Kyushu People, Things, and Goods Morning Market organized by Macha Ikaso Kai

The "Macha Morning Market" is held early in the morning on the third Sunday of every month in Matsuai village, Ugi City, Kumamoto Prefecture, and has been held since 1992. The association has been responsible for the revitalization of the town, which flourished in the brewing and fishing industries until the Meiji era. Takahiro Uchiyama, who succeeded the first chairman last year, shared his thoughts on the Matsuai community and the morning market.

U-turn to Fruit Cultivation: A Prelude to Regional Revitalization

Mr. Uchiyama, a native of the village, grew up in a home where his grandparents were fruit farmers and his father was a pig farmer. After graduating from high school, he left his hometown to find a job, but returned to his hometown at the age of 20. He helped his father start an orchard, but "I did not intend to take over the fruit farming business. However, he soon began to enjoy growing fruit trees.

He said, "Fruit cultivation takes a long time to bear fruit, and there are many hardships, such as typhoons. But gradually we have been able to expand our scale, find a good fertilizer instructor, and produce delicious fruit."
The "Uchiyama Orchard," of which he is the president, grows Dekopon and Shine Muscat, which originated locally, and also ships them to "Michi no Eki Uki" (Roadside Station Uki).

I became interested in town revitalization five years ago when my old school, Matsuai Elementary School, was closed.
While the city held a workshop with a town revitalization consultant, an old private house hotel revitalization businessman suggested that they revitalize a closed-down miso and soy sauce brewery into an old private house hotel. Mr. Uchiyama and a young business associate raised their hand to be the owner of the business. Although they were able to obtain a subsidy for the establishment of a regional company, the project was abandoned because they could not obtain a business loan. Corona was also involved. Nevertheless, they bought the merchant house at their own expense. The result was "Tenmaya.

He laughs, "We bought the 130-year-old main house and warehouse with our own money and a subsidy, but the renovation costs were greater than the purchase cost of the land and the house. He opened the store last year as a tart store using home-grown fruit. The tarts are mainly made by his wife, Erika. Is it going to be an accommodation facility? We are thinking about that in the future," he says. In these words, he expresses his attachment to the village of Matsuo and his hope for its revitalization.

He quickly became the chairman of the board! Be at the center of community development!

The "Macha morning market" has continued for more than 30 years, but Mr. Uchiyama recalls, "The morning market started when I was in the upper grades of elementary school, and I just watched the market from afar. I was not very interested in the market," he recalls. It was during the Corona period that I started participating in the morning market, but the market was practically dormant. It was only when the market reopened in 2011 that I started participating in earnest," he said. The motivation was still to revitalize the town.

If we are going to reopen the morning market, let's make it a bright news with the help of young people. That was the idea. At that point, I was just one of the people helping with the morning market. A few months later, however, he was suddenly nominated for the position of chairman, and in no time at all, he became the new chairman. It was a speedy rise through the ranks," he says with a laugh. At the time, he was also preparing to open a tart store, but he was determined to "be at the center of making the community more vibrant.

The first idea was to somehow revitalize Matsuo, which had been in decline since the Meiji era (1868-1912). With this in mind, the first chairman, Junzo Sakamoto, and other volunteers formed an association and have continued the "Macha morning market. This morning market has a long history in Kumamoto Prefecture. In the beginning, Mr. Sakamoto and others visited and trained at morning markets in Yobuko and other cities and devised a number of ideas. Matsuai Shokuhin, a local manufacturer of miso and soy sauce, has also cooperated. Mr. Uchiyama is determined to carry on the history of the market and weave the next history. However, Mr. Uchiyama does not seem to be overawed.

I enjoy doing this because I meet new people, find what I want to do, and broaden my horizons," he says. By enjoying himself, he feels that the number of young people helping out at the morning market is increasing and that the market is improving. It's fun to change," he says. He is not afraid of change. He is not afraid of change, and says that Sakamoto and others are pushing him to make it happen. That's why I love everyone involved in the morning market," he says.

We want to create new value by starting with a morning market in a historic town.

When he spoke again about Matsuo village, he was still overflowing with positive feelings toward his hometown. The Songgai community has a history, and people are interested in history. In that sense, we are blessed. Another attraction of the village is its energetic agriculture. Young people are returning to their hometowns, especially to the fruit farms. Although the town's fishing industry has declined, the town is proud of its seafood, especially shrimp and crabs, which are delicious and rich in flavor.

The morning market is an opportunity for people to get to know this town. What I should do is to take advantage of the white-walled storehouse buildings of the village and create new value. I know the value of this town".

Restaurants and inns are also needed to attract more customers to the town. The number of sweet stores, including Uchiyama's "Tenmaya," has been increasing. In fact, just recently, a delicatessen opened three doors down from "Tenmaya. He immediately recruited it as a member of the morning market. The keyword is 'breakfast. We will offer side dishes and rice balls at the morning market breakfast". He believes that change is necessary in the future so that the morning market will not become boring. As he says, "Change is fun," the "Macha morning market" in the Matsuai community will continue to undergo attractive changes.

For more information about the morning market, click here▼.
A stroll to a small village with white-walled storehouses