June 1st, Yamashiroya returns to 646 Hamacho, Bungotakada — the place where it all began. A small specialty store, dedicated solely to the hidden gems of Oita Prefecture.
Our Philosophy and Resolve
I’m Ryosuke Hirota, the seventh-generation owner of Yamashiroya. Returning home to save the family business after my grandfather fell ill was the biggest decision of my life. That was several years ago. Now, I find myself facing another.
“Enriching the world through local treasures.” That vision has stayed with me since my university days. I simply want to share the finest things Oita has to offer. It may sound like the usual hometown pride — but the fact that I still feel it tells me it’s something real.
In a town where the population is falling below 20,000, I began to wonder what a physical store could still offer. My answer: not just products, but a place where people can feel time itself — the air, the atmosphere, the history held within these walls.
Gratitude to Our Ancestors, and a Century’s Worth of Clearing Out
Until a few years ago, my grandmother lived alone in the main house — the very place where Yamashiroya was founded.
Attached to it was a sake brewery, long unused. Inside, enormous vats sat exactly where they had always stood, as if waiting — along with blackened tools, and the smell of all those years still lingering in the air.
No one had been able to clear it out. And I realized — I was probably the only one who ever would.
Day after day, I cleaned alone, covered in dust. It was more than tidying up. It felt like slowly unraveling the memories of every ancestor who had built their livelihood on this ground.
Giving Back to the Place That Raised Us
This town is home to “Showa no Machi” — a living district that preserves the streetscape of 1950s Japan. It was one of the reasons I came back.
But today, aging shop owners are closing their doors one after another. The shopping street that once drew visitors is quietly going dark.
As someone who carries on a trade, I want to be one of the ones who keeps the lights on.
This is my turn to build something worth coming to.
Yamashiroya — Specialists in Oita’s Hidden Gems, Est. 1865 646 Hamamachi, Bungotakada, Oita Prefecture Soft opening: Monday, June 1st We’re not finished yet — but we decided to open the door anyway. Please come visit us in Hamamachi.
コメント