Utsukushiya (Higashimura Gofuku Store)

Located in front of Okaderasan Keishoji Temple, Utsukushiya is a venerable store that has been selling Japanese-style clothing since 1924. In addition to renting out kimono made from Matsusaka cotton, which is characterized by its indigo dye and striped patterns, it also offers customers the opportunity to try making their own coasters using loom-woven cloth. Keishoji Temple sponsors a festival on the first and eighteenth of each month, and on those days, Utsukushiya runs a pop-up cafe that sells the so-called Go-En Lunch, made with local ingredients, to temple visitors. It also offers lecture-demonstrations on how to eat and season Sukiyaki made from Matsusaka beef, which is one of the three greatest varieties of wagyu beef. It holds other lively events that allow visitors to experience Japanese culture and runs a lodging facility, Kurayado, which accommodates only one group of lodgers per day.