Kanagawa Gallery Walk
File.7 okeba
Yamamoto Shino (Gallery Watts)
If someone asked me, "Do you like drinking alcohol?" I'd answer without hesitation, "Yes!", but after hearing about it from the ceramic artist, Asako Okamura, there was a place I'd always wanted to go to.
The name is "okeba." Okeba means barrel room, and refers to the workshop where sake barrels and tools are repaired and manufactured.
This time, our gallery stroll has turned into a tour of sake breweries...or so we thought (laughs).
The gallery shop we will introduce this time is "okeba", located in a corner of Kumazawa Sake Brewery, the only remaining brewery in Shonan, which was founded in 1872.
At the entrance, old sake bottles are lined up as if to welcome visitors. This is something you only find at a brewery. I opened the elegant sliding door and went inside with excitement.
In the space just inside, there was a ceramic exhibition by Asako Okamura and her brother Tomotaro, who taught me how to use okeba. The two are locals from Hiratsuka and are familiar artists who hold their own exhibitions here every year. This space hosts special exhibitions by artists of various genres every month.
Asako says, "Rather than making pottery, I prefer to express shapes using ceramic panels and other materials," and her works give the impression of comfort, as if she is sketching scenes from everyday life.
Meanwhile, Yutaro creates a wide range of pottery, from playful to orthodox. Alongside his ceramic activities, Yutaro also serves as the executive committee chairman of the popular event "Oiso Utsuwa no Hi" in Kanagawa Prefecture, where he works with fellow local potter Hiroyuki Tomita and others to create a place where people can meet with pottery. This year will be the 9th time the event has been held! It will be held around the end of October.
Asako Okamura (left), who has had a long relationship with okeba, and store manager Wakako Muraishi are like sisters.
Well, once you go inside, you'll find yourself in a large, impressive space. A renovated warehouse that was used as a barrel storehouse for over 100 years, it now sells crafts made by artists in the Shonan area, as well as vintage furniture and antiques.
The shelves close to the ceiling were filled with tools that were no longer used for sake brewing, still retaining traces of their former purpose.
The rare antiques and cute, nostalgic items on display here were selected by the store manager, Wakako Muraishi. She loves antiques and used to buy and wholesale them under the name "Mononomeya," which is how she came to be connected with Okeba and was appointed as the store manager.
During our conversation, we discovered that Muraishi was one of the founding members of "Tsukiyama," which we introduced last time. It seems that he is an essential figure in promoting the Shonan area.
"Items by modern artists are infused with the thoughts of their makers, while antiques are filled with the thoughts of generations of users, and in both you can feel the 'spiritual richness that is indispensable to life,'" says Muraishi.
Indeed, each item on display in this historic space has its own unique charm and speaks volumes.
On the second floor, there is a corner for picture books and second-hand books, including a precious collection of picture books that the owner of okeba himself used to read to his children when he was a child. There are so many fascinating books that touch on culture that you will never run out of interest if you pick up one book. You could easily spend several hours here.
"We introduce items from a wide range of genres, so I hope that you will take your time wandering around, find something that resonates with you, and enjoy your life," says Muraishi.
Now, on the premises of Okeba, a trattoria run by Kumazawa Sake Brewery, a cafe, and a bakery that uses beer yeast are gathered together like a small village. The entrance, surrounded by large trees, makes you feel like you've wandered into another world, like Alice in Wonderland or the Chronicles of Narnia.
Kumazawa Brewery's "Shonan Beer" is famous, but local farm beers made with fruits from local farmers are also popular. Luckily, I was able to order the "Kataura Lemon Ale," which had just been released. So, just one glass (lol).
Our juicy, richly flavored homemade sausages go perfectly with refreshing lemon beer!
It's easy to see why so many guests like to take a break with a delicious meal and a drink unique to the brewery, then return to Okeba to have some fun...it's easy to see why so many guests like to spend their day relaxing in this way.
It was heartening to see a sake brewery that has been in business for over 150 years further fostering local culture. I felt romantic as I imagined the spiritual richness that will be passed down for the next 100 years and beyond, and I grabbed a second beer.
Gallery Information
okeba
7-10-7 Kagawa, Chigasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture, 253-0082
TEL:0467-50-0252
Opening hours: Weekdays 11:00-17:00 / Saturdays, Sundays and holidays 11:00-18:00
(Business hours may be subject to change)
Closed: 3rd Tuesday of every month (except August and December)
*Parking available
"access"
▶︎10 minutes walk from Kagawa Station on the JR Sagami Line
https://www.kumazawa.jp/mokichi/okeba/
*The Okamura Siblings Ceramic Exhibition will be held until Wednesday, May 15th
