Ajikiroji

Never would’ve found it had I not read about it somewhere. This small side street houses several small vendors who specialize in different crafts, such as food or dried flowers, and is tucked away very discreetly. The word for the street would be… boho, artisanal. I think the space also houses many of the owners/​workers of the stores.
I found out about it because I was looking for a bakery– 日曜日のパン屋さん. This is pretty much what the review is for since I didn’t really step into the other shops, as many weren’t open in the morning yet.
日曜日のパン屋さん, as its name suggests, is only open on Sundays. It carries a good variety of whole loaves that you don’t find in many other bakeries in Japan, and leans more towards French baking. Its main store is called L’ami du Pain and is located in the Kitayama area, further up North. Lucky for those of us who live nearer the city center, there is 日曜日のパン屋さん, catering to us on Sundays. :)
I grabbed a croissant and a ham epi bread. Fantastic. Look forward to going back to try different loaves.

Machiya makes me cozy and relaxing. I don’t want to live in Machiya because of its inconvenience (I’m sorry to say that), but want to stay for a couple of days. On this narrow alley several machiya houses stand side by side. Almost all the inhabitants are artisans. The space back to the alley are houses or a parking lot for bikes. Too narrow for a car to drive.
A guardian deity of children protecting inhabitants reposes, a public bath is located nearby, an elderly house owner kind for the inhabitans lives in the same site. I felt taste of Kyoto an age ago there. A shop of soft light with a Japanese paper and cloth as material, a stylish bakery, accessory or bits and pieces of a leather producer, I discovered a various shops. Each has personality and, facing one’s work, brings on a unique view of the world. I liked such an atmosphere.
A certain woman owner of the shop said to me. All the interior decoration of her shop was handmade. She put wall paper and a tatami mat with the assistance of other inhabitants. Everybody is so kind to each other, and communicates with the female house owner by having tea or meal. Although their relationship is close, everyone wants to graduate from here someday and dream of greatly flying away independently. What a wonderful dream they have! I cannot help hoping that an each person’s dream of success will come true. And I hope that new inhabitants will live with a dream after someone goes away from here. Then I will go to visit this alley again. I dream of a wonderful encounter.

Whenever my friends want to see Machiya (traditional house in kyoto), this special alley is one of the place to bring them. This alley is famous for giving opportunities to young people who are wiling to have their own shop someday, but does not have much experience or finance to have their own shop.
All of the shop owner are living inside this Machiya. There are patisserie shop, light shop with café, Hanko (name stamp) shop, order made hat shop, Gamaguchi (purse or handbag with clasp) and shoe shop, Shamisen shop, cooking class, bakery, paper craft shop and dyer shop.
Most of the shop are opened only on Saturday and Sunday.
Some of the shops are gradually gaining attention from all over of Japan. Some of the artists and shop owners are being interviewed on tv or magazines.
There are also a manga «Roji koibaha» that has used this alley as its model.
Another thing I like about this place is that it is easy to communicate with the shop owner. It’s fun to listen to thier passion on thier products and also see how they make it.