Historic Kamakura Farmers’ Market Peddles Showa-Era Charm, Vibrant Greens

By Hiroyuki Kikuchi / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

16:25 JST, February 2, 2026

KAMAKURA, Kanagawa — In the heart of Kanagawa Prefecture’s Kamakura, a city bustling with domestic and international tourists alike, stands the modest, weathered structure of the Kamakura City Agricultural Cooperative Union Sales Stand, which evokes pure nostalgia for the Showa-era (1926-89).

Inside the market, beneath its aging corrugated metal roof and hand-painted signs with faded lettering, a colorful array of fresh local vegetables such as daikon radish, cabbage and fennel is on display.

The farmers market is considered a pioneer of the European-style market in Japan, where producers sell directly to consumers, and affectionately nicknamed “renbai” by locals.

About 20 farming households from Kamakura and the Nagaodaicho district of Yokohama’s Sakae Ward are split into four groups, rotating daily to staff the market.

Its history dates back to the early Showa era, in 1928. According to a vendor, it was inspired by a foreign missionary remarking to farmers — then selling from oxcarts and handcarts — that European farmers sold their produce at permanent market sites. The current site is its third location.

The inclusion of farmers from Nagaodaicho stems from the area originally belonging to the Kamakura district before being annexed by Yokohama City.

Participating farmers focus on the local Kamakura Yasai vegetable brand, producing a wide variety of crops in small batches.

In winter, the daikon selection alone is a splash of colors, featuring varieties such as koushin (red-core), aonaga (green) and purple radishes.

When a female customer asked how to prepare raw “oomasari” peanuts, Hiromi Suzuki, 69, advised that they are best boiled in heavily salted water for 30 minutes. “They can also be frozen for later,” she added, “and taste better if you go a bit heavy on the salt.”

This opportunity to chat with growers while picking out produce is part of what makes renbai so charming.

Alongside regular customers, professionals from the restaurant industry flock to the market early in the morning, selecting fresh produce before the price tags have even been set out.

Joji Somura, who runs a French restaurant in Kiba, Tokyo, was seen stocking up on leeks and lettuce. “The selection of fresh, seasonal produce here is outstanding,” he said. “There’s a vibrant seasonal energy here that you just don’t find in Tokyo’s wholesale markets.”

Kaneo Yamamori, 70, who cultivates about 120 vegetable varieties, was busy tending to customers as he reflected: “Since this is a tourist area, people look for vibrant, eye-catching produce, which eventually became our hallmark. It was really the conversations with our customers that nurtured the growth of the Kamakura Yasai brand.”

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The Kamakura City Agricultural Cooperative Union Sales Stand

Address: 1-13-10 Komachi, Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture

Access: A 3-minute walk from the east exit of JR Kamakura Station

Hours: Sales start at about 8 a.m. Closed from Jan. 1 to 4.