shop#160 TSUMAMI-DO

Tsumami-Zaiku is a Japanese craft which has a 300 years' history, using a small square texture colorfully dyed in a traditional way. Here at Tsumami-Do, you can experience Tsumami-Zaiku. Folding a texture like Origami, you can make a flower-shaped accessory in 30 to 40 minutes. Once you know how to make it, you can buy materials here, as it is the only material store of Tsumami-Zaiku. A Kanzashi (hair ornament) made by this method is very beautiful.

The owner, Takahashi-san, said they welcome foreign people. However, the class is in Japanese only, so please take someone who is Japanese or who speaks some Japanese. Please contact them in advance if you are more than 3 people.

Located between Asakusabashi Station and Kuramae Station.

■　Tsumami-Zaiku Experience
Reservation is not needed.
Tuesday to Saturday from 11:00 to 17:00
Fee: 860 yen (hairpin), 1,600 yen (charm)
available children over 6 years-old

shop#159 Daily's Muffin

I must say that this shop's muffins are sooooo good. There are various flavors, some of which are changed daily.  When you eat at home, use microwave for 20 seconds, then use oven (toaster) for 2 minutes. I tried a corn cream muffin and a chai muffin and both are delicious. I think I have to visit Daily's Muffin until I eat all of the flavors.

http://dailysmuffin.jp/

shop#158 (esi)monyara (closed on August 2015)

(Shop will be closed on August 31, 2015.)

This is a small shop for handmade goods for daily life. The shop is located on the top floor of an old and unique building in Kuramae. The items are gathered and carefully selected by the owner from all over Japan. The name of the store is very funny. If you turn over the spells and change y to i, you will find the answer. (esi)monyara goes to "arainomise". Yes! It means "a store of Arai-san," the name of the owner :-)

open only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays from 13:00 to 17:00.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/esimonyara-%E3%83%A2%E3%83%8B%E3%83%A3%E3%83%A9-/316402278445166

shop#157 Pro-Mener

Pro-Mener is a shop with an atelier of handmade leather items such as a wallets, book cover or pass case. The owner of this shop is the craftsman, who makes all of the products. He sometimes hold a workshop to make leather items. Next event is to make a card case on November 1. It is kind of a professional workshop taking 5 hours to be finished. The price is 6,000 yen, and you will get an exclusive leather card case of your own.

The shop is located on the 3rd floor of Kuramae Building, which is an old building but a new place  where young creators are gathering.

open on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 13:00 to 18:00

facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pro-Mener/358139044336095

shop#156 ARKRAFT

ARKRAFT sells hand-crafted watches made by a watch creator, Mr. Hidekazu Araki. Basically, a case is made of blass and a belt is made of oxhide. You will find a ladies' watch as well as men's, which has a distinctive flavor, as Mr. Araki creates one by one carefully with high skills. Prices are somewhere around 20,000 yen. Reasonable, isn't it?

open from 13:00 to 18:00
closed on Sundays

Located near Torigoe Shrine.

Website (Japanese only)
http://arkraft.net/index.html

shop#155 Do-Chi-Do

Paper Studio Do-chi-do is located along Hato-no-machi Street in Sumida-ku, 8 minutes from Hikifune Station, Tobu Skytree Line. There was a temporary shop at Okazu Yokocho this weekend (October 18 & 19, 2014) for Monomachi event. They make your own notebook with a cardboard cover. It is fun to find your favorite one from beer logo, apple or Kanji characters.

open from 10:30 to 17:30
closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays

Website (Japanese only)
http://douchidou.com/

shop#154 Crafts Mochizuki

Here is used to be a rice store, opened in 1902. Now the store is closed down but is opened on weekends as a china shop. The interior is the same as the old time. They collect beautiful china made by artists living in Okinawa. Be careful, the shop is opened only on weekends. Though the shopkeeper doesn't speak English, the prices are put on every products.  I am sure it is worth seeing the building itself.

website (Japanese only)
http://www.geocities.jp/kougeimochiduki/

shop#153 nico design

One of the studios at Taito Designers Village is "nico disign," selling very unique accessories. A resin‐treated ring containing real rose petals, golden coffee bean necklace, parsley-shaped earrings and so on. Earrings and rings using natural stones are very cute and colorful.

Orders from other countries may also acceptable. Please contact them through a website or facebook.

The silver necklace in the center is parsley! They made a mold from real parsley.

Pearl and natural stone earrings.

Studio at Taito Designers Village.
















https://www.facebook.com/nicobynicodesign

http://nicodesign.shop-pro.jp/

shop#152 Hyakusuke

Hyakusuke is a Japanese traditional cosmetics shop, which has more than 200 years' history. For example, you will get Hechima water (a bottle of lotion made of sponge cucumber) and Aburatori-gami (facial papers to absorb oil or sebum). Aburatori-gami is very popular because Ms. Elizabeth Taylor, the actress, used it.

Located in front of Bentenyama in Sensoji.

shop#151 Toushougama Honten

This is Toushougama-Honten, located at Kappabashi Dougu Gai (Kappabashi Tool Street), selling simple and modern Japanese tableware. There is another shop nearby, where you can order your own with color, names and logos.

shop#150 Yasai-no-Oyaki (closed)

[This shop was closed in early 2015.]

Yasai-no-Oyaki means vegetable Manju. This shop is selling some flavors of Manju, but the best, I think, is Karinto-Manju. You can eat a hot Manju at the store. Manju is normally soft, but this one is different; the flour skin is crispy and crunchy with sweet red bean paste inside. Try it!

Located on Tanuki-Dori (Raccoon Street) in Asakusa.