Have
you ever heard ‘kachikura’? It’s
the name of a district located eastern part of Tokyo, from Okachimachi to
Kuramae in Taito ward.
（Asakusa is also in Taito ward
and adjacent to this area）
The
area used to be a town, where handicraft artisans who succeeded to the traditional
craftsmanship gathered. There are
still many wholesalers and shops specializing in fashion items, such as hats,
wallets, bags, jewelry and accessories and we feel remains of center of manufacturing
here, although it has lost a bit of its past glory.
Recently,
this area has been spotlighted again as a new manufacturing place and has
attracted young creators. The
history of the craftsmanship might have inspired young talented people and encouraged
them to invent something new. They
started their own brands, shops, cafes and galleries and it seems to boost the
manufacturing movement here in Kachikura more.
The
other day, I went for a stroll about the town. Hanging out the area, I found many shops and nice fashion
items that are based on the traditional craftsmanship.
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My original notebook. I choose three kinds of paper with
different touch and quality,
bank paper, Manila paper and art paper.
Whenever I open the notebook, I get so
excited and I can’t help writing something.
|
The vicinity of Kuramae station, I
visited Koncent (variety store), Maito (dyeing and weaving), Camera
(leather goods and café) and Kakimori (stationary). Please take a look at my new notebook with flower print. It’s quite nice and lovely, isn’t
it? I made it at Kakimori that specializes
in original notebooks and ink. They
have a variety of sheets of paper and parts of notebook and all you have to do
is just choose your favorite materials.
For a lover of paper like me, Kakimori is a must.
When you head for Okachimachi from
Kuramae, you’ll find an old building in the back street. It’s Taito Designers Village. The building once housed an elementary
school has now become incubator offices for young entrepreneurs. Taito local government started this
project in 2004 to assist young designers in launching their businesses.
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Taito Designers Village
|
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On the face of it, the area seems to be a business
district but,
once you are bit away from the main street,
you’ll find some old
Japanese houses like this. |
When
you get to Okachimachi station, you’ll come across a unique facility called 2k540. It utilizes beneath the elevated JR
rail line and develops an artisan’s street. Combining studio and shop, it shows us not only products but
also artisan’s craftsmanship.
 |
2k540
is located between Okachimachi and Akihabara
and its name means 2 km and 540m
away from a starting point
at Tokyo station. Oh,yes?
|
I
joined a workshop for gold gilding and made post cards at Nihon
Department. The artist
(instructor) walked me through making cards and I made wonderful ones even if
it was my first experience. It was
really wonderful time for me.
 |
I made
these cards. I think I can’t use them because they are too beautiful.
Maybe, I
will display them on the wall.
|
Kachikura
is very fun to visit and it’s more than I expected.
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