Togoshi is a quiet neighborhood. Although half of the shops are shuttered, there’s some foot traffic along the Miyakawa shopping street, and a few cyclists whizzing through with bikes full of groceries and small children. Recently, some signs of entrepreneurship are beginning to stir, including a small shop called Okomeya, which literally means “rice store.” The business was conceptualized by Atsuo Otsuka, who runs Owan, a small branding and design firm in the neighborhood. Saddened by his local neighborhood’s decline, he started Okomeya with an eye to revitalizing the area. “My grandparents lived in Togoshi, but after they passed, their house was vacant. That’s where my office—and Okomeya—began.” This story is from Kinfolk Issue Thirty-Two Buy Now Related Stories Food City Guide Issue 32 Takemura A family teahouse. Food City Guide Issue 32 Lawn A classic kissaten. Food City Guide Issue 32 Higashiya Ginza A seasonal sweetshop. Food Issue 49 Andy Baraghani Out of the kitchen, and onto your plates, shelves and screens. Food Issue 49 The Pizza Effect What happens when a trend is taken out of its country of origin, Americanized, and then re-injected into the zeitgeist at home? Food Issue 48 Rose Chalalai Singh On cooking for the art world elite.
Food Issue 49 The Pizza Effect What happens when a trend is taken out of its country of origin, Americanized, and then re-injected into the zeitgeist at home?
