Unveiling the 'Tanga Market Digital Photobook': A 100-Year Baton of Memories and Warm Humanity

Tanga Market, which has been cherished as 'Kitakyushu's Kitchen' for 100 years, is now taking a new step toward the next century through a redevelopment project.

To pass on the ever-changing scenery of Tanga Market and the memories of the people living there to the future, Kitakyushu City invited memories of the market under the title 'Me and Tanga: Connecting Memories Through Photos and Feelings' from November 2025 to January 2026. Despite the short period, approximately 200 nostalgic photos and episodes were received.

Around the same time, students from the University of Kitakyushu listened to the 'feelings of the shopkeepers' at individual stores to record the 'current' state of Tanga Market and pass it on to the next generation.

These collected scenes of changing times, irreplaceable episodes, shopkeepers' dedication, and their visions for the future Tanga Market have been compiled into a single volume: the 'Tanga Market Digital Photobook.'

Everyday Life is an Irreplaceable Memory The core of the digital photobook is the everyday scenery of Tanga and the warm memories of human connections that define its character. Memories such as walking through the lively market holding a mother's hand as a child, the first visit to Tanga after moving to Kitakyushu from afar, casual conversations with familiar shopkeepers, and the bustle of festival days. These are not mere records but scenes from individual lives built up alongside Tanga Market. The digital photobook was created as a 'Memory Baton' to connect these precious memories to the future.

Shopkeepers' Stories Met by Students Create a Desire to Buy For one month from late November to late December 2025, students from the University of Kitakyushu visited, interviewed, and photographed various stores in Tanga Market. During this period, the students visited many times and connected with the thoughts of about 30 shopkeepers. In the photobook, the students weave the various thoughts they heard and felt into careful words alongside photographs. Initially, the students had impressions of the market being 'dark and a bit scary' or 'a place for regulars.' However, through repeated interviews, they became familiar faces, greeted by name as they walked through the market. There is a sense of 'humanity' unique to Tanga, where the distance between people naturally narrows. Through the photobook, when you touch the shopkeepers' thoughts, you feel the life behind their words and will naturally think, 'I want to buy from this person.'

Five Types of Digital Photobook Access Cards To commemorate the completion of the 'Tanga Market Digital Photobook' and reach more people, Kitakyushu City has created access cards. The cards feature a QR code to access the photobook and come in five designs (including one secret version). They will be distributed at accommodation facilities and tourist information centers in Kitakyushu City. We recommend collecting all types or exchanging them with others. With a card in hand, please experience the 'current' Tanga Market as it steps into a new era while touching 100 years of memories.