A warm place where conversations are born when you drop in

Kanagawa Gallery Walk
File.6 Tsukiyama Arts & Crafts
Yamamoto Shino (Galerie Watts)

This time we will be introducing Oiso. Speaking of Oiso, Oiso Long Beach is the place to be!
Not only that, it is also home to what is said to be the largest number of tunnel tombs from the end of the Kofun period in Japan, Mount Koma, which tells the story of the Warring States period, and is the eighth post town on the Tokaido Road's 53 stations.Mount Koma is also home to eight former prime ministers, including Ito Hirobumi and Yoshida Shigeru, making it the perfect place for a stroll through nature, culture and history.

In addition, I heard that Gallery Sanpo also has an interesting corner, so I went to Oiso in winter for the first time. I wondered if I was the only one who felt it was colder because it has a strong image of summer... but it was because it was a blizzard in the suburbs of Tokyo.

My destination was only a two-minute walk from the station, but it took ages to get there...
I only found out that this is the birthplace of beaches thanks to a wrong turn (lol).

According to the Oiso Town tourist information website, Oiso was ranked number one in a nationwide poll conducted by the Japan Newspaper Company in 1908 for the 100 best summer resorts in Japan. The Oiso Beach, opened by Matsumoto Jun, the first Army Surgeon General, was intended to promote and restore health. This was a different time from the leisure activities we have today.

Now, I got back on track and headed to my destination, Tsukiyama Arts & Crafts. It was right next to the station. The store's website has detailed directions with detailed photos, so if you're directionally challenged, just click on that. (I wish I'd realized that sooner...)

This place, which has a strong Showa-era feel to it, is the center of rumors.
The 70-year-old building was once a bar called "Gassan," and was frequented by reporters covering former Prime Minister Yoshida Shigeru.
Once inside, you'll find a wickerwork ceiling and a dirt floor. There's a counter reminiscent of a standing bar, a mirror with "Gassan San'e" written on it, a letterpress printing machine, and a writing desk and Japanese chest of drawers in the tatami room - it's a parade of retro elements. As much as possible, the interior has been left as it was in the old days.
People who have lived in the area for a long time often bring medicine boxes, tool boxes, etc., saying that they no longer need them, and give them to us.

At first glance, Tsukiyama looks like an antiques shop, but it is actually a select shop that mainly sells crafts by artists active in the Oiso area.
At the same time, it serves as a place for disseminating design from various angles, including as a design office, gallery, and workshop. The store is run by 14 people, including writers and designers, and Kazuki Sato of AUI-AO Design, who has been involved since the store's launch in 2014, is particularly dedicated to promoting the appeal of letterpress printing. By making a reservation, you can also have your business cards printed using letterpress printing.
Sato's designs are also available for sale in the store. Coffee filters and rice ball-shaped cards have textured surfaces created by letterpress printing, giving them a unique appearance. The soft, gentle warmth you feel when you touch them is something you can only get with letterpress printing.
In addition to the appeal of letterpress, Sato says, "I design with the intention of creating something with a twist that will make people use their brains when they hold it."
They're all stylish and will make you chuckle. They make you want to give them as gifts or write them to someone.
Tsukiyama also serves as a permanent store for artists participating in the Oiso Market, which is held at Oiso Port on the third Sunday of every month. Those who can't make it to the market can come here to discover unique works.
In a room on the second floor that was used by the waitress, there was a wide selection of handmade items, including pottery by artists and vintage fabrics, selected by the owner of Nanohana Gallery in Odawara.
It was a bright room with plenty of sunlight streaming in. Perhaps the waitresses were taking a break here, lying down and chatting with a rice cracker in hand.

At the back, you will find a separate building that was once used as a bathroom, and is aptly named "GALLERY Bathroom."
Apparently it's used for solo exhibitions and events, and at the time, YOMORU's felt art exhibition was being held there. A tourist who happened to be in Oiso exclaimed, "Beautiful!" It turned out to be a coincidence that he was from New Zealand, the home of wool.

Smiling in front of the artwork, Toriumi Aiko, the founder of YOMORU and a member of the Tsukiyama staff, was born and raised in Oiso, and her three children are growing up in the local area. After the class, she ran off to a nearby elementary school, saying, "It's parent-teacher conference day!"

If you look closely, you'll see ceramic flowers in the grass at your feet. This playful design by local potter Asako Okamura is a perfect fit for this courtyard!
Opposite the bathroom are Chayamachi Cafe & Deli and Lee's Bread, a bakery that uses natural yeast and is pesticide-free. Sitting on the veranda, you can smell the delicious aroma of freshly baked bread.
Chayamachi Cafe & Deli apparently stocks rare teas, so I ordered the recommended First Flush Castleton. Castleton Tea Estate is said to be the best Darjeeling tea. To go with it, I had a cardamom roll from Lee's Bread.
This is apparently a popular bread in Sweden. It was my first time trying both. The cardamom is a spice but with just the right amount, and the tea had a gentle flavor, making for a relaxing tea time.

Tsukiyama originally began as a plan to utilize this property with Oiso City and contribute to urban development.
As I watched parents and children come in one after another to buy bread, I felt a warm sense of happiness, realizing that this has become a beloved corner of the local community, and headed home.

Gallery Information
Tsukiyama Arts & Crafts

1156 Oiso, Oiso-machi, Naka-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture, 255-0003
info.tsukiyama@gmail.com
Opening hours: 11:00-17:00 Closed: Mondays

"access"
▶︎Get off at JR Oiso Station. 2 minutes walk
https://www.facebook.com/tsukiyama