Interview with Asano Tadashi of FLCB
FLCB is a facility that can be used in many different ways.
We spoke with its owner, Asano Tadashi.
People need enjoyment and happiness in life
What was originally on the site where FLCB is located?
Asano (surname only)
The FLCB building was originally a life insurance company.
The company moved out, leaving the property vacant.
It was renovated and reopened as FLCB.
I have been running a clinic called “Asano Clinic” as a physician just north of the FLCB building since 2014.
When the life insurance company right in front of us moved out, I kept thinking about whether we could make use of the building for something.
Before the clinic was established, my father ran Asano Dental Clinic at the site, so I was born and raised here.
So I was hoping to find a way to give back to the Central district of Soja City, a place with which I have a connection.
How did FLCB come about?
Asano
Since opening the clinic, I have believed that for people to live, they need not only physical health, but also enjoyment and happiness in life and a sense of their own worth.
That is why I have always wanted to eventually do work that creates enjoyment and purpose in life, in addition to providing medical and nursing care.
But we couldn’t do everything all at once, and to share “what I hope to do and why,” we first needed to earn the trust of those around us.
So I focused first on medical and nursing care.
Eventually, alongside our medical and nursing care work, I began collaborating with people I had met through work on activities to revitalize the community.
I thought that developing activities rooted in the community would help lay the groundwork for the kind of work I aspired to do—work that creates “enjoyment and purpose in life.”
The work of “Okayama Community Foundation” was part of that, too.
Then, in 2017, I had the opportunity to acquire the former life insurance company building, and began working to turn it into a place for activities that create “enjoyment and purpose in life”.
That is the origin of FLCB as it is today.
I’d like to hear how you acquired the building and got FLCB up and running.
Asano
We couldn’t start putting our plans into action right after acquiring it.
Some time after the acquisition, the July 2018 torrential rains hit.
Soja and Mabi suffered extensive damage.
We therefore made the FLCB building available as a base for groups supporting disaster victims.
Once recovery efforts in the disaster-stricken areas had settled down, the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.
We lost the opportunity to start planning.
But I realized that if we carried on like that, we would never move forward, so I resolved to act.
Around the end of 2020, I decided to move the plans ahead.
After the renovation was completed, FLCB held its pre-opening in July 2021 and officially opened that October.
FLCB’s operations are entrusted to ON-DO, a local organization that develops community talent: “General Incorporated Association ON-DO.”
Where did the name “FUN LIFE CENTER BUILDING” come from?
Asano
I took “FUN LIFE” from “enjoyment and happiness in life,” the motto behind my medical practice that also became a key idea in establishing FLCB.
That’s because it is a facility created to help people simply enjoy life and to support them in doing so.
And since the building is in the Central district of Soja City, we added “CENTER BUILDING.”
Share space is free to use on weekday afternoons when not reserved
What are FLCB’s main features?
Asano
FLCB is a hub where all kinds of people can drop in easily—older residents of Soja, children, people from overseas, and many others.
One distinctive feature of the exterior is that the wall along City Hall Street has been removed and replaced with a full glass frontage.
This creates a bright, open space.
At the same time, it connects seamlessly with the surrounding neighborhood, making it easy for passersby to drop in.
One feature of the system is that the first-floor share space and share kitchen are open for free use from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays when they have no private reservations.
During free-access hours, you can spend your time however you like.
Free Wi-Fi and some power outlets are also available.
People who work nearby often use the space to get some work done between trips or to eat lunch.
During school holidays, students often come by to do homework or study. FLCB is also designed to serve as a temporary evacuation site for nearby residents in the event of a disaster.
Food and other supplies are stored on the upper floors so we can respond quickly when needed.
We’d be happy if people who share our vision used the space
How do people typically use FLCB when they rent it privately?
Asano
Good health is important for enjoying life, so a nurse from Asano Clinic holds a weekly health consultation called “Little Health Room” every Wednesday.
It’s a place to talk about worries and concerns that aren’t serious enough to warrant a visit to a medical institution or specialist facility, but that you can’t discuss with people close to you.
Other uses include bento and sweets sales, cooking classes, a café open only in the evenings, and beer hall events.
There are also sales of remade kimono items, events and sales hosted by local clothing stores, and jazz concerts.
Local older residents also gather to make bara-zushi, miso-making classes are held for children, and lectures and seminars are held.
As long as you follow the facility’s rules, the possibilities are endless, depending on how you use it.
If you’re interested in using the space, please get in touch with us first to discuss it.
We’ll meet with you and hear about how you’d like to use it.
We’d be happy to welcome people whose vision aligns with ours: “enjoying life” and “energizing the community”.
Making the space easier to use, including extending free-access hours
Could you tell us about your future plans and any challenges?
Asano
The space can currently be rented until 9 p.m., but free access is only available until 5 p.m. on weekdays.
I’d like to extend the free-access hours into the evening.
Most people work until the evening, so I think extending the hours would make it easier for them to visit.
It would also open up more possibilities for evening food and drink businesses, such as the night café that currently operates on selected dates.
I’d also like to open more often on Saturdays and Sundays.
Our goal is to be open for 12 hours a day, except during Obon and the New Year holidays!
We want to make the facility easier to use and establish it as a place rooted in the community.
FLCB: A facility for enjoying life
FLCB is a facility that can be used in many different ways, depending on the creativity of its users.
It aims to be a community hub that brings the area to life and offers a place for enjoyment and happiness.
Why not drop by during the free-access hours on a weekday and spend some time relaxing?
FUN LIFE CENTER BUILDING (FLCB) Information
| Name | FUN LIFE CENTER BUILDING (FLCB) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-2-8 Chuo, Soja City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 090-9514-0076 |
| Parking | Available Located within the shared parking lot southwest of Soja City Hall (where the FLCB sign is displayed) |
| Hours | 9:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. (Reception: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.) |
| Closed | None |
| Fees (tax included) | [Shared Space and Kitchen] Weekdays, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.: ¥3,300 per hour Weekdays, 5:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.: ¥5,500 per hour Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.: ¥6,600 per hour Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, 5:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.: ¥11,000 per hour *Free access on weekdays when there are no reservations [Rental Meeting Room] 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.: ¥2,200 per hour Holidays, 5:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.: ¥3,300 per hour [Online Room] 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.: ¥1,100 per hour Holidays, 5:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.: ¥2,200 per hour |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Accepted |
| Wi-Fi | Available |
| Power outlets | Available *Only at some seats in the shared space |
| Available equipment | Extension cords One drink is available with a donation of ¥100 or more [Shared Space and Kitchen] 10 conference tables, other tables, 50 chairs, piano, portable table tennis table [Rental Meeting Room] 6 chairs, 1 table, whiteboard, 43-inch monitor, webcam [Online Room] 3 chairs, 1 table, whiteboard |
| Smoking | Entirely non-smoking |
| Restrooms | Western-style restroom, accessible restroom |
| Childcare | Strollers may be brought inside |
| Accessibility | Ramp, accessible restroom |
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