When the author was a child, neighbors often visited and helped one another.
If the front door was locked, the author would wait at a neighbor’s house or receive vegetables from them. The author thought this was perfectly normal.
Today, relationships between residents have grown weaker, and it is not unusual for people not even to know who lives next door.
Perhaps as a result, some people may be unable to talk to anyone about their problems and struggling in silence.
In Mizushima, there is someone who wants to value connections with the community and restore relationships between people, and who has rented a house to continue supporting people in need in the community.
That person is Inoue Masaki, the representative of Mizushima Kodomo Shokudo Misora and Minna no Ouchi Haru House.
We’ll introduce why Inoue rented a house and set out to establish “Haru House” for the people in the community, and the stories unfolding there.
The information presented here was accurate when this article was published in September 2023. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is “Minna no Ouchi Haru House”?
In December 2020, Inoue Masaki, representative of Mizushima Kodomo Shokudo Misora, opened the center with the aim of creating a place where five to ten people could gather every day.
It is a place where local children and adults can gather, and where community groups and individuals can connect and learn from one another.
It has become a place where a variety of activities can take place, including meals for single-parent families and meetings among supporters.
Inoue’s work to date
Since 2017, Inoue Masaki, representative of both Mizushima Kodomo Shokudo Misora and Haru House, has worked with local volunteers to support families in financial hardship through activities such as the following.
- Mizushima Kodomo Shokudo Misora
- Food-sharing events
- Food-sharing car
- Minna no Ouchi Haru House
Mizushima Kodomo Shokudo Misora
Mizushima Kodomo Shokudo Misora opened in Mizushima in August 2017.
At the time, it did not require reservations, and although it was held once a month, as many as 69 people, including volunteers, reportedly attended.
Over two and a half years, 1,500 meals were prepared. People ate together, chatted about everyday things, and the event became a warm place where everyone who attended could feel at ease.
Food-sharing events
In March 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic spread and events where people could eat together became impossible, food-sharing events began providing food donated by individuals and companies to families in financial hardship.
They reached out to individuals registered on the official LINE account of Mizushima Kodomo Shokudo Misora, and once a month, people in need came to collect food.
This initiative continued for about three years, until May 2023.
Food-sharing car
After a state of emergency was declared, people were not even allowed to gather, while the number of families facing difficulties continued to grow.
Wanting to do something about the situation, Inoue began providing support through a “food-sharing car,” loading supplies into a personal vehicle and delivering them.
Minna no Ouchi Haru House
In November 2020, while supporting families in financial hardship through the “food-sharing car,” Inoue began to feel that a place was needed where anyone could drop in at any time. In January 2021, he opened the current “Minna no Ouchi Haru House.”
As well as listening to people’s concerns, it serves as a base for activities that connect people, hosting projects in collaboration with other groups and bringing events planned by high school students to life.
Here are some of the events that have been held at “Haru House.”
- Imoni stew gathering
- Youth Day
- Summer vacation homework and meal gathering
- Usagi Shokudo (hosted by Parent Support Step)
- Okan’s Chat and Learning Space
- Shienshiya Shokudo Yozora
- Christmas party
Inoue’s background
Inoue was born and raised in Mizushima, Kurashiki City.
Inoue says that as a child, he was frightened by the night sky turning bright red over the Mizushima Industrial Complex.
He says that at times he honestly disliked how the atmosphere of Mizushima and its history of pollution seemed to have created poverty and social inequality in the town.
With these feelings in mind, we spoke with Inoue about why he decided to establish Mizushima Kodomo Shokudo Misora and “Haru House.”
Minna no Ouchi Haru House details
| Organization name | Minna no Ouchi Haru House |
|---|---|
| Type | Voluntary organization |
| Representative | Inoue Masaki |
| Year established | December 2020 |
| Address | 5-17 Mizushima Kitakasuga-cho, Kurashiki City |
| Contact | 080-3898-8106 |
| Website | Facebook: Minna no Ouchi “Haru House” |
What would you like to know about Kurashiki?
Enter a search term to find articles on this site
