The ethnic goods and clothing store "Punya" (1 Shinmachi, Aomori City) celebrated its 3rd anniversary on July 20th.

Housed in a renovated 80-year-old Japanese-style house, the store offers miscellaneous goods, tableware, and clothing procured from India, Mexico, Thailand, Vietnam, and Africa. Miyuki Kudo, the owner of the shop, has self-taught the macrame weaving technique, and the natural stone accessories are the flagship product of the shop.

Before starting the shop, Mr. Kudo worked at an ethnic goods store in Shizuoka Prefecture, and opened a shop at events under the name of "Caapa" to sell handmade accessories. At an event in 2019 (Heisei 31), I saw the products of the store next door, and when I was in high school, I admired the imported general store “Clinancourt” in Furukawa, Aomori City, and had a “dream of owning a general store”. It is said that he remembered that.

In 2020, he returned to his hometown of Aomori City, decided to open a store in Shinmachi, and found a property that met his conditions. The decisive factor was the atmosphere of the space created by aging and the dark brown floor. "It's the same old wooden house I saw in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The moment I entered the entrance, I knew it was here," says Kudo. With the help of a friend, he arranged the interior of the store with DIY and managed to open.

The store name is "Punya" which means "good luck" and "happiness" in Sanskrit. Mr. Kudo says with a smile, "I am very happy to be here and surrounded by my favorite miscellaneous goods."

Mr. Kudo said, "Before the spread of the infection, I used to go to places like Southeast Asia to buy things. Six months after opening, I was hit by the corona crisis. Now I have wholesalers buy them online, and I send them to friends living overseas. My current dream is to go shopping again,” he says with a smile.

Since the number of events has increased this year, they are planning to open stores both inside and outside Aomori. On August 11th, we will open a store at the "Komaki no Jomon Festival" held at the Jomon school Komakinokan (Nozawa) at the "Workshop for making magatama made with braided cords".

Business hours are from 11:00 to 20:00. Let us know your holidays on social media.