On March 24, 2024, Shimotsui Yokocho opened in Shimotsui, Kurashiki City.
A fruit and vegetable wholesaler dating back to the Meiji era became a seafood shop handling Shimotsui wakame and other products as times changed. Now, the former garage of Yoshimata Shoten has been renovated into Shimotsui Yokocho, run in partnership with people who want to take on new challenges in Shimotsui.
We visited Yoshimata Shoten, which continues to move forward alongside the town of Shimotsui as times change, and Shimotsui Yokocho.
The information presented here was current when the article was published in May 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
A yokocho where Yoshimata Shoten and people seeking new challenges in Shimotsui join hands
The storefront still looks like a garage, just as it did when it was Yoshimata Shoten, but its management and interior have changed.
Here’s how it has changed.
Since around 1952 (around Showa 27), Yoshimata Shoten had been in the business of handling seaweed such as wakame.
However, seeing that tourists and local residents had little opportunity to easily buy fresh fish and other products, they decided to take action. The shop was renovated over the course of a month so that not only Yoshimata Shoten but also a variety of businesses looking to take on challenges in Shimotsui could set up shop.
Operations as “Shimotsui Yokocho” began in stages on February 1, and an opening event was held on March 24.
At Shimotsui Yokocho, the following kinds of shops set up at their own pace.
- A shop serving seafood dishes such as hijiki rice and octopus croquettes
- A popular local bakery
- Taiyaki made with Shimotsui seaweed
Renovating the shops to support new ventures
It wasn’t just the management that changed. The interior was also renovated.
The biggest change was to the storehouse.
The interior was remodeled to accommodate shops that wanted to cook at Shimotsui Yokocho, and a food-service permit was obtained.
A workshop was held to apply the earthen walls, which were painted by people who gather at the yokocho. I took part that day, too.
Earthen-wall plastering is apparently a technique that is rarely practiced today, and even the professional participants eagerly learned the craft.
They have also added namako-kabe (sea-cucumber-patterned walls) throughout the yokocho, and made various improvements so that vendors can use the space comfortably while preserving the traditional machiya atmosphere.
How to enjoy Shimotsui Yokocho
Like a traditional open-air market, Shimotsui Yokocho is a place where new vendors can easily set up shop. As a result, the vendors change from day to day.
The fish available at the fresh fish section also varies from day to day, so Yoshimata Shoten owner Yoden Yoshie regularly posts “Scenes from the Yokocho Today” as short videos on Instagram Reels.
Apparently, many customers visit Shimotsui Yokocho after watching the Reels. It is especially lively on weekends, when a variety of shops gather like a market.
Have your purchases prepared on the spot
You may dream of eating fresh fish, but preparing it yourself can feel like quite a hurdle.
At the fresh fish section of Shimotsui Yokocho, however, you can have fish you’ve bought prepared on the spot for free.
You can also watch the fish being prepared, so adults and children alike find themselves engrossed in the process.
There is a charge for having fish you bring in prepared. Please consult the fresh fish section directly.
Enjoy your purchases on the spot
Anything you buy at Shimotsui Yokocho, including fresh fish, can be eaten on the spot. There are tables and chairs in the middle of the yokocho, and some customers enjoy their food while chatting with vendors and other customers.
Customers eating products on the spot and sharing their impressions also gives vendors a sense of fulfillment. For consumers, too, food whose producers they know offers peace of mind.
The weekend I visited Shimotsui Yokocho, there was no event, but it was still bustling with customers. When I asked what they liked about having Shimotsui Yokocho in Shimotsui, I heard comments such as, “I keep coming back because the fish prepared by the fresh fish section is delicious,” and “I came today because I heard this shop would be here.” It was clear that the yokocho serves as a place where producers’ passion reaches customers directly.
Shimotsui Yokocho was renovated and given a new name and management structure. I spoke with its owner, Yoden Yoshie.
Renovating the former Yoshimata Shoten garage into Shimotsui Yokocho
Could you tell us how Yoshimata Shoten was renovated into Shimotsui Yokocho?
Yoden (surname only)
I originally worked as a teacher at a school. Then I left teaching and took over Yoshimata Shoten from my family.
While handling Shimotsui seafood as Yoshimata Shoten, I wanted to preserve the Shimotsui brand for future generations. To do that, we needed to bring people to Shimotsui.
Since it’s a port town, I wanted to open a fish shop, and to create a place where people gathering in Shimotsui could try all kinds of things. So we decided to make a fresh start as “Shimotsui Yokocho.”
Bringing local production for local consumption to Shimotsui
What kind of activities did you carry out when it was Yoshimata Shoten?
Yoden
Yoshimata Shoten had operated as a fruit and vegetable wholesaler since the Meiji era. Shimotsui was a town where shipping wholesalers known as “Shimotsui Shipping Wholesalers” gathered.
As land transport developed and commerce changed, Yoshimata Shoten also shifted its business from fruit and vegetables to seafood.
As Shimotsui’s population declined, the town lost the bustle it once had, and its rich fish-eating culture itself began to fade, putting it at risk of disappearing from people’s lives.
