Here we've got some ramen... by Tecchan.

Wow, even yakitori.

That looks good. Look at this. They're packed already.

It's still like around six o'clock but... yeah.

Probably before going home?

A glass of beer and a bit of yakitori.

I love it. This is great.

So I'm on a Design Hunt here in Fukuoka Prefecture, and I'm standing in Tenjin.

This is the, one of the biggest entertainment districts in Fukuoka City, in central part of the city.

Now look behind me. Now those are the icon of this city. It's a landmark.

It's the famous "yatai," so-called food stalls.

And as night falls, these stalls light their lanterns, attracting locals and visitors alike.

Today, let's experience the rich culture of Fukuoka.

On Design Hunts, we track down unique, regional designs around Japan.

Today I'm in Fukuoka, a major city in Japan's southwest.

The gateway to the rest of Asia, it has a long history of many different cultures.

This history has naturally influenced Fukuoka's own unique culture.

From traditional textiles with blurred patterns, to fashion with a modern twist.

Not to mention this highly innovative shrine!

Let's hunt down some of Fukuoka's unconventional and deeply original designs.

Mobile "yatai" food stalls are a core part of Fukuoka's food culture.

Nearly a hundred of them appear every evening across the city, offering casual bites and alcohol.

Apparently, Fukuoka has the most food stalls in all of Japan.

This "yatai" culture first took root in the late 1920s.

There used to be over 400 stalls on the streets.

But they've been on the decline due to urban zoning and other changes.

A few years ago, locals launched a movement to protect this culture,

with a project that maintained infrastructure for food stalls, and encouraged new stalls.

These popular 'neo' stalls offer more non-traditional cuisine.

A few of them are really unique.

I've come to meet one of the designers behind these new stalls.

Hello, I'm Andy.

I'm Ide, nice to meet you.

Fukuoka local and architect, Ide Kenichiro.

He's designed many relaxing, comfortable spots in central Fukuoka.

So this is the stall
that you designed?

- A bit unusual.
- It is, yes.

It's a cubicle, a cube shape.

Hi, Sugawara-san, I'm Andy.
We were just talking about the stall.

Traditional stalls have sloped roofs
like a house, and bare bulbs.

I wanted to contrast each of
those motifs in this design.

It feels much more airy.

You're aware of sitting
outside with most stalls.

Having this floor here changes
the boundaries a little.

It feels like we carved out
a separate space.

This is Sugawara-san.

May we sit and chat with you?

Stall owner Sugawara Takeharu was born and raised in Fukuoka.

He worked at a major beverage company in Tokyo, before coming back to Fukuoka.

On the hunt for a job with more freedom,

he heard about the call for new stalls, and took up the challenge in 2019.

His stall sells coffee; he grinds the beans himself and makes each cup with enormous care.

- Thank you.
- Let's drink.

I love having coffee made for me!

- That's the key!
- Delicious.

The coffee sinks over time
so make sure to stir it.

Just perfect.

The LEDs in the ceiling, the bright but neat walls:

the design draws attention to the stall's square shape.

We didn't suggest the cube shape.
The idea didn't come from us.

Sugawara-san had the idea
of a perfect cube in his mind.

The idea of a cube among all the
house-shaped stalls was inspiring.

It evolved into the idea of
a new landscape.

We examined traditional stalls.

Took out each element and reshaped it.

In constant dialog with Sugawara-san.

So many stalls look alike.
This gave us more freedom.

The cube-shaped stall brings a fresh element to the streetside scene.

The unorthodox floor, meanwhile,

insulates the stall from the heat and cold of the ground over the seasons.

It feels like a comfy indoor space.

- How about winter?
- I add plastic sheeting.

- It stays warm?
- Yes, I use a heater.

- All open today.
- Yes, I keep one sheet in summer.

- Even in summer?
- Yes, only open at the sides.

- Why?
- It makes it harder to enter.

You make it harder on purpose?

- That's the idea.
- Interesting. Why?

I want people to make
the decision to enter, I think.

I don't want to drag them in.

They should decide they want to be here.

It makes their enjoyment much deeper.

Validates their good decision.

That small barrier to entry
improves the atmosphere.

So I leave the back sheet up.

But not today?

It's just too hot right now!

It really feels like a cafe.

But it's a stall! With a carefully calculated design.

Most stalls are designed to be hauled by truck or by hand, in a mostly complete state.

But Sugawara builds and dismantles his stall into pieces, that fit into a small van.

Starting at 5 pm almost every day, he spends two hours putting the stall together himself.

