Are you able to choose what you like with your own eyes?
At the foot of Achi Shrine, overlooking the Bikan Historical Area, is a shop called Tōru Mingeiten (融民藝店), which values dialogue with visiting customers while proposing tools for daily life.
Since its establishment in 1971, what is the charm of Tōru Mingeiten, which has continued to be loved not only by the citizens of Kurashiki City but also by tourists?
We interviewed Takano Yamamoto, who succeeded the business from the previous owner in February 2022.
What is Tōru Mingeiten
Tōru Mingeiten is a folk craft shop utilizing a town house from the Edo period located in the Bikan Historical Area.
Inside the shop, various folk crafts from across the country, such as ceramics, cups, and handwoven textiles, are displayed, all personally selected by the owner, Mr. Yamamoto, and the previous owner, Yuko Kobayashi. Fans visit not only from within Kurashiki City but from all over the country.
Origin of Tōru Mingeiten's Opening
As you pass through the Ebisu-dori shopping street from JR Kurashiki Station, a distinctive sign reading "Mingei Tōru" catches your eye.
This sign was made by a woodworker using the characters written by Kichinosuke Tonomura, the first director of the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft, which is the first local folk craft museum in Japan.
The Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft, which plays a role in showing folk crafts, has needed a role to distribute folk crafts since its opening.
The distributor of these crafts was Okayama Prefectural Folk Craft Promotion Corporation.
The first owner of Tōru Mingeiten, Yuko Kobayashi, also worked at Okayama Prefectural Folk Craft Promotion Corporation (hereinafter referred to as "Okayama Mingei"), which had a sales area at Tenmaya Okayama Main Store at that time. Later, with the support of Kichinosuke Tonomura and others, she started Tōru Mingeiten in 1971.
The name "Tōru" comes from Yuko Kobayashi's name. At first, Ms. Kobayashi was not used to the shop name "Tōru," which has a different reading from her name Yuko, but over time, as the shop continued for a long time, she grew fond of the name.
How to Enjoy Tōru Mingeiten
The shop appears to be filled with various folk crafts such as ceramics, blown glass, washi paper, and baskets, but there is a space to carefully observe each item.
The windows facing the alley are glass-paneled, allowing beautiful natural light to shine in, making the items always appear to sparkle. I find myself enchanted every time I visit.
Additionally, since you can pick up and feel each item, it is a shop where you can carefully search for your favorite piece.
The layout allows you to see the entire shop from anywhere inside, which is one of the features of Tōru Mingeiten.
While handling the items, it is also common to see customers and the owner engaging in lively discussions about how to incorporate these tools into their own lives.
Owner Takano Yamamoto
Owner Mr. Yamamoto is originally from Kurashiki City, but after working at studios and production companies in Tokyo, he became independent and was active as a freelance photographer.
The trigger for his return to Kurashiki was the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.
Seeking a calm environment for raising children, he returned to Okayama Prefecture.
After returning home, he wanted to utilize his experiences in Tokyo, so he joined Okayama Mingei.
At Okayama Mingei, he utilized his experience as a photographer to engage in product photography and manage the online site, but he found himself continuously learning about folk crafts.
After joining Okayama Mingei, he visited Tōru Mingeiten to greet Ms. Kobayashi. Since then, every time he visited Kurashiki, he would go to the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft and stop by Tōru Mingeiten on his way back to deepen his friendship with Ms. Kobayashi by learning about the items, the makers, and the production areas.
When Ms. Kobayashi decided to retire as the owner of Tōru Mingeiten, she proposed the business succession to Mr. Yamamoto, and since February 2022, he has been standing as the owner of Tōru Mingeiten.
Two and a half years after succeeding the business from Ms. Kobayashi in 2022, we spoke with owner Takano Yamamoto.
Data on Tōru Mingeiten
| Name | Tōru Mingeiten |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-25-48 Achi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-424-8722 |
| Parking | None |
| Business Hours | 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM |
| Regular Holidays | Monday, Tuesday May be closed temporarily. Please refer to social media for details. |
| Payment Methods |
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| Website | Tōru Mingeiten |
