"Tsugaru Craft Shop" in Sakuragawa, Aomori (Sakuragawa, Aomori City, TEL 017-743-7009 ) From May 23 to 28, the second regular sales event will be held this year.

This store handles folk crafts from Japan and abroad, such as pottery, textiles, and baskets. We have a wide range of products, from Aomori folk crafts such as Koginzashi, Tsugaru glass, and Akebizuru products, to Mashiko ware and Okinawa pottery.

Hideaki Aida, the owner of the shop, says, "Mingei is an abbreviation for 'people's crafts.' It is a coined word coined by philosopher Soetsu Yanagi. Practical tools used in daily life are called folk crafts. She has a beauty that is second to none,” he says.

Regular sales events are held six days a month from April to December. Each month, there will also be planned sales with themes such as glass, woodwork, Christmas and New Year. Mr. Aida says that he sometimes travels to Tochigi and Kanagawa prefectures to purchase products. "Even if the pattern is the same, the atmosphere will be slightly different when you buy it while looking at the actual product at the site. I choose carefully so that I can deliver good products to everyone," he said.

Starting this year, we have set up tables and chairs for social gatherings on the second floor of the store. "I want to communicate with customers. In addition to the items for sale, there is also an exhibition of folk crafts from the Showa period, so it would be nice if I could talk while looking at them," said Mr. Aida. “There are many wonderful folk crafts not only in Japan but also in Aomori Prefecture.

Regarding this year's business, Mr. Aida said, ``We are operating as an antenna shop for folk crafts. I want to go," he said with a smile.

Business hours are from 10:00 to 18:00. This year's business (after June) is June 27th to July 2nd, July 25th to 30th, August 15th to 20th, September 19th to 24th, October 24th to 29th Sunday, November 21-26, December 12-17. It is also possible to respond outside business days with advance reservations.