Ms. Sachiko Kamada & Mr. Koichi Kamada, Owners, Adashino Mayumura

Interviewers/Authors: Rieru Nomura, Fumiya Honda

Adashino Mayumura is a shop that specializes in mayu dolls (cocoon dolls) located 30 minutes northwest of Randen Arashiyama Station on foot. In a secluded area of Atago Kaido Avenue with an old-fashioned atmosphere, this shop was opened by Ms. Sachiko Kamada and Mr. Tetsuo Kamada, her late husband. Now, she and her son, Mr. Koichi Kamada, are running this shop all year round. There are many products that are so cute and that you don’t get to see every day, such as mobiles and temari balls made from cocoon balls. 

— How long have you been working at this shop?

Kamada: As of 2022, it is the 45^th anniversary of the opening of this shop. I’m from Hakata, Fukuoka, so I had a hard time understanding the Kyoto dialect in the beginning. Even so, I’ve never taken time off, and we’ve kept this shop open for 45 years no matter what.

— Is there anything that you value the most when serving customers?

Kamada: More than anything, I cherish my feelings for them. I don’t just treat them kindly and make them happy. I want them to drop in at this shop and feel “I’m glad I came here today” or “I didn’t know there was this kind of place in Kyoto” even just a little because they usually come to this area for sightseeing. I can be very polite by constantly having such feelings. People are the most important thing in business. You cannot sell something if the seller is no good, no matter how great the product is.

— What is a mayu doll?

Kamada: Mayu dolls are made from cocoon balls, which are for silk threads. We draw faces on the balls, make kimonos with Japanese paper, and attach them with glue. We also make Japanese folding screens (byobu) that fit each doll. Actually, it was my father who made the mayu dolls from scratch. His family business was a raw silk wholesaler, but as kimono culture faded with the passage of time, raw silk-related businesses declined. In the meantime, he wondered if he could do something new with raw silk, and he invented mayu dolls. Before he came up with the idea, he visited Nagano prefecture, where there was a thriving sericulture industry, and saw toys being made from cocoon balls. After that, he made improvements to make souvenirs unique to Kyoto with cocoon balls and created the mayu doll made by combining Japanese paper and other materials. You can enjoy the elegant atmosphere unique to this shop.

— What role do you think this shop plays for Ukyo Ward and its residents?

Kamada: There are many products in this shop that you can’t find anywhere else. My father was the first to make a mobile with cocoon balls. He has passed away, unfortunately, but he created new products every year during his lifetime. I think we contribute to Ukyo Ward as a unique shop.

— What do you think is the best attraction of Ukyo Ward that people in Japan and overseas should know about?

Kamada: In the Sagano area alone, where this shop is located, I definitely want tourists to go to Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple. Kyoto was once turned into a burned field as a result of the Onin War, a civil war that lasted from 1467 to 1477, but the remains of that time are conserved in the main hall. The main hall itself was also built in the mid-Kamakura period and it is still in the same shape as it was back then. You might think that there are many such things because Kyoto is an ancient capital, however, the damage caused by the Onin War was so severe that many temples were burned down, so there are not many things left. Even though the building was founded in the old days, it is very rare to see a building remaining as it was at that time, so please take a look.

— Finally, I was wondering if you could provide a message to the readers.

Kamada: Of course, I want you to come to this shop, but I also highly recommend walking along Atago Kaido Avenue where this shop is located. The Sagano and Arashiyama districts are divided into three areas: Arashiyama with Togetsukyo Bridge and Tenryuji Temple, Kitasaga centered around Daikakuji Temple, and Okusaga around this shop. Tourists are concentrated mostly in Arashiyama, but Okusaga and Kitasaga also have many tourist resources and you can feel the old-fashioned atmosphere of Japan, so I would like you to visit there at least once.

Interviewer’s Comments

I had never been to Okusaga, but it’s a great area with an old-fashioned Japanese atmosphere, and I felt that it was a pity that only Arashiyama was drawing attention. Both owners of Adashino Mayumura warmly welcomed me, and I could feel their enormous love not only for the mayu dolls but also for the Sagano and Arashiyama districts. Through this interview, I was able to know the attractions of the shop and the surrounding area, so I would like to visit Kitasaga next time.

(Rieru Nomura)