The city of Inuyama is so lively with the national treasure Inuyama Castle and castle town. About a 6-minute walk from Meitetsu Inuyama Station, there is a food-themed bookstore called "tsuide".

"tsuide" is located on the 2nd floor of a building with a confectionery shop "shirushi" on the 1st floor, and is operated by shirushi's owner Mr. Kurobe and manager Mr. Nagaoka.

The interior of the store filled with warm sunlight is bright and a very relaxing space! In addition to books in a wide range of genres, such as essays, novels, recipes, and picture books related to food, there are also foods and goods packed with producers' commitment.

It's located on the way from Inuyama Station to the castle town, so it's nice to drop by while sightseeing.

This time, we will introduce the charm of tsuide and the thoughts behind the store!

With the concept of
"A meeting place that never ends"
Opened in November 2021

The bookstore “tsuide” opened on November 29, 2021. The owner have been renting the first and second floors of a building since he opened shirushi, and he has always liked books, so he wanted to run a bookstore someday.

The concept is "a place of endless encounters." We want you to feel free to stop by while sightseeing in Inuyama or shopping for sweets.

As the bookstore is run by a confectioner, the books on display are all related to food. "Food" is a word that covers a wide range of topics, from recipes to childcare books, picture books, essays, novels, travel, agriculture and fisheries.

They currently have about 2,000 books in stock! I am glad that it is easy to see because it is displayed roughly divided into genres.

The picture book corner is placed at a low position so that small children can easily see it.

The table in the center is lined with not only books but also food and miscellaneous goods. In fact, connecting local shops/producers with customers is one of the things that tsuide values.

Through the sweets shop shirushi, the two of them connected with shops and farmers in and around Inuyama City and heard various voices. He says that it is also tsuide's role to disseminate products other than sweets that are made with the voices, thoughts and feelings of the producers.

Setouchi citrus round juice is additive-free, 100% fruit juice!

Unheated natural honey from Gifu Prefecture is carefully made in Yaotsu Town.

In addition to food, there are also miscellaneous goods such as bags and Mino Washi kaishi (Japanese thin tissue).

In addition, tsuide, which wants to be a base for disseminating information about food, also holds events in cooperation with producers and events to encourage people to visit the store.

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

本屋tsuide(@honya_tsuide)がシェアした投稿

In the past, they have taken several families to a grape farm to experience grape picking. They were able to learn about the actual work of the farmers and gain an interest in it through the experience.

At the shop, they have held a self-roasted coffee shop, a collaboration event with a cafe, a photo session, a florist, and a collaboration event with a secondhand store. In the future, they plan to hold events that will not only meet books, but also trigger new encounters.

Introducing the book recommended by the owner!

At the bookstore "tsuide" created by a confectionery shop, various books related to food are lined up. It's fun to take your time and look at the books you want to read.

This time, Mr. Kurobe, the owner, and Mr. Nagaoka, the manager, have selected one recommended book each.

Kurobe's recommendation: Today's rice (written by Kyumi Kato)

A picture book in which a cat walks around the neighborhood and looks at the dinners of various households. The tasteful pictures drawn with crayons and crepas all look very delicious! Homemade croquettes, curry rice, and grilled fish...just looking at them makes me hungry.

Mr. Kurobe: "When I was little, the first thing I did when I got home was to ask my mom, 'What did you have for dinner?' When I think about food, I think that was my very first experience. Even as an adult, I remember the smell of food, the sounds of cooking, and the times we ate together as a family. I think this book will make you feel nostalgic. It will bring back memories of those original experiences, such as being happy when your favorite dish is served for dinner and remembering the taste of your mother."

Mr. Nagaoka's recommendation: In the world, in the food (Author: Gen Setoyama)

This is a book that summarizes the episodes serialized in "Kurashi no Techo" by documentarist Gen Setoyama, who travels all over Japan.

Mr. Nagaoka: "This is a book about the efforts of farmers, fishermen, dairy farmers, and others who are working hard throughout Japan. My own important themes are 'connecting people to people' and 'connecting people to places,' and Tsuide is an extension of that. The book is an interesting documentary that describes what kind of commitment and hardships are involved in these efforts. I chose it because I think it fits the concept of tsuide, which is to connect local stores and producers with customers and books with people."

In the future, 
we will aim for a place where more people gather!

Currently, there is a sweet shop shirushi on the 1st floor and a bookstore tsuide on the 2nd floor, but the 3rd and 4th floors are vacant. They say that in the future, they would like to make use of the upper floor as a place where people gather and as a base for disseminating information.

For example, the third floor could be a gallery store or pop-up store, and the fourth floor could be a guesthouse-like lodging facility. tsuide's concept is "a place for encounters that don't end just by chance," so there will be a place where producers and creators can promote themselves and where people can gather in the building, creating a better circulation.

Inside the tsuide store you can enjoy just looking at the cover

TSUIDE is also considering a "book selection plan" in which the owner will select books for you. While it is fun to choose books by yourself, it is also true that there are some genres of books that you do not read very often because you only choose books that you like. Having someone else select the books for you may give you a chance to encounter books that are difficult to select on your own.

A sweets shop that specializes in using seasonal ingredients
"shirushi"

Shirushi on the 1st floor is a sweets shop that sells baked sweets using seasonal ingredients. In addition to baked goods such as cookies, madeleines and meringues, there are also colorful cakes in the showcase. Surely recommended for souvenirs and gifts from Inuyama!

Showcase with delicious looking cakes

All the sweets are carefully made one by one, sticking to the ingredients. Enjoying coffee and sweets while reading is also a fulfilling time.

Shirushi is also popular for its regular delivery of sweets made with seasonal ingredients that match the calendar. Choose it as a reward for yourself or as a gift for someone special.

To get to tsuide, go up the stairs inside shirushi. The staircase, which still retains the image of a former camera shop, is also retro and tasteful.

The bookstore "tsuide" managed by a confectionery shop
is Inuyama's information hub for new encounters and discoveries

Eating is essential for us to live. tsuide is a wonderful bookstore that gives you an opportunity to think and learn about "food" from various perspectives. In addition to books, you can also buy food and miscellaneous goods filled with the producers' commitment. If you come to Inuyama, why don't you visit here?

As a reward for yourself or as a gift for someone special, we recommend purchasing a set of shirushi's delicious baked sweets and a book.