# Urban Development Pop-Ups The Okomeya Rice Shop is Aiming to Revitalize This Shopping Street By Rebecca Byers | Published 2015-03-09 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/urban-development-popups-the-okomeya-rice-shop-is-aiming-to-revitalize-this References: [popupcity.net](http://popupcity.net/rice-shop-revitalizes-lifeless-tokyo-shopping-street/) & [schemata.jp](http://schemata.jp/okomeya/) The Okomeya Rice Shop is a low-cost, one-person storefront in Tokyo with a goal of bringing life and business back to the shopping strip it resides on. The design of the tiny shop is sleek and contemporary and functions not to make a huge profit, but to simply breathe life back into the area. Built in a space that formerly hosted a grocer close to Tokyo's Togoshi Koen station, the Okomeya Rice Shop was designed by Schemata Architects for Owan Ltd., a local initiative hoping to invest in low-cost businesses along the shopping strip to prevent it from becoming a "shutter street" of closed shops. The Okomeya Rice Shop is a clever urban development project, inspiring community in many ways, especially cooperation between it and other small neighboring shops. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.4/10 - Popularity: 74% | Activity: 79% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Low-cost Urban Revitalization:** There is an opportunity for businesses to invest in low-cost ventures to bring life back to struggling urban areas. - **Sleek Minimalism in Small Business:** Small businesses can incorporate contemporary design to stand out and attract customers. - **Cooperative Community Development:** Community initiatives can encourage collaboration between small businesses to create local economic growth. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Retail:** Retail businesses can use contemporary design and low-cost strategies to attract customers and revitalize struggling areas. - **Real Estate:** Real estate developers can work with local initiatives to create low-cost, attractive storefronts that can stimulate economic growth. - **Community Development:** Community organizations can fund and support low-cost initiatives to encourage small businesses to collaborate and bring life back to struggling urban areas. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Home-Like Retail Store Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/conran-shop.md) - [Playful Tokyo Pop-Ups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tokyo-popups.md) - [Japanese Inn-Inspired Micro Apartments](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/la-tarta-piccola.md) - [Japanese Concept-Inspired Homes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/oku-house.md) - [Glass Facade Shopping Centers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/harajuku-quest.md) - [Community Support Spaces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/home-for-all-noroshi.md) - [Townhouse Transformed Retail Spaces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/le-labo-kyoto.md) - [Japan-Expansive Physical Fashion Stores](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/studio-nicholson-4.md) - [Retail Wellbeing Spaces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/frama-3.md)