Dialogue - Rainy Day Cafe and Folk Crafts -
Big changes come from a series of small decisions.
The journey of Kunugi Hiroaki, the owner of "Rainy Cafe and Folk Crafts," makes one realize that life is a series of such events.
Living in Mishima City, Shizuoka Prefecture, together with his family, he carefully prepares chai and snacks made with selected spices.
On the second day of the exhibition, we spoke to them about their journey so far and their future challenges.
Feel the scenery you saw on your trip
It was while traveling in India that Kunugi decided to make a living by opening a shop. After graduating from university, he set up a studio with his brother, who is a restorer of Scandinavian furniture, and started making art. Two years later, Kunugi, who had always dreamed of traveling, saved up money and traveled around Thailand and India.
During her travels, she visited Pai, a small town in the north of Thailand. This town is a popular destination for backpackers, and the night market is bustling every night. Kudo also makes accessories and sets up a stall at the night market. She says that spending time with people from all over the world inspired her to "open a store where people can gather and relax."
His encounter with the only chai shop in the town further strengthened his desire to try chai. "It was a shock," he says, and that cup of chai will bring about change in the rest of his life.
After that, he visited India, where he spent more time alone and before he knew it, he was thinking about the name of the restaurant and even the menu. His passion for opening a restaurant did not cool, so he decided to cut his six-month trip short and return to Japan to open the restaurant.
Rainy Day Cafe and Folk Crafts
The impressions he got from his travels add warmth to Kunugi's actions and words. His feelings spread to those around him, and with various cooperation, the property was confirmed in December 2015. Until the opening, he worked hard from morning until late at night to set up the store. In January 2016, it opened under the name "amefri chai and craft".
Using carefully selected spices, they strive to create a unique chai flavor that matches the taste of people in Thailand, and serve a cup of chai that fits into people's daily lives. Inside the store, items purchased in Asia and antique Japanese tools are lined up.
In 2018, after getting married, the shop became a family business. At that time, the name of the shop was changed to "Amefuri Cafe and Mingei." Why did they change the name?
Before opening the shop, Kunugi-san had an interest in foreign cultures. As he worked at the shop, he came to empathize with the attitude and philosophy of folk crafts. His interest in Japanese culture is the reason he decided to change the shop name to Japanese.
"In the old days, people would wear work clothes when working in the fields. If a hole appeared in the clothes, instead of buying a new one, they would repair it with sashiko and wear it again. Mingei has the spirit of continuing to use things for a long time and an attitude of thinking about the user, and I think that is beautiful."
Memories I want to keep
At the "Nohara Art Exhibition," chai made with carefully selected spices and light snacks will be served.
Kuninori has known Kenji Sato of "Nohara" since they were in high school. After they had both had various experiences, Sato approached him and asked if he would like to set up a shop at the exhibition.
This was their first attempt at setting up a stand at an exhibition. As they said, "I was really enthusiastic about it," it's not hard to imagine that they made a lot of preparations for this new challenge. For the exhibit, they prepared two types of cookies and two teabag chai teabags.
"After the first day of the exhibition, I had a wonderful time with all the wonderful customers. The artwork and delicious food will remain in my memories, but perhaps what remains the most memorable is the time I spent with other people. I feel truly blessed that the food I make is part of the time I spend with people."
Guided by Shodoshima
Can destiny happen when we act spontaneously? My encounter with Shodoshima, which I happened to stop by on a road trip in 2019, was a fortuitous event.
"The sea is crystal clear, the sea breeze is pleasant, the people I meet are all warm, and the sun is warm too. I fell in love with Shodoshima, an island that can only be reached by boat. Once I fell in love with it, the scenery expanded all at once, and before I knew it, I was standing in front of the gate of a beautiful old house that has stood on a hill for at least 100 years."
As the family exchanged opinions about their lifestyle and the store, they began to see a direction for creating a space that was more related to food, clothing, and shelter. That's how they came across this old house. The landlord was also planning to demolish it.
When I started a store from scratch, I learned that if I take action, the situation will also change. "You never know until you take action." Kuno family bought an old house on Shodoshima to use as a residence and store. They decided to move from Shizuoka Prefecture to Shodoshima.
"We are renovating an old house and barn that are about 100 years old on Shodoshima to open a cafe, inn and shop. There are also mountains and fields nearby. We would like to weave the free-spirited stories of our family on this 10,000m2 piece of land that our ancestors have cherished, and pass them on to future generations."
After this conversation, I realized that life is a series of decisions, from big to small. The most important thing when making a decision is to be satisfied with it yourself. Kuninori's journey has taught us that the landscape of life changes as we make repeated decisions. I'm looking forward to seeing how the store in Shodoshima will change in the future.
Interviewer and writer: Yoshiaki Ono
Nohara Works Exhibition "The Wind Goes Around"
Flowing, flowing, the wind of breath is a promised journey where the light of the past gathers
Animals draw close to us with their gazes, and plants caress us on the wind. With the overlapping fragments of memories as guideposts, we continued to weave our memories during the winter. Let's meet in a corner of the field, wrapped in the spring sunshine.
Deerskin from Shimanto, Kochi Prefecture A scrap of leather hiding in the shade An old piece of cloth passed down with great care These beloved children who came to our hands after a long journey
The wallets and bags we use every day, the clothes and wrappings, whether we have something to carry or not, our fingers and hearts stretch out, and we are inspired by the spring wind blowing through the spinning of threads and threads.
