The number of antenna shops is decreasing from Tokyo... May 5 at 24:17

Gunma-chan, the mascot character of Gunma Prefecture that was also made into a TV anime.
However, the "home" in Tokyo is gone.

In fact, antenna shops of local governments across the country are disappearing from Tokyo one after another.
What's going on?

(Antenna Shop Interview Team, Hiroki Matsumoto, Akiko Shimizu, Shota Yokoyama)

Gunma-chan lost her "home"

The antenna shop in Gunma Prefecture, named "Gunma-chan House," opened 15 years ago, in 2008, on a perfect stage across from the Kabuki-za Theatre in Ginza.

In 2018, it was relocated and renovated to Ginza 7-chome, and Gunma's soul food "Yaki Manju" was gaining popularity.

However, after that, the corona disaster hit directly.

While online sales of specialty products have become mainstream, the number of visitors to the Gunma-chan family was 2021,13 per year in fiscal 5000, a decrease of about 8% from the peak.

Annual sales were 9298.7000 million yen, almost half of the peak.

The rent in Ginza is high at about <> million yen, and the burden is heavy, so we closed at the end of last year.

A woman
who visited from Kansai almost every year said, "It's a pity that I used to use fresh foods such as specialty vegetables because I thought they would be fresh if I bought them at the antenna shop.

Gunma-chan lost her home in Tokyo. Right now, I'm focusing on PR by going to events in various places and disseminating information on SNS.

The person in charge of the Gunma Prefecture Tokyo Office: "For example, in Takasaki, you can get back and forth from Tokyo by bullet train in
about 50 minutes.

Decreased by Corona Antenna Shop

The number of antenna shops in Tokyo began to increase in the 1990s.

Rents were getting cheaper due to the collapse of the bubble economy, so in 1994 Okinawa opened antenna shops in Ginza and in 1995 in Kagoshima in Yurakucho.

Since then, the number has continued to increase, and according to the Regional Revitalization Center, which continues to investigate antenna shops, the number increased to 2020 in fiscal 81.

However, due to the impact of the Corona disaster, the number of stores has decreased to 4 as of April 1 last year.

The relocation and consolidation of antenna shops is also increasing.

The antenna shop in Okinawa has been operating in front of the exit of Ginza 2-chome subway station, but this past February, it moved to "Tokyo Kotsu Kaikan" in front of Yurakucho Station. The area of the sales floor is now smaller than before.

The person in charge of the Ginza Washita Shop Main Store Management Company said, "In Ginza 1-chome, land prices were rising and maintenance costs such as rent were incurred, but on the other hand, the building in
front of Yurakucho Station, where we relocated, has antenna shops from Hokkaido and other places, and there is a synergistic effect."

In addition, Shizuoka Prefecture was planning to open a new antenna shop in Tokyo, but canceled it due to the corona disaster.

Gaze on Osaka

Antenna shops are decreasing in Tokyo. On the other hand, Osaka is attracting the attention of local governments.

In a high-rise building adjacent to JR Osaka Station, which is scheduled to open in July next year, antenna shops from Kochi Prefecture, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, and the three Hokuriku prefectures of Toyama, Fukui, and Ishikawa are scheduled to open stores.

Behind this is the Osaka-Kansai Expo, which will be held in 2, two years from now. Redevelopment around the station is also underway, and a new platform was completed in the basement of the "Umekita" area of JR Osaka Station this spring, and limited express trains heading to Kansai Airport can now enter Osaka Station.

Osaka is expected to be the gateway to domestic and foreign tourists.

Furthermore, what encouraged the opening of stores in the three Hokuriku prefectures was the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen.

At the end of this fiscal year, the line between Kanazawa and Tsuruga will open, and the travel time between Shin-Osaka and Kanazawa, which currently takes two and a half hours, is expected to be reduced by nearly 2 minutes.

The person in charge
of the Fukui Prefecture Shinkansen Opening Division said, "Considering that the number of tourists visiting Kansai will increase due to the World Expo, I think Osaka will be an important base for people to know the charms of Hokuriku.

The antenna shop ahead is ...

However, experts point out that we are entering an era in which antenna shops cannot survive on location alone.

Chizuru Hatakeda, Regional Revitalization Center:
"The important thing is to be in an era where detailed market strategies such as what kind of customer base to target, the uniqueness of the store, and the discovery and development of products that are not available on the Internet are required. As a result of focusing on high-end foods such as parfaits using melons and health foods such as dried potatoes and natto, sales have increased compared to before the coronavirus."

Some places lend the sign of the antenna shop

A new type of antenna shop can now be seen. Miyazaki Prefecture opened "KONNE" in Hong Kong in February.

This is the prefecture's first overseas expansion.

Just this antenna shop.
It is not run by the prefecture, but by a person from Miyazaki Prefecture who lives in Hong Kong.
The prefecture took the form of renting out the antenna shop signboard.
The following three criteria were used for certification.

1. The items sold are products from Miyazaki Prefecture, and there are
more than 10 companies and more than 50 items2. It is
recognized that it contributes to the PR of Miyazaki products3. KONNE" and plan to operate for more than one year.

A person in charge of Miyazaki Prefecture: "In the future, as the coronavirus subsides, it will become an important base for communicating the charms of Miyazaki Prefecture, and as in the case of Hong Kong, we would like to consider cooperation if there are people who can continue to convey the charm of
prefectural products to other countries."

Survival or withdrawal: Shiga at a crossroads

A changing antenna shop.
Shiga Prefecture is currently feeling a strong sense of crisis.

Six years ago, he opened an antenna shop "Koko-Shiga" in Japan-bashi, Tokyo.

Good for the seller. Good for buyers. Good for the world.
Omi merchants with the spirit of "sampo yoshi" were based in the Edo period at Japan Bridge.

However, the annual rent is about 1 million yen. The contract period is four years left.
After that, whether or not to renew the contract will be decided based on the results of the last one or two years.

Noboru Katayama, Director of Shiga: "There is a great sense of crisis, and if we do not produce tangible results because we are investing tax money,
we will not gain the understanding of the people of the prefecture and it may lead to withdrawal. On the other hand, local businesses aiming to expand their sales channels can try out products in the best location, and considering the role of disseminating information, we have a strong desire to survive in this place that has a connection."

Can we change from a place that simply sells local specialties to a place where we can convey the charm unique to the prefecture? Using the antenna shop as an entrance, the prefecture wants to put more effort into disseminating information than ever before, such as holding events to attract migrants and local talents to convey their appeal so that it will lead to tourism and migration.

Noboru Katayama, Director
of Shiga Shop, said, "I think the raison d'être of the antenna shop is not only to sell goods, but also to increase the number of people who move to Shiga and people who visit directly.

An antenna shop at a major crossroads.

Conscious of cost and effectiveness, each local government is putting up an antenna for PR.