On August 8th, Owani, Aomori, the restaurant and cafe bar "WANY" (Owanikan, Minamitsugaru-gun, TEL 0172-49-1082) opened.

This is a store that has renovated the storehouse of the Yamani Senyukan, which is the only nationally registered tangible cultural property in Owani. Keisuke Kikuchi, the owner, is the 5th owner of the inn in the 5th year of the Meiji era, and currently runs a housing construction company in Hirosaki. “It was a long-standing dream to renovate the storehouse into a cafe and create a place for local exchanges,” says Kikuchi.

The storehouse has 3 stories and is used as a storeroom for the ryokan, and the store area is about 30 tsubo. There are 33 seats. Black and white photographs of old crocodile and old maps are displayed in the store. Mr. Kikuchi says, "It represents the early Showa period from the Taisho era when it is said that Owani was the most prosperous."

For the renovation, we used the seiro and brazier that had been stored in the storehouse for lighting fixtures and handwashing areas, as well as a table tennis table made to order. "I was particular about using what was in this land and what was left as much as possible," says Kikuchi.

The menu includes hamburger (Demigrass sauce, spicy sauce), spicy pork, fried chicken (800 yen each), beer, highball (500 yen each), etc. At lunchtime, "Today's lunch" (with soup, salad, drink, 900 yen) will be offered.

Mr. Kikuchi, who pre-opened on August 1st, is feeling the satisfaction of seeing happy customers inside the shop, which was visited mainly by local customers and was renovated. "If we can create a new place for people to gather and leave the hot spring culture, we can show it," he shows his motivation.

Business hours are from 11:00 to 14:00 and from 17:00 to 21:00.