Monomachi Experience Report! Enjoy shopping while experiencing the skills of Japanese artisans and creators.

Are you familiar with "Monomachi," an event held once a year over three days? The venue is the southern area of ​​Taito Ward in Tokyo , including Okachimachi, Kuramae, and Asakusabashi. Staff from the hotel " COCOSHUKU Asakusa" experienced "Monomachi," so let us tell you about it!

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Hotel COCOSHUKU

This place is not just a place to stay, there are many ways to spend your time here. Have a private party or cook a meal in the kitchen. You can seclude yourself in to work or relax with a book. With family, friends, or of course, by yourself. How you use it is up to you, so please spend your time however you like.

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What is Monomachi?

The southern area of ​​Taito Ward in Tokyo, including Okachimachi, Kuramae, and Asakusabashi, has long been a thriving area for wholesale and manufacturing businesses.
With such a historical background, this area has naturally evolved into a "town of craftsmanship," attracting artisans, creators, and designers.

And the way to experience the charm of this area firsthand while walking around town is through "Monomachi," a participatory walking event !

Many shops and companies that are usually based in this area participate in "Monomachi".
The details may vary depending on the store or company.
Some stores and companies offer hands-on crafting experiences and workshops, while others are holding sales; there's a wide variety of offerings.
Some workshops require reservations to participate.

(Details of each year's event will be posted on the "Monomachi Official Website" as the event approaches, so please check the official website for the latest information.)

Monomachi personal experience report

Staff from the hotel " COCOSHUKU Asakusa Kuramae," located in this area, participated in "Monomachi," and we'd like to share some of their experiences!

COCOSHUKU Asakusa Kuramae

111-0051 4-3-5 Kuramae, Taito-ku, Tokyo

This hostel is not just a place to stay, it is also a place where you can spend your time in a variety of ways. Have a private party, cook a meal in the kitchen, get some work done, or relax with a good book. We also recommend taking a stroll around the surrounding area, where creative culture is thriving, or along the Sumida River. Please feel free to spend your time here however you like.

Experience kicking with the foot-operated press machine "Ketobashi"

At Imaizumi Co., Ltd., we had the opportunity to experience using a foot-operated press machine called "Ketobashi" to engrave grooves into metal.

Foot-operated press

This event allows you to make a limited-edition ice cream spoon, so first you set a metal plate in a foot-operated press machine.

Then he kicks the foot-operated press.
I was nervous because I had to press down hard in just one go.

I successfully created an indentation in the metal plate and made an ice cream spoon!
This foot-operated press is apparently still in use today.
Various accessories are also available for purchase in the store.

Observation of the foil stamping process

One of the unique events at Monomachi was a "foil stamping workshop tour."
"Foil stamping" is a special printing technique that uses heat and pressure to transfer metallic foils such as gold and silver onto various materials.
Tanaka Foil Stamping Works, which has been in business since the Taisho era, is a company that still uses manual foil stamping machines to carefully apply foil to each item one by one.

Photography was prohibited because they were foil-stamping products for important customers, but I was able to observe the valuable foil-stamping process.

Everyone on the tour is intently watching the craftsmen applying the gold leaf.

Design Village Graduate Market

Taito Designers Village (commonly known as Dezaville) is a unique facility established using the former Koshima Island Elementary School building, with one of its purposes being to support creators and entrepreneurs in the fields of fashion, general merchandise, and design.

At Monomachi, we are hosting the "Design Village Alumni Market," where creators and designers who are graduates of Design Village showcase and sell their works.

It also seems to serve as an information center for Monomachi, as they were distributing maps of Monomachi and the shopping district at the entrance.

Traces of the old school building can still be seen in various places.

I spoke to one of the graduates, and they told me that there's a "village chief" at Design Village who advises creators on their businesses and projects.
For example, when I was unsure about product development, they acted as a bridge to connect me with local companies, and they also gave me advice on starting a business.
I thought it was wonderful how the strengths of local companies, such as leather goods and metal parts (hardware), were being utilized in the creators' works.

This brand creates jewelry using plants.

This is an accessory brand created by an animal-loving designer.
I was amazed by how intricately it was made.

These are paper crafts made using paper and cardboard.
This is a unique interior piece that you assemble yourself.

*The Designers Village has been closed since April 2026 due to large-scale renovation work on the facility.
The next grand reopening is scheduled for around April 2028.

Highlights of Monomachi

This was my first time participating in Monomachi, and I really felt the sense of unity throughout the entire town, like it was a festival.

In recent years, while redevelopment projects have been driven by large real estate companies in many areas, what impressed me here was that the local residents and the shops and businesses based in the area were taking the lead in developing and revitalizing the town. I feel that this kind of spontaneous community development is rather rare these days.

Monomachi is an event where you can fully experience the atmosphere of the town!
What we've shown you today is only a small part of what Monomachi has to offer.
There are still many more fascinating shops, events, and workshops to discover, so please do come and check them out.

"COCOSHUKU" - A hotel where everyone can stay together.

"COCOSHUKU Asakusa Kuramae" is a hotel located a 4-minute walk from Kuramae Station.
One of the hotel's features is that all rooms have a kitchen, and it can accommodate large groups of 3 to 5 people, making it perfect for family or group trips.

For more details about the hotel, please see the article below.

Go to the COCOSHUKU official website