[Maebashi/Babagawa-dori] "Dagashiya Hibinoba" Combining Candy Store, Bookstore, and Art to Open May 30

CATENAS Inc. (Headquarters: Maebashi, Gunma; Representative: Yoshihiro Jimbo) will grand open "Dagashiya Hibinoba Babagawa-dori Store" along Babagawa-dori in Maebashi, Gunma, on Saturday, May 30, 2026, as a new project to generate regional interaction, learning, and vibrancy starting from a candy store. "Dagashiya Hibinoba" is an initiative to reconstruct the essence of the "dagashiya" (traditional candy store), where children once learned about society while interacting with local people, to fit modern urban development and lifestyles. It aims to be a community hub where children, students, local residents, business people, and creators can naturally mingle and create new value from the region, rather than just a retail store selling candy. Students and graduates of Kyoai Gakuen Maebashi International University (Maebashi, Gunma) will be actively involved in the operation of the new store. It will also serve as a place for students to learn practically while engaging with the community through store operations, planning, customer service, and information dissemination. In addition, it will collaborate with the "Dagashiya Hibinoba GITY Store," a candy store hub for university students that the company already operates in the central city area of Maebashi. The newly opened "Dagashiya Hibinoba Babagawa-dori Store" and the "Dagashiya Hibinoba GITY Store" are located within walking distance of the main street in downtown Maebashi. By connecting both stores, they will create a flow for students and local residents to walk around the city and meet local companies and creators. Based on the practices at the "Dagashiya Hibinoba Babagawa-dori Store" and the existing "Dagashiya Hibinoba GITY Store," the company aims to expand the creation of community hubs tailored to the characteristics of each region nationwide in the future.