[OGZ's Yamamachi Exploration Vol.19] AVANT-GARDE Continued! HOMIES COFFEE! GRID, the Shop Where the Adventure Begins! [Tokigawa Special Feature Part 2]
written by yans
In the previous article, we introduced AVANT-GARDE and HOMIES COFFEE.
Check out our previous visit here!
This time we would like to focus on GRID, an outdoor shop in Tokigawa Town that we have only just touched on!
The beginning of your adventure: GRID, your store for daily living and outdoor activities
So, let's take a look at GRID once again.
Just ahead as you enter the store, there is a limited-time special on baskets for September! Although the store is primarily an outdoor store, they also carry tools that are close to everyday life and easy to use outdoors.
Entering from the front, at the end of the left register counter, was the HOT WINE MIX Katsuragi Yuzu! It's a popular drink that can be enjoyed as hot wine or with soda.
As I turned my attention to the shelves in the back, I was intrigued by the wild game curry made with vegetables grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers in Tokigawa Town and green Japanese pepper! The combination of venison and green Japanese pepper sounds like something I'd never heard of before!
Next to it is the seasonal "Chilled Amazake"
Returning to the entrance, you will find life jackets available for rent on the right side, likely due to the river environment. As we will explain later, water play is also available at the campsites of GRID facilities, so it is a good deal for protecting your children and yourself.
Due to the location, we have a wide selection of Avant-Garde products, which are the first to appear! This is probably the best lineup in the area, and here is the recently popular chair series! The small stools are also said to be popular.
They have all the basic camping equipment, so you can unify your gear with avant-garde products. They also offer socks. Personally, I recommend the stainless steel kettle, as it's easy to use.
Further to the side, there is a wide selection of bags, and Cotopaxi 's flashy colors are sure to catch your eye.
The top shelf features Zero Gram and Pargo Works, a selection of products that can be used for everything from hiking to mountain climbing.
The bottom shelf is filled with small storage gear items from Pargo and Asbotio .
This asbotio , the Mountain Zabuton! It has a five-layer structure made of highly water-resistant fabric, and comes with a hand towel pocket so you can adjust the cushioning. It can be folded into thirds and weighs 42g, so having one on hand seems like it would be very useful.
Let's take a look at the shelves in the center. Tokigawa is famous as a town of wood, and there is a woodworking company next door to the shop, so there is a wide variety of wooden products available.
The works of Fukuyoka, a woodworker based in Tokigawa Town, are said to develop a richer texture with use, making them a joy to watch grow.
Nabeshikiya with GRID branding
The OD can cover is also made of wood!
This shade is perfect for when you feel that the light is too bright!
This UL ochoko looks like it will taste amazing as you continue to pour sake into it.
Behind the wooden products are bottles and water bottles.
We have a wide selection of GRID original T-shirts.
If you look at the back window, you'll see that there are many household goods around here. These are works by Yumitate Kiln in Tokigawa Town.
Norio Yuasa's hammered stainless steel cutlery has a mysterious feel to it.
GRID actively incorporates foreign goods, one of which is Moroccan glass, hand-blown by artisans in Morocco. No two pieces are the same, so you should definitely try them out!
There is a hidden ornament underneath that is somehow intriguing, and it has an addictive charm.
Let's go to the shelf at the very back of the store, where you'll find Evernew cookers and Zero Gram cases.
Trangia has a wide range of products, and Gearzine recently reviewed their cooker!
From Gearingear Review!
The top shelf is made of wood that can protect and carry alcohol and wine bottles.
On the bottom shelf, there is also ``special'' Iwate Kiri charcoal that is different from the rest.
Finally, returning to the side of the entrance, we have a portable power source, which I think has become quite common these days. It's a convenient device to have, not just for outdoor environments, but for many other reasons. Personally, I think it's now common for every household to have one.
Now, let's get to the usual "Let's Ask Various Questions" corner! Our CEO, Mr. Aoki, is affectionately known to everyone as Mr. Ao.
-When did GRID begin?-
I think I heard this in an interview there earlier, but it will open at the same time as Homies in October 2022. I'm a recent immigrant, and I'd been working in a completely different industry until then, so I came to this area knowing absolutely nothing about the "outdoor" industry. However, this was after the previous camping facility, NONIWA (described below), opened in 2019, so I've had plenty of exposure to the outdoors in the meantime.
