When you think of coworking spaces, you probably picture long tables in an office building.
There’s nothing wrong with that, but a change of atmosphere can sometimes help you focus. How about trying a coworking space with a little more character?
When you think of Kurashiki, home to the Bikan Historical Area, you probably picture old streets and buildings. Near the Bikan Historical Area, there’s a coworking space and satellite office housed in a traditional Japanese home.
Sumiyoshicho no Ie Bunbuku is a facility that opened in 2018 as a telework hub.
Bunbuku’s appeal lies in being able to work and hold meetings in the calm atmosphere unique to a traditional Japanese home.
The gentle sunlight streaming into the rooms feels warm and puts you at ease.
What’s more, working on tatami has a crisp sense of focus that’s different from sitting in a chair, and I was able to immerse myself in my work.
Another plus is that Bunbuku is close to the Bikan Historical Area, a popular tourist destination. It’s convenient when you want to get some work done between sightseeing stops, since you can easily drop in.
Bunbuku also attracts a wide variety of visitors. The traditional home setting makes it easy for visitors to talk and connect with one another.
Those interactions between visitors may even spark new ideas.
Here’s an introduction to Sumiyoshicho no Ie Bunbuku, a facility that is both old and new.
The information presented here was current when this article was published in June 2019. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is Sumiyoshicho no Ie Bunbuku? A coworking space in the former Asano residence, a traditional home built in 1926
This coworking space and satellite office is housed in a traditional home that is about 90 years old.
The traditional home used is the former Asano residence. It was built in 1926 as the residence of Asano Benjiro.
Since Bunbuku is a space renovated from a traditional home, its exterior looks just like an ordinary house. At first glance, it doesn’t look like a coworking space.
Bunbuku is just west of the main street running through the Bikan Historical Area, in a convenient location just south of Kurashiki City Art Museum and the library.
Bunbuku opened in March 2018. It was established by the Takahashi River Basin Telework Promotion Consortium with the concept of a “Kurashiki-style telework hub in a traditional Japanese home.”
The Takahashi River Basin Telework Promotion Consortium is made up of Kurashiki City, Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts, the Japan Telework Association, and Takahashigawa Presentare.
The name Bunbuku comes from a tanuki ornament of the “Bunbuku Chagama” (The Bunbuku Teakettle) that was kept in the traditional home.
“Sumiyoshicho no Ie” means “House in Sumiyoshi-cho,” the former name of the neighborhood where it is located.
In June 2019, the Takahashigawa Presentare, the general incorporated association that operates Bunbuku, was recognized by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications’ Chugoku Bureau of Telecommunications for its “contributions to the development of radio wave use and information and communications in the Chugoku region.”
Sumiyoshicho no Ie Bunbuku can be used for work, study, meetings, seminars, and more
Bunbuku can be used in a variety of ways.
- A workplace for teleworking
- A workplace for freelancers
- A place to study
- A seminar venue
- A place for work meetings
- A place for meetings
Bunbuku’s appeal is that you can use it to suit your work style and lifestyle.
Fees for using Sumiyoshicho no Ie Bunbuku
Bunbuku offers two types of fees: a half-day rate for morning or afternoon use, and a full-day rate.
Both rates are charged per person.
| Type of use | Hours | Fee (tax included) |
|---|---|---|
| Half-day use | 10:00 a.m.–noon 1:00–5:00 p.m. | ¥500 |
| Full-day use | 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. | ¥1,000 |
Bunbuku is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
It is closed on Sundays and public holidays. However, it can be used by reservation, so get in touch to ask.
Reservations can be made up to one month in advance.
A look at the rooms at Sumiyoshicho no Ie Bunbuku
Bunbuku has four spaces in total: two on the first floor and two on the second floor.
You take off your shoes at the entrance before using any of them, making it easy to relax while working or studying.
Most coworking spaces use offices inside buildings, so I found this quite unusual. It feels just like being at your parents’ or relatives’ home.
▼The space on the south side of the first floor is as large as two rooms.
There are two large work desks, so it looks like you can work comfortably.
There was also a large TV for remote meetings. In addition to coworking, it’s ideal for meetings with larger groups.
▼The space on the north side of the first floor is a little more compact.
This space is intended as a meeting room for rent and seems well suited to working, meetings, and discussions in small groups.
Although intended as a meeting room for rent, it can also be used as a coworking space.
▼The stairs to the second floor are old-fashioned too. Watch your step as you go up and down.
▼The space on the south side of the second floor spans two rooms and is spacious.
It can also be used as a communications room, meeting room, or training space. Of course, you can also work there as in a coworking space.
Light streams in through the windows, giving the room a bright atmosphere. Being able to work or meet in soft natural light is an appeal you don’t find in ordinary coworking spaces.
▼You can sit on the tatami while you work, which makes it relaxing.
It also seems suitable for larger meetings and seminars.
▼A hanging scroll presented to the Asano family by Inukai Tsuyoshi was displayed in the alcove.
