Boke Mart is a small supermarket just up the hill from Ōboke Station. Although small, it’s packed with all the necessities. Across the road is Boke Mart 2, a related facility that combines the role of restaurant, café, tourist information, and entertainment venue. It’s run by local character Yamaguchi Yukiko. ‘Boke’ in Japanese means ‘demented’, and Yamaguchi-san will tell anyone with ears that she runs Boke Mart to prevent herself from falling into dementia. It seems to be working.

If you stroll up the hill from Ōboke Station, you can barely avoid being dragged into Boke Mart 2 to be served hand-ground tea and maybe even the local specialty, fried tofu skin. It’s pretty good. A range of other food and drink is also offered. Often some sort of drollery goes on in the street involving people, mostly elderly, dressed up in some outlandish costume performing tricks. It’s all good fun (unless you’re in a hurry to get somewhere). You’re unlikely to leave empty-handed – you’ll either buy something, or be given a present of seasonal produce.