Pat's Blog

KITAHAMA ALLEY

（北浜アリー)
http://www.kitahama-alley.jp/

The call came through at around 2:00 am. U-n-g-g I answered?

“JC here … I’ve been thinking. The sculpture article was so-so. I want something with some zip”. “Something interesting to make the blog hit counter belch smoke with hits.” “Really make the number counter move.” “This just might secure your job at Ashita Sanuki Blogs for next month.”
It was there that I sensed a weight in his voice that made me wake up.


Something to make the blog hit counter spin? Break the spring in the old machine? Then it could only be an article about Kitahama Alley I thought? Never one to be too preoccupied with matters of nomenclature I decided to investigate this north alley place, and so in the morning I went out in the heat, the incredible heat on the old bicycle with camera and did it.





Kitahama Alley is just that, an alley in the north beach area of Takamatsu a remnant from the Showa period. Conceived in 2001, It’s a concept developed from some old and abandoned warehouses tacked together with wrought iron, brown and rusting corrugated metal roofing materials, dark, unpainted woods etc. Throw in some colorful plants and flowers and the effect is quite wonderful for an atmosphere of an earlier era in the old dock area of the new city. The place is a real trip, full of quirky little coffee shops, restaurants, bars, hairdressers and even a wedding reception and planning company.

www.sara-izara.com
http://www.machi-koto.com/shopdata/index/id/5271449ebad2812b


I interviewed a couple of people there about the concept of Kitahama Alley and they said it was inspired by The Fisherman’s Wharf area in San Francisco and New York’s Pier 17.


It’s a cool way to spend a few hours on a date I think? There are interior shops with some unusual products and a furniture shop with a lot of interesting East Asian and African furniture. And South East Asian food. This is a great place to kill a few hours on a Sunday for sure.




Kitahama Alley has quite a full event calendar so be sure to check the top link for the music and art exhibition events.

The area is so easy to find and ten minutes on foot from the central JR rail station. A Google map search will soon bring it up and all one has to do to get there is follow the road across from the station to the east, following the harbor line for a few minutes and it’ll be on the right.




Please go and take a look. And don’t forget to keep all those cards and letters to pat’s blog coming in! Leave a comment and we’ll get back to you for sure!