Interior and System Redesign / Reimeikan

Reimekan is located next to the Date Cultural Center along Route 37. As well as being a Road Station (Michi no Eki) providing information, washrooms and amenities for travelors it is also Date's Bussankan, or local products showroom.
On display and for sale are products such as Date's famous local vegetables, seafood such as dried scallop snacks and Kinki no Izushi, and of course, Aizome (natural indigo dye). Date is home to about 30% of Japan's indigo dye production.
Aizome is a traditional dye that was used in making kimonos, Noren (Japanese shop curtains), flags, samurai costume and many other items. Along with its rich cultural history, aizome has many fascinating properties. It is an all-natural dye that does not fade, run or leach into other items if washed together, and helps strenghen and preserve fabrics. In addition, it can be used to dye items made of porous materials such as wood. At Reimekan there are several handcarved bowls dyed with aizome that have been made by a local master craftsman.
Konnichiwa-japan recently finished the first stage of a redesign and renewal of Reimekan that included re-organization of the stockroom, implementation of a new stock managment and categorization system, new layout and design for the lobby and information areas, and a total redesign of the shop interior.
The new interior design is much brighter, making full use of natural light, and has changed the layout of the shop area from shelves stocked with product to individual displays of each product with product info and pricing on the top shelves, and stock conveniently located below. The walkways have been opened up, clearing the sightlines and allowing product to be easily found, as well as for the staff to observe and attend to customers better.
Please have a look at the following before and after photos: