TOTTORI -- A handmade pudding shop called Totto PURIN opened Saturday near the Tottori Sand Dunes in Tottori City. The owner is Ryoji Kawamura, 26, who moved to the city after becoming attracted to the sand dunes.
"I want [the pudding] to become known as a specialty of the sand dunes," he said.
Kawamura's puddings are made from 100% raw milk produced in Tottori Prefecture and characterized by a rich sweetness and smooth texture. Among his four varieties, Suna Purin, which means "sand pudding" in Japanese, is highly recommended. The price is 430 yen including tax.
The "sand" in the name comes from a powdered caramel inspired by the dunes. "It is a new texture, like eating delicious sand," said Kawamura.
The store opened more than a month later than scheduled due to the coronavirus pandemic, but is already off to a strong start. On Saturday, a total of 1,000 units of the four items were sold out in 2-1/2 hours after the store opened at 10 a.m.
"Even after the emergency declaration [to bring the coronavirus outbreak under control] was lifted, I was worried that tourists would not come back to the sand dunes. But more people came [to my shop] than I expected," Kawamura said with relief, remembering the continuous flow of customers.
Kawamura is from Nagoya. After graduating from a university, he had worked at a management consulting company for about four years, helping to open souvenir shops and develop new products nationwide.
According to Kawamura, he had wanted to open his own shop through his own efforts and to contribute to the local economy, ever since he joined the company. When he visited Tottori on business, he thought, "It is rich in nature, and especially the sand dunes are like a different world," and he liked the city. After retiring in January this year, he chose Tottori without hesitation as a place to start his own business.
Although he had no experience making sweets, he learned for about a month at a confectionery shop run by an acquaintance in Gifu Prefecture. He has also secured some space in a souvenir shop near the Tottori Sand Dunes, which was his desired location for tenancy. But he gave up on his original plan of a full-scale opening in April, because of the nationwide state of emergency in effect when the store was handed over to him.
After that, Kawamura sold the products only to people close to him, and considered when to open. At the same time, he set up an online shop, which he opened on May 28.
"I want people from outside the prefecture who cannot come for sightseeing due to self-restraint [requests] to buy it on internet and enjoy it," Kawamura said.
In addition to the Suna Purin pudding, Totto PURIN sells Ichigo Purin (strawberry pudding) made from strawberries grown in the prefecture for 430 yen including tax, and other items. The store is open from noon to 4 p.m. on weekdays, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends and holidays. It is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
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