Interview with Uemoto, the owner of cafe Naisai
I interviewed Uemoto Chikako.
The interview features content from the initial coverage conducted in February 2021.
Various circumstances led me back to my hometown, Tamashima
Can you tell me about the background of opening your shop?
Uemoto
Before moving to Tamashima, I was in Fukuoka.
My husband is a company employee who transfers frequently, and we have moved 9 times so far.
Since my child became a high school student, I thought it would be nice to settle down, so we bought a house in Fukuoka, which was easy to live in.
However, after the Kumamoto earthquake and my husband's transfer to Kurashiki City, I thought about moving to Tamashima.
Actually, my family home is in Tamashima.
So it's been a while since you returned to Tamashima. Has it changed a lot?
Uemoto
Yes, it's been 30 years since I was last in Tamashima. The roads have changed.
However, I used to come back once a year. Each time, new roads were built, but it has changed a lot compared to the past.
When I returned, I would gather at a friend's shop in the Tamashima shopping street.
Life in Fukuoka was good, but since I have my family home in Tamashima, my mother and sister are there, and my husband was transferred to Kurashiki City, and with the earthquake, I decided to let go of our house in Fukuoka and come here.
I wanted to open a shop during the renovation of an old house
How did you find this house?
Uemoto
When I was returning to Tamashima, I thought an old property would be nice, so I searched on the internet.
I happened to find a construction company and emailed them, and they replied immediately.
They said, "We have old properties, so please come and see," and the first property I saw was this one.
I looked at other properties, but it was difficult to access them by car due to their locations.
However, this house is facing the road, and although there were trees in the garden, I thought it was nice after seeing the inside.
It was also close to my family home, and my mother could live without much change, which was a deciding factor.
I saw the property in the summer of 2017, spent New Year's in Fukuoka, and moved into this house in June 2018.
Both my husband and I thought this house was better than we imagined, and I told the construction company, I want to try opening a shop during the design phase.
A building where living and the shop can coexist
Wait! You didn't originally plan to open a shop?
Uemoto
That's right.
However, when I conveyed my vague thought of wanting to do something when I quit my job during the design phase, the design plans were created in no time.
I also told them, "You don't have to open the shop every day," so it was designed to be used as a family entrance most of the time.
So your family members use it regularly?
Uemoto
Yes. It is usually used as the family entrance.
When the shop is open, we enter and exit from the back.
The area that is now the parking lot used to be a beautiful garden.
The previous owner maintained it well, but since we needed a parking lot and for construction, it was unfortunate, but we had to cut down all the garden trees.
The building has been repainted with plaster, but not much has changed. It is relatively the same.
The ceiling was partially changed to let light in.
The step at the entrance remains as it is.
However, the kitchen was raised by one step due to plumbing, which made it easier to enter the house, so that was good.
Old buildings have a cold image, but this one is warm.
Uemoto
The heating in the living area is only from a wood stove.
Since the café area cannot be heated by the wood stove, we use a kerosene stove and air conditioning.
So that's why there was firewood in the garden. The mystery is solved.
The shop filled with Uemoto's favorite things and aspirations
The items in the shop are cute, too.
Uemoto
These are made of clay.
Really? I couldn't believe it was clay even when I looked closely. The colors, shapes, and textures (appearance) are so detailed, they look just like real ones.
I hold a clay class four times a month, and I teach it myself.
Additionally, I have a workshop once a month to make botanical candles, which I ask a candle teacher to conduct.
For the morning class participants, I provide a bread lunch, and in the afternoon, I serve cake.
I am learning to make bread using natural yeast.
The actual bread served includes various types, such as those made with natural yeast and regular bread.
I am utilizing the shop effectively even when I am not open for lunch by holding classes.
The Kurashiki knotting on the chairs is lovely, too.
Uemoto
The ones currently there are purchased, but I also have some that I made myself.
Although it is different from Kurashiki knotting, I am also learning something called "Ako Gabeh" and using it in the shop.
I happened to have a loom, which is why I started learning it. When I go to learn, I fold up the loom and take it with me.
I also want to try "Kintsugi," "ceramics," and "stained glass," but I don't have enough time...
Would you like to visit a warm, old house café?
When I first visited cafe Naisai, I fell in love at first sight and thought, "I want to share this with many people!"
It wasn't just the lunch; I felt that the building and the items were full of charm because Uemoto's favorite things and sense are packed into it, which I realized during the interview.
You might understand this feeling when you visit.
And Uemoto still wants to take on many challenges.
A year after your visit, she might have started even more new things, and her works might be displayed in the shop.
I have a feeling that cafe Naisai will continue to evolve.
When you visit, please make sure to make a reservation. Enjoy your delightful Naisai lunch!
