Mono-machi Festival

A celebration of the artistic spirit in Kachikura

Sher Ying Wee Jun 16, 2013 - 1 min read

Shoe-making with recycled materials and tape - the most popular workshop with children in the gallery area.

Right out in front of the gallery is Mono Stage - a space where performances attract passersby.

Posters are put up around the event area. They have several locations where events are held, so read the map carefully as it can be pretty confusing. I ended up going to the gallery only as I didn’t realize there was the market section.

Going down the stairs brings you to the information centre and the gallery section of the Mono-machi Festival.

Generally, displays are on the right side of the hall and stalls selling items are on the left. There are stalls providing workshops and free consultations too.

You can purchase really unique items like umbrellas and fans made with leather at the event as well.

The main theme around this area seems to be leather-related craft, which would explain why the majority of the stalls and displays have something to do with shoes.

Leather shoes to commemorate your child's first steps!

All kinds of designs and patterns for men's, women's, and children's shoes are available.

One of the shops that did not sell anything related to leather. The focus was on obis and items made from the stiff obi fabric, like purses and card holders.

The owner, Seiko Yamazaki, designs the obi patterns. Surprisingly popular is her spectacles-patterned men's obi. Displayed below are name card holders made from obi fabric.

This free experience workshop helps participants understand what kind of shoes are best for them because of how they walk and put pressure on their feet.

A leather-craft workshop where you could choose to do a handmade key ring or a pouch.

Modern metal embossing techniques for visitors to try out on either a scrap piece of leather or a leather pouch.

This stall uses a die-cut machine imported from Sweden to create stickers made of dyed leather.

Customers could request a shape or colour of leather on the spot.

All the lovely shapes cut out beforehand on display for sale. The stickers can put on notebooks, bags, handphone covers and just about anywhere you like!

A video showing the process of how handmade shoes are crafted. Oddly, it was the hands of the craftsman in the video that really moved me - it honestly depicted how hard craftsmen work to perfect their craft at the expense of their health and bodies.

A candle making workshop that uses child-friendly materials.

The Mono-machi (literally ‘town of things’) festival gathers about 280 stores annually from the Kachikura area (including Okachi-machi and Kuramae) to promote the artistic spirit of creation. This year's festival is named A-Round. “A” stands for Asakusa, artisan, active, and the beginning (i.e. of the alphabet). “Round” means to walk around and enter a world of fashion goods, handmade leather shoes, and other lovingly crafted items.

Sher Ying Wee @sher.ying.wee

I like taking photographs on travels, but am oddly not good at the traveling bit itself. Please enjoy and view the photos as if it were you with your camera on your own travels.