Chayamachi Harenohi ～ A place created by a home-care physician where you can drop in for a bit and return to your own place - Page 2 of 2

We spoke with the people behind Chayamachi Harenohi

We spoke with Yuka Kameyama, director of Chayamachi Home Care Clinic, who created Chayamachi Harenohi.

Why Chayamachi Harenohi was created

When did you start thinking about creating Chayamachi Harenohi?

Kameyama (honorifics omitted)

The idea itself dates back about 20 years. In providing home medical care, I meet people who have difficulty going out because of illness or disability.

When I tell them, “If you get better, you may be able to go out and work, too,” they ask, “Is there actually a place people like that can go?” I found it difficult to answer. That was the original impetus.

Why did you choose the guest-chef format?

Kameyama

If we rented the space out to a tenant, that business’s operations would inevitably take priority, making it harder to use the space for community activities.

At first, we considered having a fixed business operate here every day, but restaurants everywhere are short-staffed now and don’t have the capacity to send staff every day. So we decided on a rotating guest-chef format.

It’s also difficult for restaurants to keep going, so I want to support them. As restaurants disappear from town, opportunities for people to meet by chance disappear, too. I hope this can be a place where guest chefs can meet new customers and try things they can’t do at their own restaurants.

Memorable moments since opening

What have you felt since Chayamachi Harenohi opened?

Kameyama

I’ve realized that having a place like this gives rise to all kinds of things.
I’ve always believed that the world isn’t such a bad place. Just as someone might worry about a neighbor whose newspapers are piling up and get in touch, people in town already have a spirit of helping one another.

But even when you want to help, there are things you can’t do on your own. I hope that having this place makes people think, “Maybe I’ll talk to them,” and we’re gradually seeing that happen.

For example, someone comes here for lunch and sees mothers at the next table happily having lunch with their children who use ventilators. If they take away the thought, “There are families like that, too,” then when they return to their own neighborhood, they may find it easier to speak to a nearby family.

If there were an earthquake or other disaster, they might call out, “I wonder if that child is okay,” or “Let’s get out together.” I hope that an awareness of the different kinds of people around us in everyday life will take root in someone.

Are there any visitors who have left a particular impression on you?

Kameyama

We installed a bed in the restroom that can be used by people who need medical care.
When we tried using it, we found that it takes two people to set it up. I thought that would make it difficult to use, but one mother said, “Maybe I could ask someone who happens to be here to give me a little help when I need it.”

Rather than anticipating every need and making everything perfect in advance, people can naturally ask one another for help when they need it. I thought that was a good way to look at things.

I was also happy when a man in his 90s from the neighborhood came in for his first cafe latte and was delighted to see the heart-shaped latte art.

Chayamachi, to Kameyama

Has Chayamachi Harenohi brought about any changes for you?

Kameyama

I’ve lived in Chayamachi since around 2004, but I was always so busy with work that I knew few people in the neighborhood beyond the parents of children who attended my child’s elementary school.

Since creating this place, I’ve started talking with my neighbors.
There was also a family member of someone who had died at our clinic who came by every day during a long weekend. Sometimes visitors bring someone else along, saying, “I know a nice place.”

I think it’s significant that people have come to see that a person named Yuka Kameyama lives here.

What kind of place is Chayamachi to you?

Kameyama

Chayamachi is where I live and where I will die.
When I grow old, I’d like to sit by the open door, dozing as I tend the fire in the wood stove here.

It would be wonderful if places like Chayamachi Harenohi came into being in different communities, each in its own way.

A place where everyone can spend time at their own pace

On the day I dropped by Chayamachi Harenohi, a meeting was being held at the central table after the children’s cafeteria had finished. I sat at a seat off to the side, reading a book as I admired the cute heart-shaped latte art.

You can hear the voices of all kinds of people, and the flowers, plants, and vases are lovely. It’s a comfortable place where everyone can spend time in their own way.

You can find information about the guest chefs on the official Instagram. All the food looks delicious, so be sure to check it out and stop by.

Chayamachi Harenohi details

Name	Chayamachi Harenohi
Address	360-12 Chayamachi, Kurashiki City
Contact	For inquiries about individual guest chefs or events, please contact their respective accounts directly by DM or other means.
Website	Chayamachi Harenohi