Oh? Did you find one?

What do you think this small dressing room used to be?

It actually used to be a room for making phone calls.

Around the Meiji Era, phones were cutting-edge technology. They were still very rare and only available in very limited areas.

It’s said that the Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten was the second place in this area to get a telephone line.

That’s why their phone number is “2222.” Sounds like something to be proud of, doesn’t it?

It’s always important to bring new things into one’s business, and that’s exactly what this store did.

Nara Zarashi carried traditional items, but they adapted to the changing times by altering the way they sold items and their purposes.

Then they eventually focused their sights toward a global market.

You might notice a handkerchief next to the register. It’s a handspun, handwoven handkerchief exhibited at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes. After the Great Kantō Earthquake, it was submitted as a demonstration to the world of Japan’s craftsmanship.

A century later, at the Expo 2025 in Osaka, Kansai, they presented the mascot character, Myaku-Myaku in Japanese crafts.

The times have changed, but they have not stopped adapting accordingly.

The “2222” is a symbol of them not being afraid of change. Do you see the proof of their courage?