▼There is also a space on the north side of the second floor.
This space is intended as a “rental studio,” but can usually be used as a coworking space.
There was a desk with seating for six in the room.
Since it’s a north-facing room and not too bright, it may be a good choice when you want to focus quietly on your work.
Main facilities available at Sumiyoshicho no Ie Bunbuku
Bunbuku is also well equipped.
Visitors can use a variety of facilities.
- Web conferencing system
- Projector
- 100-inch screen
- 65-inch 4K LCD monitor
- Free Wi-Fi
- Rental PC
- Copier (¥10 per black-and-white page, ¥50 per color page)
- Drinks (¥300 per cup)
Please ask a staff member if you would like to use any of the facilities.
Lunch served on Tuesdays only
At Bunbuku, you can enjoy lunch every Tuesday.
Lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. and costs ¥850 (tax included) per meal. Coffee is available for an additional ¥300 (tax included).
▼On Tuesdays, a sign announcing lunch is displayed at Bunbuku’s gate. Look for it.
The lunch on the day of our visit was as follows:
- Choice of main dish (deep-fried mackerel or lotus root croquette)
- Consomme soup with new onions and spring cabbage
- Vinegared wakegi onions
- Simmered takana greens and fried tofu
- Rice
- Pickles
▼This lunch came with a lotus root croquette as the main dish.
▼This lunch has fried mackerel tatsuta as the main dish.
At 850 yen for this generous portion, it feels like a real bargain.
If you visit on a Tuesday, be sure to try it.
The lunches at Bunbuku are made by a shop called “Mamma Cafe.”
Mamma Cafe operates at the following times and locations.
| Schedule | Location | Address |
|---|---|---|
| Every Tuesday | Sumiyoshicho no Ie Bunbuku | 2-13-3 Chuo, Kurashiki City |
| 3rd and 4th Sunday of every month | Kurashiki Machiya Trust office | 1-21 Higashimachi, Kurashiki City |
| Irregular | Tamashima Civic Exchange Center Cafe WAON (Harmony) | 1-10-1 Agasaki, Tamashima, Kurashiki City |
| 2nd Sunday of every month (rice porridge breakfast only) | Tamashima Minato Morning Market | Shopping streets around Chuocho, Tamashima, Kurashiki City |
Be sure to visit.
How to use Sumiyoshicho no Ie Bunbuku
First, make a reservation on the website
You must make a reservation in advance to use Bunbuku.
Make your reservation by the day before your visit.
Reservations can be made up to one month in advance.
Go to the reservation page on the official website and select the date, time, and space you want to use.
If it is available, enter the required information and submit the form.
A little later, you will receive a reply at the email address you entered. Check that your reservation has been confirmed.
Visit Bunbuku shortly before your reservation time
Head to Bunbuku in time for your reservation.
It looks just like an ordinary home, and you enter it the same way you would a private home.
▼First, go through the gate and head for the entrance.
▼Open the entrance door. It slides sideways.
▼You will see the entrance.
Go inside and greet them by saying, “Excuse me.”
▼A staff member will come out and show you around.
Take off your shoes at the entrance and follow the staff member.
From your second visit onward, you can go straight to the space you want to use.
Register as a user on your first visit
▼At Bunbuku, you must register as a user on your first visit.
▼A staff member will explain how to use Bunbuku, and you will fill in the required information.
Since your first visit includes time for an explanation and registration, we recommend arriving a little before your scheduled start time.
Once you have registered, go to the space you want to use and begin working, studying, or holding your meeting.
Sumiyoshicho no Ie Bunbuku is a new kind of telework hub that incorporates the traditional Japanese house aesthetic characteristic of Kurashiki.
We spoke with Hiroshi Sakanoue, representative of Takahashigawa Presentare, a general incorporated association, which operates Bunbuku.
Sumiyoshicho no Ie Bunbuku details
| Name | Sumiyoshicho no Ie Bunbuku |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-13-3 Chuo, Kurashiki City |
| Contact | 086-527-6248 |
| Parking | None |
| Hours | 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Sundays and public holidays Open on closed days if reservations or events are scheduled |
| Fees (tax included) | Short-term use: 500 yen per session, morning or afternoon Full-day use: 1,000 yen per day |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Available Online reservations available (reservation form) Reservations must be made by the day before use As a rule, reservations can be made up to one month in advance (for events and similar uses, inquiries can be made more than one month ahead) |
| Wi-Fi | Available No additional charge |
| Power outlets | Available No additional charge |
| Available equipment | Web conferencing system Projector 100-inch screen 65-inch 4K LCD monitor Rental PCs Copier |
| Smoking | Entirely non-smoking |
| Restrooms | Western-style toilet |
| Childcare | Childcare services may be arranged for events and similar occasions (fee applies; please inquire well in advance) |
| Accessibility | There are stairs and steps inside the building |
| Website | Bunbuku | Kurashiki's New Satellite Office & Coworking Space |
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