"Takekoma no Mori CAFÉ Ichirimanbai" at Takekoma Shrine, one of Japan's three great Inari shrines, will open on December 26th | A place to create excitement for the local community in Iwanuma City, Miyagi Prefecture

NOMURA is responsible for the overall production of the project, including planning, product development, interiors, interior design, and landscaping concept design.

​Takekoma Shrine (a religious corporation) in Iwanuma, Miyagi Prefecture, one of the three great Inari shrines in Japan, is launching a new initiative called the "Takekoma no Mori Project" to build a local community and generate more activity. As the first phase, "Takekoma no Mori CAFÉ Hitobabai," a cafe attached to a rest area within the shrine grounds, will open on December 26, 2024 (Ichibanamanbai Day).

The first phase will be approximately 1,500m2 in size, and will create a place where everyone can feel at ease at "Takekoma no Mori CAFÉ Hitobitomanbai," and will create a rich seasonal landscape for "Takekoma no Mori," born from the development of the shrine forest. The future plan is to open an event plaza in the second phase, and to create a community by establishing events that connect with the local area, such as seasonal shrine events and projects involving local residents. In addition, social media aimed at young people and promotions aimed at inbound demand will also be developed. NOMURA, Ltd. is in charge of the overall production, including planning, support for the opening of the cafe in the rest area, menu and product development, and architectural, interiors, and landscaping concept design.

Takekoma Shrine was faced with issues triggered by the spread of COVID-19, including the weakening of the local community, an aging worshipper population, and a decrease in the frequency of visits. NOMURA has been involved since the planning stage, and for two and a half years has worked with shrine officials to reconsider the significance of Takekoma Shrine's existence and consider new ideas for community collaboration and marketing. Going forward, the shrine will gradually implement an activity plan that utilizes the entire shrine grounds, with the aim of making Takekoma Shrine an indispensable part of the lives and lifestyles of local residents, and continuing its more than 1,180-year history in a sustainable manner.

NOMURA will work in collaboration with the shrine and local businesses to use creativity to solve local issues and propose to society what shrines should be like in the future through this project.
 

Overall layout of the Takekoma Shrine grounds and the Takekoma Forest Project

"Takekoma no Mori CAFÉ Hitotsubu Manbai" Partner companies and their roles

Overview of the preview event for "Takekoma no Mori CAFÉ Hitotsubu Manbai"

Date and time: Thursday, December 26, 2024 *Hitotsubumanbai Day 9:30am (Registration opens at 9am)
Location: The grounds of Takekoma Shrine, one of the three Inari shrines in Japan "Takekoma Forest CAFÉ Ichiri Manbai" (1-1 Inaricho, Iwanuma City, Miyagi Prefecture)
Ceremony
■Opening Ceremony: 9:30-10:30 (60 minutes)
・Greetings from the Chief Priest
・Greetings from the President of Tregion
・Explanation of the Takekoma no Mori Project and the thoughts behind "Takekoma no Mori CAFÉ Ichiribu Manbai"
・ Ribbon cutting ceremony
・Gagaku performance (shrine maiden dance)

■Mass media briefing: 10:30-11:30 (60 minutes)
・Tour and tasting session
Q&A session

Speakers:
Takekoma Shrine, one of the three great Inari shrines in Japan, Chief Priest: Murata
"Takekoma no Mori CAFÉ Hitoburimanbai" operated by Tregion CEO Yoshida Kei / General Producer NOMURA Sakazume Kenichi / Creative Director NOMURA Shirodo Kensaku

For inquiries regarding the preview, please contact: Religious Corporation Takekoma Shrine, Shintaro Muraoka and Kiho Hirazawa (0223-22-2101)
 

About rest areas

Considering the current issues and local needs, we thought that the existence of a community and a cafe would be an opportunity to encourage people to visit the shrine. Takekoma Shrine is home to three deities associated with business prosperity, bountiful harvests, and matchmaking. In keeping with this, we planned to create a lively atmosphere, food and drink experiences, and community collaboration through products and events. An auspicious rest area with a cafe attached was born, an experience that can only be found at Takekoma Shrine.

The rest area is produced NOMURA, which was also responsible for the space production of EDOCCO, the Kanda Myojin Cultural Exchange Center in Tokyo, with menu development by nacrée, a Michelin one-star restaurant representative of Sendai, and operation by Tregion, a company that operates food, beverage, event and coffee businesses mainly in the Tohoku region.

About Brand concept design

About the name
We named the cafe "Takekoma no Mori CAFÉ Hitobori Manbai" after the god of rice cultivation and bountiful harvests, who is the deity enshrined at Takekoma Shrine, and we hope that by developing the shrine forest and enriching the approach to the shrine, people will be able to feel the changing seasons. In addition to bringing good luck, we hope that the good deeds of each individual will revitalize the local area and become a force for building a bright future. We sincerely hope that this rest area will not only be a place of healing, but also become a part of the local community.

About the logo concept design
The name combines the character of Takekoma Shrine, where the god of bountiful harvests is enshrined, with the letter "C," which represents the building's main functions and roles: "Community," "Café," and "Celebration," to express its role as the core of the community and a new base for communication.

