[Kamakura Farmers Market]
A five-minute walk from the East Exit of Kamakura Station, the “Kamakura Farmers Market,” commonly known as “Rembai” in Japanese, has a history of about 70 years. Here, you can purchase freshly picked seasonal Kamakura vegetables directly from farmers.
Founded in 1928, Kamakura Farmers Market sells farm products produced by farmers in Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Nagaodaicho, Yokohama City, themselves. It is said that the establishment of the farmers' cooperative started when a farmer living in Kamakura heard from a foreign pastor that “in Europe, farmers sell vegetables and other products they produce directly to consumers at a certain place.”
The business was first started in a rented teahouse on Wakamiya-oji, the approach to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, and was relocated twice as the business developed, until 1957, after the war, when it began operations at its current location. The transportation of vegetables has changed from ox carts to bicycles, rear carriages, auto tricycles, and trucks, and the producers are now in the third and fourth generations. The cooperative now has 23 households divided into four groups that take turns opening stalls, and although the hours of sale vary from group to group and farmer to farmer, they start around 8:00 a.m. when the vegetables are ready for sale and end around sunset when they run out or the vegetables are gone.
The other day, when I visited there for the first time during a drive to Kamakura, the vegetables were already running low because I went there in the afternoon, but I was intrigued by the colorful and unusual vegetables unique to Kamakura. On the premises, small old-fashioned stores and delicatessen stores were lined up, and we walked around eating fluffy and meaty satsuma-age (fried fish cake).
There is also a small deli called “DAILY by LONG TRACK FOODS” at the end of the Kamakura Farmers Market's sales stand. The store's showcase is filled with pickles and other colorful delicacies that are pleasing to the eye, while the counter is lined with a variety of baked goods. The strawberry mascarpone ice cream sandwiches that were available during the summer were excellent. It is also a good idea to buy a snack at the store inside the Kamakura Farmers Market's sales center and relax on the beach.
In front of Kamakura Station, there is also a shopping street called “Marushichi Shotengai Street,” which was established in 1956 and is filled with restaurants and general stores. This is a spot where you can enjoy a different atmosphere and stores from those on Komachi-dori, the standard sightseeing street in Kamakura, so if you want to feel the life and history of Kamakura, please visit this spot.
Mingei store in Kamakura, Moyai Kogei
https://www.shokunin.com/en/moyai/
Kamakura Farmers Market
https://maps.app.goo.gl/fB6UGp4DW7Vs62EH6
Marushichi Shotengai Street
https://maps.app.goo.gl/2CMKLpnJ9Gvm34Kr8
DAILY by LONG TRACK FOODS
https://maps.app.goo.gl/1H3LPk5YCUmpcGUM7
References
http://kamakurarenbai.com/
https://kamaiko.net/marusiti.html