Come rain or shine.

There's a rule that the stall's roof and main structure must be connected.

So Ide came up with a mechanism that raises the roof, and opens it up.

Isn't that amazing?

Sugawara says that at first, setting the stall up took longer than his opening hours!

But he was determined to provide a relaxing space.

There's a slight slope here
so the floor won't lie flat.

Not without rubber blocks.
I had to buy extra.

It'll keep evolving forever.
There's no endpoint.

Improve, improve, improve.

I consider everything and do it myself.

It's kind of like a plastic model kit.

More fun to do it by yourself!

Sugawara's stall has a real sense of human warmth.

- I came back to Fukuoka.
- After working in Tokyo.

When I returned, I wanted
my city to feel like a fun place.

I thought a stall would be
a good way to do that.

There are all these rules
around public spaces in Tenjin.

I find them fascinating.

Stalls are a great example.
They're gone by morning.

It turns into a public street again.

Locals get to decide how their space is used.

It's tied to the culture, right?
A key part of it.

Stall numbers are up these last ten years.

Protecting a culture isn't just
about trying new things.

It's also understanding and
promoting what's great about the old.

We all decide on these issues.
The result is greater freedom.

I see.

Fukuoka's stalls are the perfect stage for serendipitous encounters.

My next destination is the Dazaifu Tenmangu shrine,

which is dedicated to the deity of learning, arts, and culture.

A new structure has been added to this 1100-year-old spiritual complex.

Welcomed by these beautiful wind chimes.

Very Japanese - that's to feel the coolness, let's say.

Excuse me.

It's the morning ritual - the morning prayers.

Oh, wow. Look at this beautiful shrine...

Wow. Look at this.

I saw it in pictures, but it's completely different to see it in front of us.

Wow. This is beautiful.

It's a truly unusual shrine: it looks like a floating forest.

Planted on the roof of the new structure are 60 varieties of tree,

including plum, camphor, and cherry.

The shrine grounds are lush with greenery; the precinct is known as "Tenjin no Mori," Tenjin's grove.

It's a sacred place, with countless ancient trees.

The new structure was designed to blend into its surroundings.

But this unusual building won't be around for long.

For the first time in 124 years, the main shrine is being renovated.

The deity it houses needed a temporary home for the next three years.

It was designed by leading Japanese architect, Sou Fujimoto.

Dazaifu Tenmangu is dedicated to the deity of arts and culture.

The cutting-edge design links the shrine's history with its future.

Shinto priest Takayama Hiroko.

We wanted a shrine that would
draw people despite the renovations.

It had to feel special.

Shinto has always coexisted
with nature. It's very fitting.

A hidden touch of glass reflects an entire forest.

It's delicate, yet bold.

The textiles in the interior were created by international fashion designer, Kurogouchi Maiko.

These special screens were dyed using plants harvested from the grounds,

and woven using ancient techniques.

The extraordinary pattern reflects the landscape around the shrine.

But what will happen to the building, when the renovations are complete?

First the deity will return to
the main hall so this will be empty.

Then it will be dismantled.

But the plants on the roof
will return to the forest.

We will replant them there.

Another link in the shrine's
chain of memories.

This form is what connects
the past and the future.

Tenmangu is over 1,100 years old.
Many have served at the shrine.

All of us are deeply grateful
to do the same in this era.

Soon, the new building will return to the forest.

My last stop is Yame, in the south of Fukuoka Prefecture.

The rich landscape of the Chikugo region, known for its cotton growing.

They produce a fabric called Kurume Kasuri.

Lengths of thread are tied off to produce dyed and undyed sections, that form a peculiar pattern when woven.

By weaving the different sections together, artisans create a soft, almost blurry appearance.

This pattern is what sets kurume kasuri apart.

Veteran artisans make fine, careful adjustments to their looms as they work.

Kurume kasuri is centuries old.

It's cherished as a sturdy woven fabric, that features a variety of colors and playful patterns.

I'm visiting someone who's successfully updated kurume kasuri for modern fashion.

- Hello!
- Welcome.

- I'm Andy, a pleasure.
- Nice to meet you.

What an old building!

It's over a hundred years old.

-It was a lantern shop.
- Lanterns?

Yame was famous for lanterns,
Buddhist altars, and things like that.

- Are you wearing...?
- Yes, kurume kasuri.

So cool! They suit you, naturally.

But they also look so modern.

There's a subtle pattern,
a new one we designed.

Haruguchi Shogo and his team work on projects that examine and revitalize local cultures.

