The East Japan Railway Company¡¯s redevelopment of its properties into commercial and community spaces has always supported Japanese design, whether it¡¯s been through the inclusion of select boutiques within minimalls or the impressive street of craft stores and studios.
Its latest project, , which opened last month, is no exception. The long arcade of eateries and stores beneath the red-brick arches of a viaduct spanning Tokyo¡¯s Yurakucho and Shimbashi stations includes Niigata 100, a store filled with household items and foods all produced in Niigata Prefecture.
This is the first Niigata 100 store outside of its own prefecture, and it¡¯s part of the Niigata Industrial Creation Organization¡¯s Hyakunen-Monogatari initiative, which has been supporting research and development of locally made products since 2003. Despite the Tokyo store¡¯s compact floorspace, it promotes a comprehensive range of regional crafts, from individual artisan woodwork and ceramics to factory-manufactured metalware and glassware.
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