A cultural exchange event featuring people, food, crafts, and artworks. I went to the Takahashi River Marché, held for the 16th time in 2022.

Takahashi River Marché: Achi-cho Neighborhood Cultural Festival is a marché event held around Ohashi House, a nationally designated Important Cultural Property built in the mid-Edo period, and Achi-cho Street in Kurashiki City.

This year (2022) marks its 16th edition. It began in 2012 and was held several times a year in its early years; it is now held once a year.

In 2022, it was held over two days, October 8 and 9, so I decided to stop by while out for a walk.

Ohashi House and the pedestrianized shopping street bustle with a variety of booths

At first glance, the inside of Ohashi House, the main venue, seems to be filled mostly with handmade crafts.

However, there were more than 20 booths spanning a range of genres, including Kobo Hanayoshi, which held flower-based workshops, and booths selling works made with igusa rush and tatami edging, local specialties.

There were also cheerful event booths all along the pedestrianized shopping street, including food and drink stalls serving tempting-looking fare.

The pamphlet's illustration was designed by Take

I spoke with Take Tae, who designs the illustration for the pamphlet cover each year.

After graduating from Musashino Art University's Department of Painting, Printmaking Course, in 2013, Take has been working in Okayama since 2016. 2022 was her fourth year designing the Takahashi River Marché pamphlet.

“I was struck by the sense of unity and the warmth of the people at an event held by the whole town. I wanted to cherish and hold on to the feeling of being energized every time I take part, so I created this using copperplate printmaking techniques.”

she said.

Just as that image suggests, people visiting the various booths around the venue seemed to be enjoying lively conversations.

Glass art by students from Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts

The first thing that caught my eye at the entrance to the tatami room at Ohashi House was a “plastic bag” sitting on a table.

It wasn't particularly hot that day, but I thought, “Maybe a visitor left behind some shaved ice,” and reached out to touch it…

To my surprise, it was a cool-to-the-touch “glass artwork”.

It turned out to be a glass artwork by students from Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts, and I was amazed by the idea and the craftsmanship.

There were also many crafts on display, such as glass tableware made using glassblowing techniques. Behind the glass art were prints by Take, whose work had also been used in the pamphlet.

Yoshino Ceramic Studio: “Residents of the Heart”

When I stepped out into the garden, I was greeted by a host of fairies.

The work was exhibited by Yoshino Ceramic Studio, which makes ceramics in Yakage Town, Okayama Prefecture.

The porcelain fairies are called “Residents of the Heart.”

They were created by ceramic artist Yokoyama Yukie.

Each resident had a distinctive expression and a very warm feel.

The work uses the “shavings” produced in large quantities during the porcelain-making process.

“I make these with the hope that the ‘Residents of the Heart’ can help address my concern about whether I can reduce the shavings that have been going to waste for so many years.”

she told me.

Even so, it seems the shavings aren't decreasing.

From the Writer

Held for the 16th time in 2022, Takahashi River Marché was a very appealing event with a calm atmosphere that matched the historic Ohashi House.

In addition to the many crafts on display, there were food and drink booths featuring local ingredients and hands-on activities. The whole shopping street had the atmosphere of a festival, and it was clear that many participants were enjoying themselves.

I've been attending this event for the past few years, and it seems to change a little and grow in scale each year.

This, too, gave me a sense of the organizers' and participants' deep, long-standing commitment to this town-wide event to revitalize the community.

I'm looking forward to future editions.

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