Oya Company ~ Toward a society that supports each person’s success by fostering connections with people and places and helping one another

In your daily life, have you ever found yourself thinking any of the following?

“Am I the only one with this problem?”
“Is anyone else struggling with the same thing?”
“I wonder what other people do.”

Compared with the past, we can now look up all kinds of things on the internet.

Its convenience and speed mean we can find things out without asking anyone, and often that feels like a real benefit.

But whether we’re struggling or searching for answers, we’re alone; when we try something out and when we solve it, we’re alone—and if we can’t solve it, we keep struggling alone…

Have you ever felt that sense of being “alone”?

Even if there’s just one person, connecting with someone may help us in ways that go beyond solving the problem.

We’d like to introduce Oya Company, a voluntary organization working to create connections like these.

The information presented was accurate when this article was published in September 2023. Please note that it may differ from current information.

What is Oya Company?

Oya Company was launched in May 2020.

Does the name Oya Company sound familiar to you?

In fact, they say they took inspiration from a well-known company name in the hope that people would remember it, even if only a little.

The name comes from their wish to be a familiar presence—not only to parents, but to everyone, since everyone has parents, whether or not they have children.

The organization’s philosophy

Oya Company, which hopes to be a familiar presence, has three guiding principles.

〇 Propose new ways of connecting people and society

〇 Share smiles and enjoyable moments

〇 Learn from children and adults, and share affection
From Oya Company’s Multigenerational Exchange Yuimaru Instagram

“Connecting,” “sharing,” and “learning from one another.”

Each principle reflects how much they value what emerges from interactions between people.

What do their activities look like in practice?

An introduction to its activities

Here is an overview of their activities, followed by introductions to Multigenerational Exchange Yuimaru and Warashibe Market.

Activity	Description	Schedule
Multigenerational Exchange Yuimaru	Community dining hall. Providing opportunities for multigenerational exchange in various locations, mainly in Tsurajima. In addition to serving meals, they hold events, workshops, and Warashibe Market (a goods-circulation market).	Held irregularly
Ichariba	Parenting space. The name comes from the Okinawan phrase “ichariba choodee” (once you meet, you’re all siblings; a sentiment like “one encounter, one chance”) and the wish to create a place where parents and children can spend time together affectionately.	Held irregularly
Prenatal and postnatal bento delivery	Bento delivery. Limited to 20 meals. 500 yen per meal. Bentos are delivered to households that request them, generally until six months after childbirth.	Preparing to resume
Prenatal and postnatal care marche	A marche focused on prenatal and postnatal care. Along with baby massage, consultations on carrying babies and babywearing, and disaster-preparedness workshops for mothers, there are also stalls offering services mothers will appreciate, such as nail and aromatherapy care.	Held twice a year
Small Town Shared Living oya.net.	A network for people who connected through activities such as Multigenerational Exchange Yuimaru to help one another with small things. From connection to mutual support.	In preparation
Community Gathering and Cross-Industry Networking Event: Mask Ball	A gathering for people involved in creating places where people can belong, in a variety of roles, to connect with one another. They support participants in taking a first step toward starting a business through new encounters, and in creating collaborations between organizations.	About once a year The fourth event was held in fiscal 2023

For the first three years of its activities, the organization operated using Kurashiki City’s Regional Welfare Fund grant.

From fiscal 2023, it aims to operate without relying on grants.

Photo courtesy of Oya Company: Prenatal and postnatal bento delivery

Multigenerational Exchange Yuimaru: A circle of connection between children and adults

When the organization began in 2020, it started as Tsumugi Cafe, a place where people from babies to older adults could connect.

In January 2021, it adopted its current name and began operating as a community dining hall open to everyone.

“Yuimaru,” in the name Multigenerational Exchange Yuimaru (hereafter, “Yuimaru”), means “helping one another, working together, and doing our best together” in Okinawan.

The activities have features that reflect the meaning of the name.

One is that children prepare the meals; another is that they use a currency called “Tsumugi bills,” which can only be used within the activities.

Tsumugi bills are paid to the children who prepare the meals as wages, and can be used at workshops and for purchasing handmade items at Yuimaru.

Adults can also buy and donate them for 100 yen each, and children up to junior high school age can use up to two per day.

Photo courtesy of Oya Company: Tsumugi bills

The ingredients used in the meals are another distinctive feature, in addition to the interactions between children and adults.

Ingredients used at Yuimaru are donated by companies, farmers, and individuals, helping to reduce food waste.

In 2022, they used Konohitokan to provide bento meals.

Konohitokan is a canned food product made by Konohitokan General Incorporated Association to help address social issues such as food loss and poverty.

In addition to circulating food, Yuimaru also has a system for circulating goods.

Konohitokan: A kind canned food to change a contradictory society

The dishes served at family dinners and gatherings with work colleagues are important parts of life that enrich us. However, much food is thrown away needlessly without ever being eaten…

Warashibe Market: A market where what is needed reaches those who need it

Photo courtesy of Oya Company: Warashibe Market membership card

Warashibe Market is an activity that aims to circulate goods so that what is needed reaches those who need it. It is held not only when Yuimaru takes place, but also alongside Oya Company’s other activities.

The name Warashibe comes from the folktale “The Straw Millionaire.”

The story of a young man who became prosperous while passing his belongings on to people who needed them is one vision of the kind of community Warashibe Market hopes to create.

Everyday goods, clothing, children’s items, vegetables, and more, donated free of charge by companies, farmers, and individuals, are available for anyone who needs them to take home for free. The market also works with the Kurashiki City Council of Social Welfare’s “Kurashiki Mutual Aid Pantry Project.”