Coconoki is about a 10-minute walk from JR Chikuzen-Maebaru Station and is located in the Maebaru shopping arcade, where old buildings on the Old Karatsu Road, which was first built in the Edo period, still remain. The store features kitchen and dining utensils, food items, clothing, accessories, and other miscellaneous goods carefully handcrafted by about 70 artisans living in Itoshima.
All of the products in the store evoke a sense of warmth that cannot be found in mass-produced goods. These include plates and bento boxes fashioned from cedar in a way that brings out the beauty of the wood grain, which the store has sold since it first opened, and pottery from the nationally renowned Junyo Kiln.
Tomomi Noguchi and Tetsuro Chijiiwa, who run the store, make a point to go out and visit the sites where the artisans make their goods, from Itoshima-based woodworkers and potters to local farmers who grow pesticide-free rice and other foods. They only put products in the store that they themselves like, and only after they have developed a complete understanding of the dedication that each of the producers has for their products.
The Maebaru shopping arcade used to have a noticeable number of shuttered stores, but in the past few years, several small but unique stores, including cafes, bookstores, and knick-knack shops, have opened up. This is now a hot area in Itoshima, and it may have all been inspired by Coconoki.
Itoshima Life x Coconoki
• 3-9-1 Maebaru-chuo, Itoshima City, Fukuoka
• 092-321-1020
• Closed: Tuesday
• Open: 10:00~19:00
• https://www.coconoki.com