Based in the Chikugo region, they collect and curate items from nature, history, and daily life.

Another member of the group runs an inn that showcases the beauty of Yame's traditional crafts.

From "aizome" tables to lantern lampshades.

The interior is a reflection of local artisanship.

The team has also created fashion designs that maximize the beauty of local kurume kasuri.

I'm excited to take a look!

Oh wow, look at all this!

They're all monpe pants?

Yes, we have a wide variety
of kurume kasuri monpe.

There are so many!

100 to 200 pairs. A lot more
color than you'd expect, I think.

You chose to focus on monpe
pants for this project?

We thought it would be the best way
to promote kurume kasuri.

Wearing kimono or skirts was long the norm for Japanese women.

Monpe are often considered the first pants widely worn by women in Japan.

They gained popularity during the war because they were so easy to move around in.

Traditional monpe have a relaxed silhouette.

Haruguchi's group slimmed the waist and ankles to create modern unisex pants.

Their customers love the comfortable cotton and Asian designs,

to the point that artisans are struggling to keep up with demand!

There are pockets at the front.

Why add them there?

Monpe were for farming. A bulging
back pocket is uncomfortable.

Let's give them a try!

After tightening the ankles, my monpe outfit is complete.

- Is this an old pattern?
- Each weaver has their own patterns.

We designed this pair
to match this firm's pattern.

- How do I look?
- They suit you!

Let's see.
Oh, they're great!

A clear kasuri pattern.

I've fallen for these, I think!

They're so light and easy to move around in.

A comfortable natural fiber.

I feel like soft, blurred patterns are
a core part of kurume kasuri.

But some have no pattern at all.
What inspired these?

The blurred pattern is an important part.

But we fell in love with the texture.

That comes from the weaving process.

So a pattern isn't actually necessary.

It's easier to match with Western
clothes without a strong pattern.

We wanted to offer a wide variety
of ways to engage with our lineup.

I was genuinely astonished at how comfortable they were.

Haruguchi's group even sell the patterns for their monpe.

It's an open-source project, and anyone can recreate it.

Even if people don't own kurume kasuri, using the monpe pattern could be a first touchpoint.

Scraps of fabric left over from making monpe can be used to patch holes, or in handicrafts.

If you want a back pocket, just add one!

This laid-back approach perfectly showcases kurume kasuri.

You're revitalizing entire regions.

And reviving their culture at the same time.

You're taking on this ambitious challenge.

And also tackling a whole bunch
of projects simultaneously.

It's hard to slow these issues.

Ten weavers closed in the last ten years.

We didn't know this culture existed.

But we fell in love once we discovered it.

We wanted to promote it before it vanished.

To allow others to experience it.

We dedicated ourselves to that goal.
Our monpe are part of the answer.

Haruguchi himself didn't know much about kurume kasuri.

It's why he was so drawn to it, and so determined to showcase it.

He showed me another store nearby.

Oh wow, look at this.
It's so fun!

There's a lot.

Yes, I see glass, ceramics
and pottery as well.

It's a big space.

Our Former Terasaki Residence store.

It's a boutique?

We made up our own term:
a 'nativescape' store.

It emphasizes the local aspect.

And how it links the past with the future.

We're promoting a landscape,
not products. Hence, 'nativescape.'

One of the items available at this 'nativescape' store is Japanese sparklers.

They're a beloved summer tradition in Japan.

But their shape is different around the country.

In the east they're often twisted.

In the west, they're a smooth taper.

Both produce small, charming sparkles.

There are all kinds of items on the shelves.

But I noticed something unexpected: a showerhead.

It looks like a regular manufactured item.

A local showerhead?

From a nearby Chikugo firm.
It felt like a regional item.

The maker is from nearby
Yanagawa which has canals.

Locals used them for household water
and played in them.

A part of the town's history.

Today the water isn't safe to use.

And the river's not safe to play in.

There's a technology that uses microbubbles
to improve water quality.

When the manufacturer learned this,
it brought back childhood memories.

So he used that tech to make
household showerheads.

It also cleans oily skin better
so you need less soap.

Microbubble technology can help clean and save water.

No doubt this will lead to a cleaner, better-maintained river.

Haruguchi sees these designs as part of local culture,

as well as traditional arts and crafts.

It's why I felt this showerhead
has a place in our store.

I see the cultural link, yes.

A flexible approach to maintaining local culture keeps it an exciting challenge.

That spirit is deeply rooted in Fukuoka culture.