[OGZ's Yamamachi Exploration Vol.04] Kiryu Edition: Reborn! [Umeda Furusato Center] Reviving the long-established public bathhouse [Ichinoyu]
Written by yans
Last time, we walked around the northern part of Kiryu's city center
Previous visit
This time, I went back to the Umeda area where Tanaka Shoten is located, and found another face of Umeda, a little further back from the store
Aim for the place you are becoming
It's about a 15-minute drive from there, passing Tanaka Shoten on Prefectural Route 66, which runs straight out from the city of Kiryu
Along the way, you will find the Umeda Furusato Center, which is the Umeda district we are introducing today
This is the very back, but of course there's still a lot more to come
It seems they are also setting up an event outside the store, so I'll take a look later
Looking from the entrance, the interior of the store has the same atmosphere as a roadside station or direct sales store
There are souvenirs lined up everywhere
I'm a little curious about the sake manju
Among the things like that, there are outdoor goods, and this place is a little different from other places like that
It creates an atmosphere, but why?
They also have products from Plylet, which I visited two weeks ago
If you're wondering why there are outdoor goods stores in this location, it's because the Hometown Center has been renovated
The sales management department has been entrusted to Tanaka Shoten
Now let us introduce Kainose Saki, deputy director
Judging from her appearance, you'll want to call her the proprietress!
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Comment from Deputy Director Saki Kainose
Umeda Furusato Center (Umeda-cho, Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture) will change management from April 6, 2024, and will reopen as a joint venture between Career Japan Co., Ltd., Value Forest, and Tanaka Shoten.
Tanaka Shoten is in charge of the merchandise sales corner. Our facility is located in the mountainous area of Kiryu City, in an area rich in nature
The trailhead for Mt. Nemoto is nearby, and in the summer many people enjoy swimming in the Kiryu River that flows next to the facility
Until now, Umeda Furusato Center has often been used as a place for local residents to relax, enjoy shopping, or for relatives to gather.
Furthermore, there was little information about the area around the facility, so tourist guidance was not possible
Now that I'm in charge of the merchandise section, I'm keeping in mind to "mainly feature local products" and "stock items that suit this location, which is full of nature."
We also propose events that involve experiences that utilize nearby nature
We want to provide our guests with local products as a memento of this place, and we also want our guests who visit in search of nature to learn more about the nature of this place and be inspired to return.
Because it is also a shopping spot for local residents, it is difficult to match everything to that, but we have selected products so that the facility will blend in with the natural environment.
Some visitors to our facility pass through Kiryu city, but many also cross the mountains from neighboring Tochigi prefecture to visit our facility
Our future goal is to encourage people to come from the mountains to the city, so that customers who use our facility will become interested in Kiryu and visit the city
In addition, to encourage people to go from the city to the mountains, we will not only enrich the products in the sales corner, but also enhance the tourist information that allows people to experience the nature of the Umeda area, and
I hope that many people will learn about the charm of Umedacho
I believe they are filled with passion and a quiet determination to sincerely face the future of the Hometown Center
I will continue to support you from behind the scenes
Now we head to the event space outside the Furusato Center
I see, it looks like a pop-up shop for a cutlery shop
There are a lot of rugged and cool products on display, and you'll want to buy one
This shop is called Honke Matsunaga Seisakusho and its headquarters are in Annaka City, Gunma Prefecture, but it opens a store at the Furusato Center once a month to coincide with events held in various places in Kiryu on the first Saturday of the month
It also seems that they are actively setting up pop-up stores in various locations and are active in a wide range of fields
Official website : https://honke-matsunaga.jp/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honke_matsu/
Let's say you buy a product that catches your eye and then head back to the campsite where you'll be staying for the night
After returning to the Tanaka Shoten Campsite and taking a short break, I plan to return to the town of Kiryu and wash off the sweat at a public bath
The campsite is currently in pre-opening mode and only has portable toilets and a simple water supply
It may be getting even more powerful as it approaches its official opening
The weather is still fine, but it's forecast to rain tonight, so I quickly head to the public bath
I'm back again
Ichinoyu is located on the north side of the city of Kiryu
How did I find out about this place? I happened to be watching a TV show called Burari Tochuu Teshi, and it featured an old public bath that had recently been revived. That makes you curious, right?
When the opportunity came to use the Tanaka Shoten campsite, I knew I had to go
No, this... I can't get enough of it
It's unmistakably the ultimate public bathhouse, and I have to say that this is the perfect place
There are regular types available, but the fixed shower was the best
Wherever you look there is only taste, it's wonderful
Even just a basket reminds me of how it used to be like this in the old days
There is even a sauna in front of the station, called Ninosa!
It's probably rare for a sauna in the city to use firewood
We also sell some interesting items
Yes, I bought an original towel (lol) I love these kinds of things
The person you can see briefly in the background is actually not the owner, but the lady from Komugi, a very popular bagel shop in Kiryu, who was working as the front desk attendant.It was fun meeting so many different people
Ichinoyu
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ichinoyu.sento/
Ichinoyu Goods Shop https://shop.1noyu.jp/
The story of Ichinoyu's revival https://www.youtube.com/@ichinoyu-kiryu
On a side note, I visited komugi later to buy some bagels..
Unfortunately, they sold out and closed even during opening hours, so we couldn't make it in time. It's a really popular store!
It seems like it's okay as long as it's right at lunchtime, so I'd like to try it again
komugi
Official website : https://komugi.shop/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/komugi.bagel/
Returning to my travel diary, I thought the public bath was great! When I returned to the campsite, it started to rain and I had to stay inside
The things I wanted to do outside the tent will have to wait
By morning, the rain had stopped and we were able to cook outside. The Tanaka Shoten campsite had good drainage
At best, the floorless shelter was comfortable
I'm going to grill some chicken that I bought at the store, which I actually wanted to grill that night
It's already seasoned, so just grilling it is delicious, and you can also grill some sausages to fill your stomach
After dinner we had some free time so we enjoyed the bonfire which we hadn't been able to do last night
If you use coniferous wood in the morning, it will burn up quickly and turn to ash, making cleanup easy
By the way, this fire pit is a CGK rolled wood stove made of thin stainless steel
Once assembled, this campfire stove has excellent combustion efficiency and is very easy to use
It is thin and compact, and can be stored neatly in A4 size
It is heavy (about 1 kg), so it depends on how you view that, but there are many other products available
As the sun begins to come out a little, we leave the city of Kiryu
What did you think of the Kiryu episode? It's close to Yamatomachi and is a place full of various attractions
I hope that reading this travelogue will inspire you to visit the place
Now we'll head east, so stay tuned for the next Tochigi edition!
yans
My love for gears has led me to write for Gearzine. I'm a hardcore gear enthusiast who loves modifying and building things, and I also love outdoor events. I'd like to focus on brand exploration and shop reviews
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