Initially, setting up an outdoor shop was not part of the plan, but NONIWA is a facility that teaches camping in addition to being a regular campsite, and if we did that, our interaction would be limited to customers who made reservations and wanted to learn about camping. That meant we didn't have any interaction with the people of Tokigawa... and then COVID-19 hit at the time.
I moved to Tokigawa because I love it, but I felt like it was a little out of touch with my desire to promote Tokigawa as an outdoor town, being confined to our "small place." So my wife and I were saying that we wanted a place that was more open and where everyone could come and feel comfortable. We started looking for a property, and by chance, we decided to start that open space here! That's how GRID began.
Now, regular meetings of the Tokigawa Town Outdoor Council and volunteer work are held here, and we are able to suggest to visitors that certain mountains in Tokigawa are good. People involved in the outdoor industry also visit us privately, and we feel the synergistic effect of these connections.
-What was the mysterious reason behind the start of HOMIES COFFEE?-
Of course, Homies was also involved in this synergy. The reason we met was strangely enough, as we were looking for camp instructors for NONIWA.
From there, Ryo was good with tools and DIY, so he mainly helped me build things like NONIWA's wood deck. After that, we found a property for a GRID store and asked him if he wanted to work on that too, and we've been together ever since (laughs). About two months after construction on the store started, Ryo asked me, "Is that little shed you see over there? Maybe we should open a coffee stand there?"
"If you're going to open a shop here, it would be great if you could also drink coffee here, and that would be one of the reasons customers would come," he said. Originally, he had wanted to open a coffee shop, and although construction started later, the shop was completed in no time... and it ended up opening on the same day as GRID!
-Why did you choose Tokigawa?
Before moving here, I was working in Kawagoe, also in Saitama Prefecture, and when I happened to come across Tokigawa on the web, I thought it would be a nice change of scenery. I wanted to live in a place surrounded by nature, but suddenly quitting my job was a bit of a challenge... So I was looking for a place with "good nature" that I could get to from Kawagoe, and I ended up finding Tokigawa Town. Now, I really like Tokigawa, which feels like our hometown.
-A store that offers lifestyle and outdoor activities-
As a store that originally proposed lifestyle and outdoor activities, we select tools that we think would be good for the Satoyama area where we live. So we're the ultimate outdoor shop! Or rather, I think it's typical of GRID to have a lot of products that are a little more lifestyle-oriented. The word "outdoor" has a pretty broad meaning, doesn't it? So I think it's okay not to be limited to a certain mold of what outdoor activities are.
It's called an outdoor town, but I wish it was more... accessible.
-What is NONIWA?-
The camping courses offered at NONIWA are aimed at lowering that barrier to entry.
NONIWA is located just a three-minute walk from GRID. Training sessions and camping can be held in the square in front of the facility, and the main house at the back can be used as a toilet and kitchen.
Camping classes are held about once or twice a month, and all equipment is available for rental. The instructors provide detailed lectures on solo and family courses. My husband and I are also Trangia ambassadors, so we're excited about the 100th anniversary event being held here in October!
This is the camping space in the back. It's surrounded by forest so you can feel even more natural.
The property is connected to the river, so you can go swimming in the river!
-A word about the Tokigawa Outdoor Festival!-
This event will connect you with Tokigawa Town and be packed with the town's charm, so please come and join us!
From the previous stall.
What did you think of GRID/NONIWA, the shop where my adventure began? I'm sure it wasn't easy to move to Tokigawa and put down roots there, but the fact that it has lasted this long and will continue into the future is proof that I've become accustomed to the place. I used to climb the nearby mountains, so it's a place I'm familiar with. I hope to continue to quietly visit the mountains, GRID, and my Homies.
The Tokigawa special feature is still ongoing! Thank you for your continued support.
GRID
・275-1 Bessho, Tokigawa-cho, Saitama Prefecture
・Business days: Friday/Saturday/Sunday/Monday
・Business hours: 10:00-16:00
・Parking available
Official website : https://grid-outdoor.com/
Official online shop https://shop.grid-outdoor.com/
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grid_outdoor/
NONIWA
Operating company: NONIWA https://noniwainc.com/
Official website : https://noniwa.jp/
Official Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/noniwa_campminpaku/
Yans
A person who has grown into a gear lover and finally ended up writing on Gear Gin. He has been a tough gear enthusiast and loves modifying and making his own gear, and also loves outdoor events. We would like to place emphasis on brand exploration and shop reviews.
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