Located on the basement floor of Kakuo Plaza, right next to Exit 4 of Kakuozan Station Nagoya Municipal Subway Higashiyama Line. “Kirai na toki, Kirai na koto”, which opened on October 15, 2021, is a gift shop with a collection of carefully selected sweets and selected goods.

If you see a signboard reflecting the city and a store name, you can't help but visit it.

Among them, the most popular item is the "Shunure", a confectionery that combines a bottled drink with your favorite words printed on it and an original cream puff and canelé.

This time, we interviewed Ms. Ayana Shimazu, who produced the store, about the history of the store's opening and popular products.

What does "Kirai na toki, Kirai na koto" mean?

As you descend the stairs leading to the basement, you will see a solid wooden door. If you look up a little, you'll see the shop name "Kirai na toki, Kirai na koto" written on a spherical lamp that emits a faint light.

What kind of world lies ahead? We feel a heightened sense of anticipation.

When you enter the door, it feels like another world. The interior is filled with warm colors and fragrant aromas wafting from the kitchen.

When you enter the store, select goods are displayed on the left side, and there is a wall object with the store name on the top of the wall.

Sweets are displayed on the right side, and there are 4 seats at the counter as an eat-in space in the back.

The interior is simple, but the contrast between light and shadow is beautiful, creating a dramatic atmosphere. Everywhere in the store becomes a photo spot.

Although I visited during the daytime on a weekday, there was a steady flow of customers and the store was lively.

Discerning tea latte and sweets

There are 12 types of tea lattes in all. You can enjoy unusual lattes such as standard tea lattes based on matcha and hojicha (roasted tea), as well as jasmine tea, rooibos tea, and fruit tea lattes.

The most popular is the peach tea latte.

The color of the latte changes slightly depending on the flavor you choose, so many people enjoy the color gradation with their friends.

If you don't like tea latte, they also have peach juice and apple juice, so please check at the store.

Also, a service that allows you to print labels for tea lattes on the spot is popular. It supports hiragana, katakana, kanji, alphanumeric characters, and hangul (Korean character).

Some people put the words “Happy Birthday” and “Thank you always” for gifts, the name of the artist they support, the group name, and their own fan club membership number.

It seems that there are people who come from far away for bottled drinks.

Peach tea latte ¥700 (tax included)

I had "いつもありがとう (thank you always)" printed.

The tea latte, which is served without adding any sweetness, has a refreshing taste. You can also add organic sugar syrup if you like.

Shunure ¥330 each (tax included)

The shop's popular sweets, "Shunure," are lined up in the upper showcase next to the cash register. From the front, custard, chocolate, and seasonal flavor.

The original sweet "Shunure", which was completed through trial and error, is a confectionery that combines cream puff and canelé. The cream inside is filled after the order is placed, so you can enjoy the crispy, thin, soft dough and the cool, gentle sweetness of the cream.

They also sell sets of 6 pieces. If you go to a friend's house or have a little picnic, you will definitely be pleased.

Ms. Shimazu says, "Schunure was born because I have no background in confectionery manufacturing." Since there is no fixed concept, he was greedy and free-thinking about how to complete the sweets he had imagined.

There are many exclusive sweets such as cakes and cookies in addition to shunure, so be sure to try them.

Connect directly with the creator

All of the select goods sold at the store were found by Ms. Shimazu at markets and pop-up stores. “I can see the face of the person who made it, so I can explain the product better,” he said with a smile.

The lineup is easy to give as a casual gift, and the visuals are pop and delicate, tickling your heart.

Here are some of our popular products.

A work of the cooking creation unit "Goma". Ms. Shimazu's recommendation. Made from bamboo, it is light and easy to handle. Plates are also used for serving sweets at eat-in.

Cups from ICHENDORF, a glass manufacturer based in Milan, Italy.

"CIOCCOLATO INVERSO" of "BONAJUTO" based in Sicily, Italy. Grain-type chocolate made with a low-temperature manufacturing method according to an ancient recipe. The crunchy texture of sugar is fun.

Founded in 1927 "NARA reloop" in Koryo-cho, Nara Prefecture Hand-dyed socks made from recycled high-quality cotton.

Try to create something that "would be nice to have"

-Please tell us about the origin of the store name.

Ms. Shimazu: "Actually, if you look closely at the letters on the signboard, you'll see that there is a thin part of the letters after the 'i' in the store name, 'Kirai na toki, Kirai na koto (When you don't like it, what you don't like)' These thin parts are reminiscent of thin, light paper or cloth, and are blown away by the wind.

It sparkles when "i" goes missing.

I think that there is something that shines brightly even in things you don't like or don't want to do. There are things that make you think that you are here now because of those unpleasant things.

I want to be a place where people who come can find opportunities to sparkle. ”

-I heard that the interior of your store is a DIY project. Why did you decide to do it yourself?

Ms. Shimazu:"Of course, I wanted to keep costs down when I opened the store, but the main reason was that the products we wanted weren't on the market.

There is a specific design and size that I want, and I can't find that kind of thing anywhere. If you make it yourself, everything will go as planned.

That is why we have a complete set of tools that carpenters use. ”

-Were you worried about the lack of experience?

Ms. Shimazu: "No. I think I'm an optimist, but I'm not worried about what to do if I fail, and I'm not bothered by negative images.

I always have a clear idea of what I want to do, so I just push forward towards it. ”

-What was the impetus for opening this store?

Ms. Shimazu: “The first time I got paid for doing something I loved was the experience of professional cheerleading.

Until then, I had always thought of my work as a way to make money. At that time, I wanted to dance all the time, so I took dance lessons for myself on my off days.

Later, when I was able to work as professional cheerleading, I began to feel that this kind of work, where you can 'make money doing what you love,' was a good way to work."

- How are you on/off (work/private) at the moment?

Mrs Shimazu: “Since the shop has just opened, there is not much difference between on and off.

There are many elements in the shop that I like, so on this day I made a lot of balloons, and on that day I made a lot of cookies. It's like being on and off with things and things in the store. ”

About the future

-What kind of shop do you want to be in the future?

Ms. Shimazu: "I'd like to develop this store into a gift shop.

In addition to sweets and select goods, the shop is a collection of things that you like, such as balloons and icing cookies.

All of them are in the position of a small gift, and they are all things that you can think of as a gift for yourself or as a gift, even on an ordinary day.

Currently, there are many select items made by artists other than sweets, but I would like to increase the number of original goods in the future. ”

-You are also a yoga teacher, right?

Ms. Shimazu: "In the original plan, there was talk of sending online yoga lessons from the shop, but so far it has not been realized. Including such parts, there is still potential to develop and evolve I think there might be

What surprised me throughout my visit was how calm and hospitable Ms. Shimazu's customer service was, to the point where I could not believe that the place had just opened.

Sweets that have been tried and tested, and select goods that are directly connected to their makers. I wondered if the calm atmosphere is "because of the collection of things and things that Ms. Shimazu is proud of" that she has encountered in her own life.

It is the kind of restaurant that makes you want to go back and have a chat with MS. Shimazu.

Ms. Shimazu, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule.