Have you ever visited a flea market?
The name may conjure up an old-fashioned image. But with antique and vintage Japanese and Western tableware, miscellaneous goods, crafts, and more on display, it’s an event where you can casually enjoy “Showa retro.”
A new event began in Hayashima Town in April 2025: the Hayashima Mushiro Flea Market.
It launched as a unique event that attracts not only retro enthusiasts but also all kinds of visitors from surrounding areas, including families and people with pets.
We visited to see what the first event in April was like and learn about what makes the second event, taking place on Sunday, September 7, 2025, special. Here’s our report.
The information presented here is current as of the article’s publication in August 2025. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What Is the Hayashima Mushiro Flea Market?
The Hayashima Mushiro Flea Market is a new event in Hayashima Town, with its first edition held on Sunday, April 20, 2025. It has been decided that the event will be held twice a year, and the second edition will take place on Sunday, September 7 of the same year.
It is organized by the Hayashima Town Tourism Association.
It aims to become a regular event, following Hayashima’s major events, the “Hayashima Sakura Festival” and the “Hayashima-Kurashiki Igusa Mat Festival.”
Many shops come from outside the town and prefecture. The venue is lined with booths selling antiques, vintage Japanese and Western tableware, miscellaneous goods, crafts, food and drink, and workshops, making it an event that everyone from adults to children can enjoy.
Starting this time, booths from local Hayashima Town businesses will also be joining, as part of an effort to introduce visitors to the area.
The First Event
The first event, held in April, enjoyed fine weather and comfortable temperatures. A wide range of visitors, including families, couples, and antique enthusiasts, attended, with around 4,000 people visiting the venue.
There was also a booth featuring igusa products, a specialty of Hayashima Town, where the event is held.
The food and drink booths were also so popular that long lines formed.
Interview with the Chair of the Hayashima Town Tourism Association
We spoke with Katsushi Sato, Chair of the Hayashima Town Tourism Association and organizer of the event, about the second Hayashima Mushiro Flea Market.
Could you tell us what inspired you to plan the Hayashima Mushiro Flea Market and how it came about?
Sato (honorific omitted)
I planned it because I wanted to promote Hayashima Town and create a new regular event that would attract many people.
It started when I met an antique shop owner at another event, and we said, “We’d like to hold an antique market in Hayashima Town.”
We also hope it will become a regular event, following the Hayashima Sakura Festival and the Hayashima-Kurashiki Igusa Mat Festival.
What are the highlights and plans for this event?
Sato
This event is a great match for the retro atmosphere of the townscape and the appeal of antiques, and it fits Hayashima Town’s character perfectly. Alongside vendors who took part last time and new vendors, one highlight this time is that there will also be vendors from Hayashima Town.
There was no dining area last time, so visitors tended not to stay long. This time, we’ll have a dining area, so people can enjoy a leisurely meal and then explore the venue again.
We’re planning to have live music as background music at the venue.
What kinds of shops will be participating, and what criteria were used to select them?
Sato
The Hayashima Mushiro Flea Market Organizing Committee led the vendor selection. Around 60 shops will gather on the day.
The lineup includes shops that cater to people looking for antiques, shops that draw crowds, and shops that were able to reserve the date in advance.
The vendors offer a wide range of goods and services, including antiques, crafts, plants, fruit, and food and drink.
Who would you like to see come along?
Sato
We’d love to welcome all kinds of people, from dedicated antique enthusiasts to families, local residents, and people with pets.
At the first event, people who seemed to be dedicated fans were already lining up before it began.
According to the vendors, there are more families and people with pets here than at other flea market events. Please feel free to come along.
Do you have a message for our readers?
Sato
It’s easy to get here from Kurashiki City and Okayama City. At the Hayashima Mushiro Flea Market, you can experience Hayashima Town’s retro charm and a carefully selected range of antiques all at once.
We’ve also added a dining area where families and people with pets can relax comfortably.
If you find a shop you like, please visit it again another day. The event is also a great opportunity to explore the wonderful shops around Hayashima Town.
From the Writer
For people who don’t usually take much interest in flea markets, they may be unfamiliar events. That’s exactly why I hope people who haven’t had the chance to become interested in them will come and visit.
You may find your eyes drawn to unfamiliar antiques or discover a fondness for antique furniture. One of the special things about flea markets is the wonderful discoveries waiting to be made.
I sometimes visit other flea markets, but the Hayashima Mushiro Flea Market is different: it draws many families and has a “gentle, relaxed” atmosphere. That’s what I especially recommend about it.
The event takes place while the weather is still hot, but why not visit Hayashima Town on Sunday, September 7, 2025?
Second Hayashima Mushiro Flea Market Information
| Name | Second Hayashima Mushiro Flea Market |
|---|---|
| Date | Sunday, September 7, 2025, 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. |
| Location | 356-1 Maegata, Hayashima Town, Tsukubo District (behind Hayashima Town Hall) |
| Admission (tax included) | At cost |
| Website | Hayashima Mushiro Flea Market Instagram |
What would you like to know about Kurashiki?
Enter a search term to find articles on this site