To prevent the loss of Shimotsui’s important fish-eating culture and the memories of the people’s lives connected to it, we worked on the “Shimotsui Sea Village Project” to rediscover the region’s appeal through its food culture and bring the town back to life.
As part of the Shimotsui Sea Village Project, we held an “Exhibition of Home Recipes Using Fish” and published a recipe collection featuring Shimotsui’s fish-eating culture.
Through these activities, I realized that a system of local production for local consumption was needed to bring life back to Shimotsui.
What kinds of shops are there at Shimotsui Yokocho?
Yoden
Shimotsui Yokocho is a place like a traditional open-air market.
Yoshimata Shoten, which sells fresh fish and dried goods, is open every day. Since Shimotsui is a port town, I wanted to create an environment where people could easily get fresh fish, so I’m relieved that we were able to welcome the fresh fish section I had long hoped for. You can have the fish prepared and eat it right there.
Miyake-kun’s taiyaki and Shimotsui “Kura” Coffee Kulan, located at the back of the shop, are open regularly but have irregular closing days, so please check notices and other announcements for their opening days before visiting.
On weekends, we also invite a variety of shops to set up, like a market.
Yoshimata Shoten posts updates on its Instagram about fresh fish deliveries, opening information for shops with irregular closing days, and weekend vendors, so please check there for reference.
We want Shimotsui Yokocho to be a place to take on challenges
Could you tell us how the weekend market is run?
Yoden
I leave the weekend vendors to Nakatomi Sakura, a Community Revitalization Cooperator.
That’s because I’ve heard she hopes to open her own shop someday.
In running Yoshimata Shoten, I’ve made all kinds of mistakes. But I feel there’s a lot to be gained by making mistakes and trying again. That’s why I hope vendors can use this Shimotsui Yokocho to make connections that lead to their future. Even if you make a few mistakes here, we’ll be right there to support you (laughs).
I also want vendors to make use of Shimotsui Yokocho. I’d like fishers to feel free to come sell whatever they’ve caught, whenever it suits them, while they’re out fishing. And anyone who wants to try starting a new business should begin by setting up here at Shimotsui Yokocho.
The opening event held in March 2024 was also intended to give people an idea of what it would be like to set up a stall.
We want to keep Shimotsui a lively place where people gather
What drives you to do more than run your own business and also nurture the next generation?
Yoden
My wish is to make Shimotsui an even more appealing town.
And perhaps it’s because I used to be a teacher, but I feel very strongly about supporting the next generation. When people who want to take on challenges come together, things get lively, don’t they? I love lively places.
Have things changed since you restarted as “Shimotsui Yokocho”?
Thankfully, customers come every day, and various shops set up here on weekends. We restarted with the hope that this would become a place where people gather, so I’m very happy.
We want to keep bringing this yokocho to life together with the vendors and customers.
What are your plans for the future of “Shimotsui Yokocho”?
Yoden
In Shimotsui, the number of new residents like Nakatomi-san is gradually growing, alongside the people who have lived here for a long time. I have a vague hope that something interesting will come about when residents, newcomers, and the customers who visit Shimotsui Yokocho gather and get to know one another.
So first, I want people from Kurashiki, starting with Shimotsui, to enjoy this yokocho.
Shimotsui is also making efforts to attract tourists. There’s Shimotsui Yokocho in this seaside town, where you can look up at the Seto-Ohashi Bridge, and there’s also Washuzan Hill, where you can look down on it. I hope people will enjoy this town from Washuzan Hill, with its views of the Seto Inland Sea and Shimotsui, then come down the hill and experience this town’s warm hospitality and food at Shimotsui Yokocho, getting a taste of what life here is like.
Whether you want to take on a challenge at Shimotsui Yokocho or experience life here, you’re always very welcome.
From the Writer
What do they want local residents, tourists, and people hoping to take on new challenges to feel? What kind of town do they want Shimotsui to become? To create the environment needed to achieve those aims, Yoshimata Shoten has made a fresh start as Shimotsui Yokocho.
The conversation was filled with aims and intentions, and I felt that the way he envisioned the future was characteristic of a former schoolteacher.
Apparently, former students from his teaching days often stop by Shimotsui Yokocho for a visit.
I’ve visited Shimotsui Yokocho several times, including for the earthen-wall plastering workshop and the opening event. The vendors and customers are always enjoying themselves together, and just being there gives me a boost of energy.
People who want to take on new challenges, people who want to support those taking on challenges, people who want to experience Shimotsui’s warm hospitality—the future of Shimotsui Yokocho, which will continue to grow as all kinds of people gather there, is something to watch.
Shimotsui Yokocho Information
| Name | Shimotsui Yokocho |
|---|---|
| Address | 1-9-12 Shimotsui, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-479-9017 |
| Parking | Available |
| Hours | 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Tuesday |
| Payment methods | Varies by shop |
| Website | Official Instagram |
What would you like to know about Kurashiki?
Enter a word to search articles on this site
