jewelry |
The Establishment and Philosophy of Hayashi Genjuro Pharmacy Museum
Hayashi Genjuro Pharmacy Museum has a different establishment from a typical shopping mall.
“We wanted to utilize a building that has a history as a pharmacy since the Edo period and was also a landmark for community development.”
With this wish, Nobuyuki Tsuji, who is engaged in regional revitalization in Kurashiki, was approached.
While making use of history, it has transformed into a place where you can encounter Kurashiki's craftsmanship and question a rich and leisurely lifestyle.
Instead of publicly soliciting tenants, stores that Tsuji deemed suitable for providing a “rich lifestyle” are included.
One of its characteristics is that the tenants rarely change.
By establishing stores in Hayashi Genjuro Pharmacy Museum for the long term, the aim is to let many people know about good stores and products.
It can be said that it is a collection of stores that can share the aspiration to disseminate a rich lifestyle from Kurashiki.
Let's Explore Hayashi Genjuro Pharmacy Museum
Let me introduce some parts of the store.
shop Miyake Shoten
The general goods store “shop Miyake Shoten” on the 2nd floor is a shop that offers items related to lifestyle, focusing on daily goods.
It features products that enrich life and are meant to be used for a long time, mainly from Kurashiki City and Okayama Prefecture.
Clothing from Kojima's denim brands, bowls made from bamboo by TEORI, naturally dyed coasters, masking tape, and many other items are neatly displayed.
The jams and fruit jam sauces from Miyake Shoten Cafe Workshop, made with local fruits, are cute in color and packaging, making them perfect souvenirs.
The spring-colored gift envelope named “Kurashiki Shugi-bukuro” is a product designed by Hayashi Genjuro Pharmacy Museum, combining Bichu washi paper and mizuhiki made by someone who ran a gift shop in the Bikan Historical Area until 2015.
I am excited about the new collaboration of long-loved materials and techniques!
There was also an exploration set that seems to make walking around Kurashiki more enjoyable.
Achibranch
Kurashiki Design Planning Office is a lifestyle goods manufacturer that collaborates with creators and artisans from all over the country.
The select shop centered around the “Kurashiki Design Planning Office” is “Achibranch.”
Products that allow you to feel the quality of touch and craftsmanship are available.
For the author, it has been a brand I have admired since my student days.
You may find items that evoke affection, make you smile, or serve as small gifts that appeal to adult sensibilities.
Observation Terrace
From the observation terrace, you can overlook the Bikan Historical Area.
Please take a look at the townscape lined with white-walled buildings from above.
Ohara Museum of Art and Yurin-so Villa can also be seen.
Courtyard
The courtyard is planted with various species of plants, making it enjoyable just to walk around.
While gazing at the garden, enjoying an espresso coffee at Cafe Gewa is nice, and savoring pizza baked in a kiln imported from Naples with wine under the dappled sunlight at pizzeria CONO foresta is the best!
There is also a herbal garden.
The plants in the courtyard have signs displayed, so please take a good look at them.
You might discover something like, "So this is what the plant in the herbal medicine I often drink looks like."
Interior
The unique lighting, tables, and chairs on the 3rd floor were made by the antique shop "womb brocante."
Unexpected items like pots, birdcages, Polaroid cameras, and lunch boxes have been transformed into lighting.
The tables and chairs are said to have been repurposed from those used in schools.
The charm of the well-used items makes you feel that living with things for a long time is wonderful.
Hayashi Genjuro Pharmacy Museum
In the Hayashi Genjuro Pharmacy Museum, the history of the pharmacy Hayashi Genjuro Pharmacy Museum and the journeys of its two owners are displayed.
You can learn about the activities of Hayashi Genjuro Pharmacy Museum, which has supported welfare rooted in the community.
The medicine cabinet (kusuri-tansu) believed to have been used since the Edo period is impressive!
It allows you to feel the history, doesn't it?
Events at Hayashi Genjuro Pharmacy Museum
Various events are also held at Achibranch and shop Miyake Shoten.
In the past, there have been events such as the following.
- Marugame Uchiwa × Kurashiki Masking Tape Let's make a fan!
- Hayashi Genjuro Pharmacy Museum × Kurashiki Green Farm Life with Moss Balls and Moss Terrariums
- Bread from the bakery that the bakery wants to eat
- Flower Vessel Exhibition
The appeal of the events is likely a secret to why this shop, despite being a tourist spot, makes locals want to visit repeatedly.
For ongoing and upcoming events, please check the official website.
History of Hayashi Genjuro Pharmacy Museum
Let me introduce the history of Hayashi Genjuro Pharmacy Museum.
In 1657 (Meireki 3), the only pharmacy in Kurashiki was born.
It changed its name several times and became "Hayashi Genjuro Pharmacy Museum" in 1892 (Meiji 25).
Particularly noteworthy is Hayashi Genjuro (Hayashi Genjuro), who served as the 11th head from the late Meiji period to the early Showa period.
While supporting the pharmacy, he was also actively involved in community contributions and left a significant legacy.
A passionate Christian, he established churches and kindergartens, helping the poor and the weak.
He met and deepened his relationship with Juuji Ishii (Ishii Juuji), who founded the first orphanage in Japan.
Now, the most famous person who greatly developed the economy and culture of Kurashiki is probably Ohara Magosaburo.
He is the founder of the Ohara Museum of Art and also served as a representative of companies that would become KURABO INDUSTRIES LTD., Kuraray, Chugoku Bank, and Chugoku Electric Power.
In fact, Ohara Magosaburo is said to have lived a dissolute life during his student days, accumulating debts of about 100 million yen in modern terms, and was placed under house arrest by his father.
The turning point for Ohara Magosaburo was when Hayashi Genjuro introduced him to Juuji Ishii during his house arrest.
Ohara Magosaburo was inspired by the spirit of social contribution of Ishii Juuji and Hayashi Genjuro, and he began to focus on community contributions and social welfare himself.
Hayashi Genjuro also dedicated himself to the health and welfare of the town while supporting the activities of Ohara Magosaburo and Ishii Juuji.
If any of these three were missing, Kurashiki today would be a completely different town.
The pharmacy Hayashi Genjuro Pharmacy Museum merged with Oak Pharmaceuticals in 1997 and is now operating as Ebarusu Co., Ltd., engaged in wholesale of pharmaceuticals and medical devices throughout the Chugoku region.
What kind of thoughts does Hayashi Genjuro Pharmacy Museum have in its establishment?
I spoke with Michiko Nanba (Nanba Michiko), the public relations officer of Kurashiki Editing Department, which operates Hayashi Genjuro Pharmacy Museum.
Data on Hayashi Genjuro Pharmacy Museum
| Name | Hayashi Genjuro Pharmacy Museum |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-23-10 Achi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-423-6010 |
| Parking | None |
| Business Hours | Varies by store |
| Regular Holidays | Varies by store |
| Payment Methods | Varies by store |
| Website | Hayashi Genjuro Pharmacy Museum | Kurashiki Lifestyle Design Market |
