Recharge your senses at a brewery that weaves time!

Kanagawa Gallery Walk
File.7 okeba
Yamamoto Shino (Galerie Watts)

If someone asked me, "Do you like drinking alcohol?" I'd answer without hesitation, "Yes!", but there was a place I'd heard about from ceramic artist Asako Okamura that I'd always wanted to go to.
The name is "okeba." Okeba means "barrel field," and refers to the workshop where sake barrels and tools are repaired and made.
This time, our gallery stroll has turned into a tour of sake breweries...or so we thought (lol).
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 large sake bottles are lined up as if to welcome visitors. This is something you'd only find at a brewery. I opened the elegant sliding door and went inside with excitement.

In the space immediately inside, there was a ceramics exhibition being held by Asako Okamura and Tomotaro Okamura, the siblings who taught me how to use okeba. The two are locals from Hiratsuka and are familiar artists who are featured here every year. This space hosts special exhibitions of artists from 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 off a sense of comfort, like sketching scenes from everyday life.

Meanwhile, Yutaro creates a wide range of pottery, from playful to traditional. In addition to his pottery activities, Yutaro serves as the executive committee chairman of Oiso Utsuwa no Hi, a popular event in Kanagawa Prefecture, where he works with fellow local potter Hiroyuki Tomita and others to create a space where people can meet 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) and store manager Wakako Muraishi, who have had a long relationship with okeba, are like sisters.

Once inside, you'll find yourself in a large, impressive space. This renovated warehouse, which was used as a barrel storehouse for over 100 years, now sells crafts made by artists from the Shonan area, as well as vintage furniture and antiques.
The shelves near the ceiling were filled with tools that no longer served the purpose of sake brewing, still retaining traces of their former use.
The store's lineup of rare antiques and cute, nostalgic items was selected by store manager Wakako Muraishi. She loves antiques and used to buy and wholesale them under the name "Mononomeya," which led to her connection with Okeba and her appointment as 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 person in revitalizing the Shonan area.
"Modern items by artists are imbued with the thoughts of their creators, while antiques are filled with the thoughts of generations of users, and in both, you can sense the 'spiritual richness that is essential to life,'" says Muraishi.
Indeed, everything that is displayed in this historic space has a unique wavelength that speaks volumes.

On the second floor, there is a corner for picture books and second-hand books, including a valuable collection of picture books that the owner of Okeba himself used to read to his children. There are so many fascinating books that touch on culture that once you pick up one, you'll never run out of interest, as the next one will take over. If you're not careful, you could easily spend several hours just here.

"We offer a wide range of products, so I hope you will take your time to explore, find something that resonates with you, and enjoy your life," says Muraishi.

Now, on the premises where Okeba is located, a trattoria run by Kumazawa Sake Brewery, a cafe, and a bakery that uses beer yeast are all 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 their local farm beer, made with fruit from local farmers, is also popular. I was lucky enough to be able to order the "Kataura Lemon Ale," which had just been released. Just one drink, though (lol).
Juicy, richly flavored homemade sausages go perfectly with refreshing lemon beer!

It's easy to see why so many customers enjoy a relaxing day, taking a break with a delicious meal and a drink unique to the brewery, then returning to Okeba to have a good time.
It was reassuring to see this sake brewery, which 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 found myself reaching for my 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: Third Tuesday of every month (except August and December)
*Parking available

"access"
▶︎10-minute walk from Kagawa Station on the JR Sagami Line
https://www.kumazawa.jp/mokichi/okeba/

*The Okamura Siblings Ceramics Exhibition will be held until Wednesday, May 15th