Interview with Tomoko Kusudo, Director of Kurashiki Community Center
We spoke with Tomoko Kusudo, who took up the post of director of Kurashiki Community Center in April 2022.
What kind of work does Kurashiki Community Center do?
What kind of work do the staff at Kurashiki Community Center do?
Kusudo (honorific omitted)
There are currently 12 staff members working at Kurashiki Community Center.
Most of the staff are called “instructors,” and they plan the courses offered by the center.
There are various courses, such as sign language and exercise, and each has a staff member assigned to manage it.
Are the instructors “experts,” such as sign language teachers?
Kusudo
They are not experts.
Since we often ask specialists to teach the actual courses, our work mainly involves planning and administrative tasks.
As you can see from the community center’s course guide, the courses are free or cost a few hundred yen. Compared with typical culture schools, which charge several thousand yen, I think they are quite inexpensive.
Within a limited budget, the instructors look for teachers who understand and are willing to support lifelong learning programs at the community center. They also work hard every day to develop appealing courses.
The special “thoughtfulness” of a community center in a tourist area
Are there any challenges that come with being located in the Bikan Historical Area, a “tourist destination”?
Kusudo
We open our restrooms to visitors, so we often get questions like “Where can I find ...?” or “Where do you recommend for lunch?”—the kinds of questions you might ask at a tourist information desk. Sometimes people ask about things even local residents don’t know, which can make us break into a sweat.
I imagine other community centers do less tourist guidance, but we don’t say, “We’re a community center, so that’s not our concern. We can’t give directions.”
Rather, we respond with the attitude that “as a community center, we are Team Kurashiki, and we welcome and show hospitality to our visitors.”
The current director handles practical duties
What does the position of “director” at Kurashiki Community Center involve? I imagine it might be an honorary position.
Kusudo
I only took up the post in April 2022, so I still haven’t grasped everything, but in the Showa era it may have been considered an “honorary position.”
At the time, there was an assistant director who handled practical duties, but the position was abolished in an organizational restructuring in the early Heisei era, and that remains the case today.
One duty unique to the director is being invited as a guest of honor to events such as the entrance ceremony at nearby Kurashiki-Higashi Elementary School.
However, in recent years I have refrained from attending because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
By the way, what kind of work did you do before becoming director of Kurashiki Community Center?
Kusudo
I worked in the Audit Secretariat.
Simply put, it is a department that audits whether administrative work is being carried out smoothly in accordance with laws and regulations, and advises people to correct any violations.
The department works to ensure that the administration and its procedures can be explained to residents, so the work mainly involved dealing with staff and spending all day indoors preparing reports on a computer.
So I hardly dealt with residents, but at Kurashiki Community Center I deal with residents and, as I mentioned earlier, visitors as well.
Also, in April, not long after I started, I was told, “Director, it’s the first session, so please say a few words.” I went up on stage, stood in the spotlight, and greeted the audience over a microphone.
My work changed so much that it felt like I’d changed careers (laughs).
Community centers can be used as “library satellites”
I imagine many community center users are seniors. How would you like young people to use the center?
Kusudo
There are no age restrictions, but since many courses are held during weekday daytime hours, it may be difficult for young people to use the center.
However, community centers can be used for more than just taking courses.
For example, you can request library books at a community center, and pick them up or return them there.
Since Kurashiki Community Center is very close to Central Library, you may not see much value in using it for this purpose.
However, this service is available not only at the main community centers in Kurashiki City, but also at district community centers, so I think that is its greatest convenience.
As for courses, many could not be held over the past few years, but in summer there are courses for elementary school students on drawing and activities that can help with independent research projects. I hope you’ll make use of them.
A message to local residents
Finally, what message would you like to share with the residents who use Kurashiki Community Center?
Kusudo
I’ve only been here for a few months since taking up the post in April 2022, so I can only speak about things on the surface, but I’d like to say just one thing.
The community center is operated in accordance with the Kurashiki City Community Center Ordinance and its enforcement regulations.
Also, if applications to rent facilities or enroll in courses exceed capacity, places are allocated by lottery. As a social education facility, there are also restrictions on how it can be used.
For example, you cannot sell goods for commercial purposes.
Since some things are different from ordinary rental facilities, we explain them fully to users.
We take care to ensure that users are treated consistently regardless of which staff member assists them, and that the rules are always the same from one visit to the next. We place great importance on fairness and equality in our operations.
For that reason, we may sometimes be unable to accommodate requests from users, and we ask for your understanding.
Come visit Kurashiki Community Center while you’re out for a walk!
It has a lovely retro atmosphere.
From the Writer
When I was around elementary school age, I often went to events at community centers (looking back, they may have been courses).
But as time passed, I no longer had opportunities to use them.
Community centers are “social education facilities” for lifelong learning.
After learning about their purpose and hearing from the people who work at community centers, I feel that even though I have been out of touch with them, they have become an asset for the future.
“Learning” continues throughout life, but the way we engage with it is sure to change as we grow older.
I hope people will learn more about community centers through this one in a tourist area.
Kurashiki City Kurashiki Community Center details
| Name | Kurashiki City Kurashiki Community Center |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-21 Honmachi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-423-2135 |
| Parking | Available |
| Opening hours | 9:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m.–5:15 p.m. |
| Closed | Monday ・Open if Monday is a public holiday ・The next weekday if Monday is a public holiday ・Year-end and New Year holidays (December 28–January 4) |
| Admission (tax included) | Facility rental fees vary by room See the Kurashiki Community Center website for details |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Available ※Reservations required by the day before ・Meeting rooms: from two months before the date of use ・Main hall: from six months before the date of use ・Exhibition room: from the first day of the month, six months before the month of use Applications can be made at the Kurashiki Community Center reception desk |
| Smoking | Completely smoke-free |
| Restrooms | Western-style toilets |
| Accessibility | Accessible restroom |
| Website | Kurashiki City Kurashiki Community Center |
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