The old-house complex “Momotose” — where new talent gathers in an old home

✿A vacant old house, revived by the whole town

“Momotose” is a cultural complex in Kumegawa-cho, Higashimurayama, along Fuchu-kaido. Born from a wish to “make use of” a once-vacant old house, it was revived as a community-wide “Momotose Project” and made a fresh start in 2019. A main house more than 60 years old and an annex more than 30 years old — add the two buildings' ages together and you get “momotose” (a hundred years), which is the origin of the name. It is run by the Higashimurayama construction firm “Daikokuya (Kizutsumi).” It's a place protected by local hands.

✿Cafe, atelier and shared kitchen under one roof

The main house has a relaxed community lounge and cafe stand, plus the atelier of a washi-paper sculpture artist. The annex holds a licensed shared kitchen, “Kizutsumi no En.” People who want to sell sweets, hold a workshop, or run a class — people with all kinds of “talent” gather here, changing day by day and week by week. So part of the charm is that the shops and people you meet change each visit. On NHK's “Furu-Cafe-kei: Haru-san no Kyujitsu,” it was introduced as a building retaining the air of an Edo-period samurai residence. Coffee in hand, gazing at the old fittings and clever touches — it's a place that suits such relaxed time.