This article was written by the participants of the 'Regional Writing Camp' held in Takayanagi-cho, Kashiwazaki City from 10-12 March 2017 in collaboration with Niigata Ina College, a rural I-turn study abroad programme.

Takayanagi-cho, Kashiwazaki City, Niigata Prefecture, is located in a mountainous area where public transport is scarce and the village of Kayabuki-cho remains. Here, there is an interesting bakery that operates with the involvement of the local community. Since opening, the bakery has mainly relied on word of mouth, but it is said that some customers come all the way from far away.

The name of the bakery is Barley Bake. The most popular is the walnut-raisin bread. The bakery is particular about homemade natural yeast and unbleached domestic wheat. It is handmade every day, using ingredients from Takayanagi whenever possible.

The small shop is inspired by small Swiss bakeries. The owner was inspired by the small bakeries in some of the small villages she visited during her travels in Switzerland. Fair trade products and tableware made by local people are also available.

A range of crockery made by local people

The couple behind Mugi Mugi Bake are Mototaka Norioka and Yoshiko Norioka, who moved to Takayanagi from the city. They did not start the bakery when they first moved here. Surprisingly, they never thought of opening a bakery at all. There is a story behind the couple's decision to start their own bakery.

Why did you move to Takayanagi?

They have always loved the mountains. When they were climbing mountains, they thought that they would like to live in a place like this. They decided to move to the countryside about 15 years ago. At the time, they read a magazine called 'The Book of Country Life', and while they longed to live in the countryside as described in the book, they were living in the city. He happened to find an article in the magazine that advertised job opportunities at a company in Takayanagi. I thought, "This is it!" He applied, interviewed, was hired and moved to the town in one fell swoop. His first visit to the area was for an interview. Mototaka ended up working at a tourist facility in Takayanagi, while Yoshiko, who had always been interested in manufacturing, got a job working together with local people.

Yoshiko told us with a smile that at the time, "I was young at heart".

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Why a bakery?

Three years after moving to Takayanagi, Yoshiko happened to read a book about natural yeast. She became interested in natural yeast and tried her hand at making bread. 'I've never eaten anything like it before! This is it!" I'm going to open a bakery!" He decided to become a baker. First, he found a bakery to train at and began his apprenticeship.

Yoshiko also laughed at this crap, saying that it was a youthful indiscretion.

What made it possible to do it as a livelihood?

He trained at the bakery for two years and renovated his house. Mototaka quit his job and they decided to open a bakery together. The question is whether a bakery can make a living in the countryside like this.

He told us that it has 'become' his livelihood since he first opened the shop. The main reason, he says, is that the people who have been involved in the community for the past five years since he moved here have bought and supported him. For example, Mototaka says, "People who commute from Takayanagi to Kashiwazaki City bought more bread in the morning and handed it to people at work".

Mototaka says calmly: "I don't think I would have become like this if I had come here from somewhere else and suddenly started a bakery. Mototaka says calmly: "If I had come here from somewhere else, I don't think I would have been able to do this.

What is the pattern of life of a baker operating in the countryside?

What is the life of a rural baker like? We asked them to give us an approximate daily pattern of life.

• Wake up at 3 o'clock.
• At 3.30, preparation and set-up begins.
• 7am Opening.
• 12.00-13.00 Sold out, closed.
• 6 p.m. Preparation for the next day
• 2100 hours. Go to bed.

Mototaka says, "Life here is busier than I thought it would be before I moved here." Although he has not yet reached the point where he can enjoy country life at a leisurely pace, he finds time to farm and chop wood when he can. Recently, Mototaka has also started working with local friends to maintain the mountain paths on nearby Mount Kurohime. Mototaka laughs: "Drinking sake with my friends is the best thing in the world. He says he would like to continue to deepen his relationship with the local community, make more time and enjoy life in the countryside.

Bread with a strong sense of the ingredients, not decorated flavours.

Their pumpkin bread, made mainly from pumpkins grown in Takayanagi, and potato bread, made mainly from potatoes also grown in Takayanagi, are also popular. The bread made by these two is not a fancy bread, but a bread where you can really feel the ingredients. We hope you will come and try the delicious bread made by these two lovely people.

Shop information

• barley bake
• 3673 Yamanaka, Takayanagi-cho, Kashiwazaki-shi, Kashiwazaki, Japan 945-1503
• tel: 0257-41-3032