About the Takekoma Project

Project start in spring 2022
To mark the 1180th anniversary of the shrine's founding, a commemorative project called the "Takami Project" was launched to reconsider the significance of Takekoma Shrine's existence and bring about new ideas for revitalizing the local area. NOMURA, Ltd., which has a track record in revitalizing shrines, joined the project, and a project team that united the shrine, the local community, and companies worked on the project from conception to completion in two and a half years.

Multigenerational and cross-industry project members
Since the goal was to revitalize the area and build a community, opinions from multiple generations were necessary. For this reason, the project involved approximately 100 members in their 20s to 80s, and more than 50 meetings were held, including regular meetings, tasting sessions, and tree planting information sessions, as well as more than 10,000 digital chat sessions, during which opinions were exchanged lively.
The project team also served as a forum for multigenerational and local interaction, allowing participants to take local issues personally and deepen mutual understanding, allowing them to utilize diverse ideas and know-how from different industries in the cafe menu at the lounge and in event planning.

An auspicious dining experience with an original menu

The menu was developed in collaboration with Chef Minoru Ogata, a one-star Michelin chef. Food items such as the "Takekoma Inari Shrine Visit Meal" and "Rice Ball Matchmaking Meal" use ingredients from the Tohoku region. The restaurant offers Japanese sweets that combine impressive appearance with deliciousness, such as the "Ichiri Manbai Parfait," "Oyasu Walnut Monaka," and "Red and White Soft Serve Ice Cream," as well as the "Ichiri Manbai Inari Sushi," "Takekoma Blend," and "Okitsunesama Cookies in the Happiness Can, Friendship Can, and Love Can," which are perfect as souvenirs.

Top: Food menu, sweets menu, souvenirs Bottom: Souvenirs, special menu supplements
 

Regional collaboration through product sales and events

Products from Miyagi Prefecture will be on sale, including "Temari," a traditional craft that has been considered an "auspicious gift," "obico," an upcycled product of vintage kimonos and obi, and "Tennen Kaiki," an aroma and cosmetics brand that uses natural materials from Tohoku. Participatory events such as "Temari" workshops will also be held to promote interaction between the shrine and worshippers and to foster community building.

Video promotion with an eye on inbound tourism

The video was produced by the Sendai-based creative team MOREDRAW. The Cannes Film Festival-winning creators from Paris, France, capture on camera the development of local culture and community centered around Takekoma Shrine.

Key points of spatial concept design

The concept of the spatial concept design is "Awaken." Just as worshippers feel freed and healed by immersing themselves in the sacred atmosphere that permeates the shrine, we designed a space in the rest area that evokes the senses that tend to fade in everyday life. The "Tankoma Forest," a shrine forest that allows one to feel the four seasons, the architecture that blends with nature, and the interior that exudes the strength and warmth of nature stimulate the senses of visitors, including sight, touch, and smell, and aim to create a place that enriches the soul and creates interaction and excitement.

The landscaping, architecture, and interior are seamlessly connected to create a sense of oneness with nature. The approach side has a large opening and is entirely made of glass, so that visitors can spend time looking at the shrine forest and the Zuishinmon Gate from the rest area. Earth and wood from Tohoku are used for interiors materials, and by using the same materials for the exterior and interior spaces, the feeling of standing in the forest is maximized. We are also working on a sustainable concept design to create a space that will be loved by people for a long time.

Landscaping | Maintenance of the Shrine Forest
Based on the theme of a natural forest that changes its appearance with the seasons, we made use of the existing pine and Himalayan cedar trees and combined evergreen and deciduous trees.
 

Architecture | Building and gable roof leading to Zuishinmon Gate
The building is located along the approach to the shrine. A wooden gabled roof connects the axis from the torii gate at the entrance to the shrine to the Zuishinmon Gate. The rafters are made from local red pines (trees that gods reside in) and wood from the Tohoku region, as there are many red pines on the site.
 

Interior | Creating a sense of unity with nature
The openings, natural interiors materials, gradient painted ceiling, and lighting plan bring out the rich forest's changing expressions with the seasons. As it is open to the approach to the shrine, it is easy for visitors to access the shrine.
 

Interior | The brand's passion is reflected in the motif
The grain of the slogan "ichiribu manbai" (``one grain is worth ten thousand grains'') which is also in the facility's name is represented on the symbol table, while the ``millstone'' necessary for processing grains is represented as the motif of the main counter.

Amenities, logos, main visuals, etc.
Sustainable Initiatives

The timber was selected in cooperation with the forestry association of Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture, and local species were used. Oak wood, which is generally difficult to distribute, is also used for fixtures and other items, contributing to forest circulation. construction and processing were carried out in cooperation with Tohoku region companies, and consideration was given to the use of local resources and the reduction of environmental impact, such as reducing energy consumption and carbon dioxide during transportation.

Use of wood for fittings and fixtures
The entrance door is made of zelkova, the other doors are made of wild cherry, and the original furniture such as tables and chairs are made of cut Himalayan cedar and fir trees that were growing on the shrine grounds and were at risk of falling due to rotting. The interior space is filled with the atmosphere of a rich forest created by the diverse trees. *The recycled trees are branded with the Takekoma Shrine's name as a message.

Wood preparation and processing: Tome Town Forestry Association