Cars have given way to a plethora of food stalls in a parking lot near JR Obihiro Station in Hokkaido.
Dubbed "kitano-yatai" (food stalls of the north), the collection of food stalls has been open for just a year but has attracted a stream of hungry visitors.
Around 20 food stalls operate in the lot, which faces two streets.
The initiative was dreamed up by local businesspeople hoping to lure more visitors to the city of Obuhiro and revitalize the local economy.
"I wanted to revive a traditional Japanese street with many stalls, which disappeared with urban development projects," said 47-year-old Hiroshi Kubo, a former travel bureau president who initiated the project.
Divided by narrow thoroughfares, stalls serving various dishes, including ravioli and "gyoza" meat dumplings, have been erected in a rectangular area.
One stall jointly run by 30-year-old Emi Seno and local farmers offers local agricultural produce.
"I hope to give children a chance to experience the authentic taste of vegetables," Seno said.
The food complex has attracted nearly 150,000 visitors over the past year despite the extremely cold winter. In Obihiro, temperatures sometimes drop to -20.
The local business community is also counting on the potential ripple effects of kitano-yatai's success, voicing hope that visitors will stay at nearby hotels and spend more time and money in the area.
Kubo attributed the success to the stalls' lively atmosphere.
"We can offer a unique way to attract visitors without spending a lot of money on infrastructure," he said.
