Interview with Hiroshi Sakanoue of Takahashi River Basin Presentare
We spoke with Hiroshi Sakanoue, representative of the General Incorporated Association Takahashi River Basin Presentare, which operates Sumiyoshicho no Ie Bunbuku, about the circumstances behind its establishment and the impact of the July 2018 Heavy Rain Disaster.
Sumiyoshicho no Ie Bunbuku was established after a proposal to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications’ telework promotion program
Please tell us how Sumiyoshicho no Ie Bunbuku came to be established.
Sakanoue
In 2016, as part of a Kurashiki City initiative, study sessions on telework began for municipalities in the Takahashi River Basin.
After holding several study sessions, I learned that the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, which was promoting telework, was seeking locations to serve as telework hubs.
The aim was to create places where people could do urban jobs in regional areas, or where people from cities visiting regional areas could work during their free time.
So the General Incorporated Association Takahashi River Basin Presentare, which I represent, joined forces with Kurashiki City, Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts, and the Japan Telework Association. The four parties proposed to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications a telework hub using a traditional Kurashiki-style house.
As a result, our proposal was selected, and plans to establish a telework hub got underway.
Around that time, someone who manages traditional townhouses in Kurashiki introduced us to the former Asano residence, the building that now houses Bunbuku.
A woman had lived alone in the Asano residence until two or three years before it was introduced to us, so it was in good condition.
After the woman who lived there passed away, her family lived elsewhere, so the house became vacant.
Given its location and condition, we decided to turn the Asano residence into a telework hub.
Then, in March 2018, it opened as “Sumiyoshicho no Ie Bunbuku.”
Incidentally, it was the first coworking space in the Chugoku region to be established after being selected by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
The hardest part was cleaning the vacant house
Have there been any difficult or challenging aspects of operating Bunbuku?
Sakanoue
What stands out most is cleaning the traditional house before Bunbuku was established.
We did all the cleaning ourselves.
After the woman who lived there passed away, her family took the things they needed, but everything else was left behind.
We cleared out all the household goods and rubbish ourselves, and I clearly remember how hard it was because there was so much.
Also, the house had been vacant for several years, so there was a tremendous amount of dust.
We were coughing nonstop while we worked.
Bunbuku has a variety of users and uses
What kinds of people usually use Bunbuku?
Sakanoue
People who work remotely around Kurashiki currently use it as a place to work.
Many freelancers also use it as a workspace.
Salespeople sometimes work at Bunbuku during free time between visits to clients.
It is also often used as a meeting room.
We also hold seminars hosted by Bunbuku.
Information about the seminars is posted on Bunbuku’s Facebook page.
Just a few months after opening, the July 2018 Heavy Rain Disaster occurred
Were there any other difficulties?
Sakanoue
Just four months after opening in March 2018, the “July 2018 Heavy Rain Disaster” occurred.
Fortunately, the Bunbuku building and staff were unharmed.
However, because the building is old, it had serious leaks.
After the disaster, more people began using Bunbuku as a base, construction workers’ hub, and meeting place for volunteers and contractors working in disaster-stricken areas such as Mabi.
Many of the volunteers and construction workers had come from far away and were staying at hotels around central Kurashiki.
As a result, Bunbuku proved useful as a base and meeting place.
We provided Bunbuku free of charge for activities related to the recovery of disaster-stricken areas.
Bunbuku aims to be a facility that fosters communication and new initiatives, not just provides a place
What are your future plans, or things you would like to try?
Sakanoue
Before operating Bunbuku, we worked using a “business without owning” model.
But by having a telework hub facility like Bunbuku, we have shifted to a “business with ownership” model.
I think having something of our own can give us greater freedom.
By making use of Bunbuku and helping users achieve what they want to do, we believe we can expand their freedom.
I also hope to create an environment where people using Bunbuku can talk and enjoy themselves together, leading to new initiatives.
Of course, people can work at home or in a cafe.
I think people come to Bunbuku to work because they are looking for an environment where, beyond simply getting work done, connections with other users can develop.
Bunbuku does more than simply provide a place.
We want to make it a facility where users grow, where communication develops between users, and where new initiatives and ideas emerge from those connections.
From the Writer
Telework is currently being promoted nationwide.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications designated the two weeks around July 14 as “Telework Days.”
In response, Bunbuku is holding its own Telework Days from July 17 to 31.
During Bunbuku’s Telework Days, first-time users can use the trial coworking space free of charge.
- Freelancers
- People who work remotely
- People looking for a quiet place to study
- People who want to work or hold meetings between outings
- People who would like to hold a seminar
If any of these apply to you, why not give Sumiyoshicho no Ie Bunbuku a try?
You may discover new possibilities.
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 there is a reservation or event |
| Fees (tax included) | Short-term use: 500 yen per session, morning or afternoon All-day use: 1,000 yen per day |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Available Online reservations accepted (reservation form) Reservations must be made by the day before use Reservations can generally be made up to one month in advance (for events and similar uses, please inquire even if 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 | Entire building is non-smoking |
| Restroom | Western-style toilet |
| Childcare | Childcare services can be arranged for events and similar occasions (fee applies; please inquire well in advance) |
| Accessibility | Stairs and steps inside the building |
| Website | Bunbuku | Kurashiki’s New Satellite Office & Coworking Space |
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