Kurano Machi

【Retro-modern city walk】 Explore one of Japan's top 'warehouse towns' created by 'men's virtue'

Walking in Kitakata, you will encounter warehouses. The city is said to have over 4,000 warehouses, forming a unique 'warehouse concentration area' unlike any other in the country. Various warehouses built from the Edo to the Meiji and Taisho eras still thrive in daily life, allowing you to enjoy a retro-modern city walk where rich history intersects with contemporary sensibilities.

■ A unique culture of 'You must build a warehouse to be considered an adult'

Why are there so many warehouses in Kitakata? There is a strong local temperament that states, 'If a man at 40 cannot build even one warehouse, he is not considered an adult.'

• Diverse architectural beauty: Encounter meticulously designed warehouses featuring the heavy 'black plaster' and 'white plaster' unique to snowy regions, as well as rare 'brick construction'.
• Rich variety: Just by walking the streets, you can experience the changes in the townscape created by materials and techniques from different eras.

■ To cafes and galleries. Evolving 'living warehouses'

The warehouses of Kitakata are not only preserved as mere structures but are also currently in use, which adds to their charm.

• Essence of renovation: Former brewing warehouses and 'tatami warehouses' have beautifully transformed into charming cafes and galleries.
• Breath of history: Enjoy the evolving 'living warehouses' while savoring coffee in a space surrounded by thick beams and plaster walls.