In this series “Art Walk”, Yokanavi introduces recommended spots to experience art from Tenjin, Kyushu’s busiest area, and the Ohori Park area, not far from the Fukuoka Art Museum.

Look how Fukuoka’s famous yatai is vividly depicted! This mural was actually painted in the corridor of the guest room floor of a hotel, Lyf Tenjin Fukuoka which opened in June 2021 in a good location, just a 6-minute walk from Nishitetsu Fukuoka Station. The hotel is headquartered in Singapore.

Pop graphics are featured throughout the hotel. Singaporean artists have colourfully depicted various symbols of Fukuoka, such as yatai stalls and Hakata Port Tower, in their country’s distinctive colours, and there are also graphics by Fukuoka artist Kazuhiko Ifuku, as shown in the photograph on the right. The hotel is headquartered in Singapore.

In the 131 rooms of four types, you can also enjoy Fukuoka-style graphics such as Kushida Shrine and Hakata-ori textiles. The photo on the right shows the laundry space. Even the laundry is so unique.

The shared kitchen, café bar and lounge (see photo) also have attractive interior designs. In addition to accommodation, you can also use the lounge as a co-working space, so be sure to experience the hotel full of art.

lyf Tenjin Fukuoka
Address: 3^rd Floor, 1-2-13 Imaizumi, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
TEL: 092-753-8695
Check-in: 14:00, Check-out: 11:00
https://www.discoverasr.com/ja/lyf/japan/lyf-tenjin-fukuoka

When going on a trip, you pick out clothes from your closet that are a little better than usual. …… This select shop is inspired by such a situation. In a space that is closer to the atmosphere of a home than a shop, you can find your favourite piece of clothing in a way close to your everyday life.

In the back of the shop, records are played and the original illustrations used for the shop’s postcards are on display. The shop has been producing and distributing original postcards every season since it opened in 2013. The owner, Takashi Masuda, says, “Next year, on our 10th anniversary, we would like to hold an exhibit of original illustrations or some other event.”

In 2018, a free space was created on the second floor with a plenty of outside light streaming in through the windows. There an atelier of the owner’s wife who is an illustrator is also set up, so you can enjoy choosing clothes in a different atmosphere from the first floor. This is something to check out.

trunk
Address: no’s 1^st floor, 1-6-5 Daimyo, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
TEL: 092-726-6605
Opening hours: 12:00-19:00
Closed: Wednesdays and Thursdays
http://trunk-clothing.blogspot.com

After passing through the impressive botanical garden-like entrance, a casual yet dignified space unfolds: the clothing shop TIGRE BROCANTE, which opened in 1998 in Yakuin, Fukuoka, is now located in Kego.

The shop, which was designed to resemble an antique shop, is decorated with many unique objects, including old fixtures from Europe and the US, giving it a mysterious atmosphere as if it has transcended time and space. The clothes are original, planned and designed in-house, and “we offer casual wear for adults”, says shop manager Dai Ichinose. There are many items that combine individuality and elegance, such as traditional hand-dyed clothes and those with a modern twist on the texture of fabrics produced by traditional weaving machines! There is also a wide range of small items such as shoes and accessories.

T-shirts printed with artists’ works and shirts made from fabrics printed with stencil-dye artists’ designs are also made every season. These are works of art that you can wear!　You will want to dress up and transform yourself into a work of art.

TIGRE BROCANTE
Address: 2-3-26 Kego, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
TEL: 092-761-7666
Opening hours: 12:00-19:00
https://tenkumaru.com/shop/

A red post box at the Otemon three-way intersection is a landmark. Go up the stairs to the right of the building opposite the post and open the door on the second floor, and you will be tempted to exclaim ‘wow’. The white walls of the castle’s turret dazzle through the window at the back of the building, and the shop is beautifully lined with stationery.

The shop was opened in 2013 by editor Kenichi Seguchi under the theme of ‘letters’. The shop offers a wide range of stationery, mainly fountain pens, ink, pens and paper, which are the tools for writing letters. Mr Seguchi says, “In this age of digital technology, I dare to convey what writing has to offer. Some people may find fountain pens a hurdle to overcome, but in fact, a single pen is an interesting tool that allows you to write in a variety of ink colours.”

The shelves are also stocked with inks from 13 countries around the world. Some of the inks are unique, such as lame and scented!　The shape of the bottles and the lettering on the labels differ from country to country, making it fun just to look at them. Mr Seguchi is also fascinated by printingーthe shop also sells printed materials showing the characteristics of overseas risograph prints.

What’s more, they also take orders for letterpress and risograph printing, and on 1st April in 2022 they opened a new print studio, Y’ALL WALL, on the first floor. It not only produces art books, DMs, flyers, etc., but also holds art exhibitions, pop-up shops and events.

Linde CARTONNAGE
Address: 2^nd Floor, 1-8-11 Otemon, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
TEL: 092-725-7745
Opening hours: 12:00-18:00
Closed: Not fixed
Instagram：＠linde_cartonnage

Y’ALL WALL
Opening hours: 13:00-20:00
Closed: Mondays
Instagram：＠yallwall_printing

EUREKA is an art gallery in a quiet white space on the second floor of an old building, right next to Hamanomachi Park. A small show window on the 1st floor of the building suggests to passers-by that the gallery is here. ‘Eureka’ means ‘found’ in Greek. You first experience it at the entrance.

Opened in autumn 2018. Owner Miki Makino, who worked for many years as a gallerist at the long-established gallery Oishi in Shintencho, has demonstrated her skill and connections at EUREKA. She has organised exhibitions of artists from a wide range of genres and ages, including painting, sculpture, installation, media art, photography and picture books. Special exhibitions are held at a monthly pace, and there is also a permanent exhibition once a year featuring Makino’s collection.

The works featured at EUREKA are by artists who are active in Kyushu and throughout Japan “now”. Discovering them at the entrance is just the beginning. New encounters and many discoveries await you in the gallery, from young artists who are just coming into their own to established artists.

EUREKA
Address: Pond Mum KIV 2^nd Floor, 2-9-30 Otemon, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
TEL: 092-406-4555
Opening hours: 12:00-19:00
Closed: Not fixed
https://eurekafukuoka.com/

There are many spaces in the world where a shop and a gallery are combined or adjacent to each other, but it may be said that there is no space like LIBRIS KOBACO. This is because the bookshop and gallery open at different times of the year, which is unusual.

The shop was opened in 2019 by the owner, Misa, who loves looking at photographs. During the bookshop period, the shop specialises exclusively in photography books. Some are by well-known photographers, others are by artists who are currently attracting attention, and still others are by young artists who are just starting to stand out. In any case, each book is carefully introduced flat on the shelf by an artist that Misa thinks is good.

During the gallery period, most of the bookshelves and interiors are removed and the gallery is transformed into an exhibition space that allows visitors to face the photographic works in full view. The exhibition will of course also specialise in photography and will also introduce artists recommended by Misa. There are not many shops in Fukuoka that stock a large number of photography books, nor are there many places where you can see photography exhibitions, so this is a coveted space for photography enthusiasts in particular.

LIBRIS KOBACO
Address: 4^th floor, 3-2-26 Otemon, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
TEL: 090-8359-6010
Opening hours: 13:00-18:00
Closed (when gallery opened): Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Closed (when bookstore opened): Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays (may vary though)
http://libris-kobaco.com/index.html