Exciting and fun, colorful vessels are available. A select shop "Anchor Bridge" in Issha, Nagoya

About 10 minutes by bus from Issha Subway Station, “Anchor Bridge” is a lifestyle select shop located on the first floor of an apartment building. There are a wide variety of tableware that are carefully selected by the owner, and all of them are characterized by their colorfulness. They propose tableware that makes the dining table fun and items that will be loved for a long time.

The concept of the shop is "enriching life".

They offer things that make your daily dining table enjoyable and accompany you in your daily life. The store also carries Mino ware made in Gifu prefecture, dishes by popular artists that are only sold here in Aichi prefecture, domestic tableware, American and Scandinavian vintage, and items for daily life.

Opened a shop attracted by colorful tableware

"Anchor Bridge" started with a couple. The photo is of his wife Sakurako Yokochi. We asked her about her commitment to tableware and the beginning of the opening the shop.

– Please tell us how you decided to open the restaurant.

Yokochi: “I used to study abroad in New York, and I fell in love with Fire King (a tableware brand manufactured in the 1940s) there. That's when I thought, "Vessels are interesting!" ”

Fire King mugs that are still available at the store

– So you fell in love with Fire King and became interested in pottery.

Yokochi: "Yes. I fell in love with the atmosphere and colors of the milk glass. When I returned to Japan, I wanted to convey the charm of Fire King, so I started an online shop that sells only Fire King with my husband."

Yokochi: “After running an online shop for about a year, we were talking about opening a physical store. If we were going to open a store, we thought we would also incorporate Japanese tableware. .

After starting the online store, we became more and more interested in Japanese tableware, and we opened a physical store in 2013 at our current location with a collection of selected domestic tableware, including the Hasami-yaki brand HASAMI from Nagasaki Prefecture, which we liked for its pop, American colors."

– From there, how did you meet the artists and potters you currently work with?

Yokochi: "We came to strongly feel that we wanted to propose vessels made in Gifu Prefecture, which is next to Aichi Prefecture, and we came across "SAKUZAN" at that time. "SAKUZAN" has a slightly different atmosphere from regular Mino ware and is characterized by refined and simple vessels.

It was about four years ago that we first met. When we saw "SAKUZAN" plates for the first time, we thought, "This is what we want to propose!" We immediately spoke with the third president and we started selling them in our store."

SAKUZAN Sara Oval Platter ¥1,800 + tax

- SAKUZAN" is characterized by its colorful use of colors.

Yokochi: “At first, “SAKUZAN” was only available in two or three colors, but the color variations have gradually increased. We have 10 colored bowls available at our store, and we mainly carry "SAKUZAN", so you can find your favorite color. (All can be used in microwave ovens and dishwashers)

Tea bowl 1,400 yen + tax

– Using colored tableware makes the entire dining table more fun!

Yokochi: "Especially in the case of 'SAKUZAN', it is attractive that there is a sense of unity even if you change the color. We ourself use these vessels, but we feel that it is good to match even if the color of each vessel is different. ”

SAKUZAN Sara Plate (Yellow) ¥2,200 + tax Coffee Cup (Yellow) ¥1,400 + tax

– Please tell us about your Yokochi-style selection of pottery and how to enjoy it.

Yokochi: "When choosing tableware, if the tableware you have is white, you tend to go with white to match it safely, but we think that by adding color, you can give a different impression to the usual dining table or even the same dish. .

When choosing a color vessel, if you have a lot of white vessels in your home, we think it would be better to start with monotone as a color that suits them. After that, it would be good to add pink or yellow. Gray is also popular these days! Gray is a great color as it is easy to match with other colors. ”

Right: SAKUZAN Sara 21cm Bowl Black ¥2,600 + tax
Left: SAKUZAN Sara 26cm Plate Black ¥3,200 + tax

– Even those who have never used colored tableware can enjoy encountering colored tableware here.

Yokochi: “Adding color makes the whole dining table more exciting. There are various sizes of tableware, and there are many types of mugs. ”

– Lastly, please tell us about your future prospects.

Yokochi: “We think that when you think of tableware, you tend to think of it as something that is hard to come by. At our shop, we want people of all ages to enjoy our tableware in a casual way, rather than giving it a luxurious feel. Like an "amusement park", we have a wide range of items such as displays that are fun to see and prices that are affordable.

From now on, we hope to offer a total lifestyle by adding more and more items for daily living as well as vessels."