The first stop was green bean to bar CHOCOLATE. The shop is challenging the possibilities of "bean-to-bar chocolate from Japan," including a Japanese paper package design that makes use of traditional Japanese materials and patterns. The concept is to let customers feel the process from cacao beans to chocolate as a "journey," and the final chocolate bar takes about a month and a half to complete, from the selection of beans to sorting, roasting, and forming, all with time and care. The process is as follows.

For more information, click here: https://greenchocolate.jp/

Of particular note is the Kyoto store's exclusive chocolate bar kombu, created in collaboration with "Uneno," a 115-year-old dashi (Japanese soup stock) specialty store. The flavor was created as a result of the collaboration between the store, which wanted to bring the taste of Japan to the world, and "Uneno," a long-established shop in Kyoto. After many trials and errors in combining kelp and chocolate, we were able to enhance the taste of the kelp broth by using a blend of Rausu and Rishiri kelps and a sour and fruity Madagascar chocolate.

When I tasted it, I could certainly taste the firm acidity and the depth of the broth, unlike the chocolates I usually eat. Unlike chocolates available at convenience stores, the original aroma and taste are preserved by roasting the cacao at a low temperature. Since the ingredients are made from only cacao beans and sugar, the taste of the chocolate was simply delicious.

The store is also filled with other products made in collaboration with world-class Japanese ingredients, such as miso, sake, and Uji green tea.

Next, we headed to the mysterious restaurant "Book and Vegetable OyOy," where vegetables and books are lined up side by side. OyOy was created through a collaboration between Sakano Tochu, a Kyoto-based organic produce company, and Oorai-do, a Tokyo-based proofreading/review company that operates "Bookshop Kamome Books.

Vegetables are something that changes every day. Books also have the power to give people change. Such a commonality of "change" gave shape to this store. Incidentally, the name of the store is said to express the idea of not just spending one's days with a sense of speed, but also of doing things "OyOy" (take it easy). Indeed, just looking at the books and vegetables lined up on the walls, the space makes you feel relaxed.

The signature dish, OyOy Veggie Soup, is a dish that is filled with the whole heart of Sakano Tochu, which faces vegetables on a daily basis." The menu was made possible by the restaurant's message of "farming that will last for 100 years. In addition to Tanba shimeji mushrooms and kelp, the soup broth is made from vegetable scraps and peels that would normally be thrown away. I felt that the simple broth made the most of each ingredient, such as whole stewed zucchini, red onion, celery, carrots, beet leaves, potatoes, and tofu paste.

[Books and Vegetables OyOy aims for a menu that can be enjoyed by everyone. Vegans and meat lovers alike can enjoy the menu regardless of the occasion. The bookshelves that soar high above the store are filled with a selection of books on travel, plants, stories, art, and other topics, starting with "food" and expanding to include a variety of other topics to enjoy daily life. As I had just finished a period of self-restraint from going out, I was able to reaffirm the importance of reading, which opens up new worlds for me while I enjoy a full meal. Please visit this place where you can encounter the harmony of food and books that enriches your life.

The third stop was DIG THE LINE BOTTLE & BAR. This is the flagship store of DIG THE LINE, a sister company of Kyoto's popular craft beer and sake bar BEFORE9 and Hachi Record Shop and Bar.

Because the store was created by "DIG THE LINE," which started by importing and selling craft beers that have not yet arrived in Japan, mainly from Europe, it offers a wide variety of "cutting edge" tastes, such as sour ales with an appealing sour taste using wild yeast, beers made easier to drink by adding fruit, and more! The store offers a wide variety of tastes that have been called "cutting-edge. At the same time, DIG THE LINE BOTTLE & BAR places importance on the brewer's "passion for brewing.

In the old days in Japan, sake was sold by weight and brought home in special ceramic containers, but in Europe, draft beer is now sold in cans. While waiting for the beer to be canned, I was filled with a sense of superiority, as if it were my own personal beer. I think that craft beer selected according to the tastes of the recipient and packed in a can of DIG THE LINE's original design would make a perfect gift.

"7:15, 13:00, 18:30, 24:45......" This is the time engraved on the packaging of the popular nail care product "uka nail oil". uka's beauty care products, which use naturally derived oils, are popular among women seeking healing. The first Kansai store of such a brand [uka store Kyoto Shinpukan] is now open.

In Tokyo, the salon is known as a total beauty salon, offering nail, hair, and head massage services. It started as a three-seat barber shop and has grown into a total beauty salon. Nails and head spas are so popular that reservations are hard to come by.

Along with the growth of salons, various home care products have been created. One of the most popular is the scalp brush Kenzan. It looks like a kenzan of fresh flowers, and when used with shampoo, it is talked about for its refreshing, beauty salon-like feel.

The cool green-colored, Kyoto store-exclusive scalp brush is said to be in between the hardness of existing products. It is so popular that we have had inquiries by phone since its release. It is one of the goods we would like to try in the summer when sebum increases. The fact that all these goods, which until now could only be found in a few cosmetic stores and select stores, are now available together is only increasing the level of attention.

Originally named "Shinpukan" in hopes of bringing a new breeze to Kyoto. With the addition of many stores that are new to the Kansai region and Kyoto, this renewal has transformed the area into a spot where new winds are blowing. In the future, we are planning to hold events that transcend the boundaries between stores. We look forward to its development as a place where people can experience something new in a casual manner at any time.