The D&DEPARTMENT PROJECT, which discovers and introduces "long-life designs" that are unique to the area and have a long lifespan, aims to "develop cities through food" and has partnered with PUBLIC DINER, which operates a variety of restaurants in Kumagaya City, to open the Saitama branch of D&DEPARTMENT, "D&DEPARTMENT SAITAMA by PUBLIC DINER," on June 25th.


D&Department is a project led by designer Nagaoka Kenmei, and opened its first store in Okusawa, Tokyo in 2000. In order to spread design activities rooted in the local area while maintaining a physical sales floor, the company has begun a plan to establish a base in each of the 47 prefectures with local partners. The Saitama store, the 10th store in Japan, will be the first in the Kanto region outside of Tokyo.

While the company has previously established dedicated stores and opened regional outlets, this is a new venture, utilizing a corner of an existing non-retail store. The store, which opened on the second-floor rooftop terrace of the Western restaurant and cafe Public Diner, has a floor space of approximately 7.2 m2, making it the company's smallest store. Using this as a base, the center will unearth and introduce Saitama's crafts, food, and long-selling household items, as well as carry out activities to convey and learn about the techniques used to make them, as well as the local climate and culture.


It all started when Public Diner's Kagasaki Katsuhiro was introduced as a key figure in Saitama in the travel guidebook "d design travel Saitama," published in March 2017, which reviews the unique character and individuality of Saitama prefecture from a design perspective. This encounter led to the next activity in Kumagaya City, and in October of the same year, a project was launched under the Kumagaya City Tourism Association, a general incorporated foundation, in which 24 citizen writers, gathered through public recruitment, received direction from the editorial department of "d design travel" and produced "d design travel WORKSHOP KUMAGAYA," a tourist booklet that would reexamine the attractions of Kumagaya City from a design perspective. Through these efforts, they partnered with Public Diner to open the restaurant, in order to create a permanent base of operations that would promote the essence of Saitama. On display in the store are long-lasting designs from Saitama, including the secret secret of TAP&SAP in Chichibu City, Sayama tea from Tea Okanoen in Saitama City, pancake flour from Tsumugiya in Kuki City, Soka rice crackers from Ikedaya, Soka Senbei Marukusa Ichifuku, and Yamaka Senbei Honpo in Soka City, and Kagaya Rice Crackers from Kagaya Rice Crackers in Yashio City, Gokaho products from Taneni in Kumagaya City, ginger candy from Nishida Ame, indigo-dyed fabrics from Kojimaya in Hanyu City, postcards and works by Japanese paper artist Chiaki Morita from Atelier Jinjiwaki in Sakado City, and HONEYX soap from Hoken in Kawaguchi City.

Furthermore, collaboration products between Saitama's Long Life Design and D&D Department include straw hats featuring small pompoms, created by Kasukabe City's Tanaka Hat Shop based on the hats worn by mikoshi (portable shrine) carriers at the Sanja Festival in Asakusa, and original indigo-dyed scarves and T-shirts by Hanyu City's Bushu Nakajima Konya. Additionally, D&D Department original products include shoe boxes, re-school PHOTO FRAME, d art frame, Sampling Furniture Container Sun Box, the FROM LIFESTOCK series (BAG, PC SLEEVE), and luggage tags with the Saitama store's name.