A Buddhist altar shop on Zenkoji’s Nakamise-dori is being transformed into a souvenir shop selling walnut sweets and other products, with Kurumi-do scheduled to open on the 8th. St.Cousair CO.,LTD. is reportedly working to pass the initiative on to the next generation in a new form.
A Buddhist altar shop in the shopping district around Zenkoji will make a fresh start as a new souvenir shop called Kurumi-do. It is scheduled to open on the 8th and aims to promote new signature sweets in the area around Nagano’s tourist attractions. The initiative has been reported as an example of reviewing traditional local store formats and shifting to the sale of sweets for tourists.
The shop plans to offer approximately 15 walnut-based sweets, centered on baked goods made with walnuts. Its signature product will be “Kurumitchell,” walnuts coated in caramel (4 pieces, ¥1,080 including tax). Other planned products include monaka cookies shaped like squirrels. The shop is positioned as part of an effort to create new signature sweets around Zenkoji.
Kuze Ryota (久世 良太), president of St.Cousair CO.,LTD., the company that proposed the initiative, issued a comment along with the announcement of the name. He stated that the company would use awareness of walnuts, which are associated with Nagano Prefecture, to promote the appeal of the region. St.Cousair CO.,LTD. has come forward as part of an initiative to pass the tradition on to the next generation in a new form.