Making use of a cluster of vacant houses on the island, we will operate the “Kuruto” hub to provide information and foster communication between people related to the island. By continuing to put into practice a framework for different generations on and outside Kozushima to engage with the island, we will make room for each of them, creating opportunities for encounters with diverse people and values.

Hub formation program: practices at the hub area Kuruto
In the “Namisuke” and “Mansaku” spaces of the Kuruto hub area, we will create an environment open to a wide variety of people.

Access: 998 Kouzushima-mura, Tokyo
Open:
10:00 – 16:00 every Thursday, Friday and Saturday
MANABU 18:00 – 21:00 every Wednesday
(subject to change)

Hub formation program: “Shima no niwa-biraki” island garden development project
We will cut the grass of gardens of vacant properties on the island and hold exhibitions and events there for limited times only. By visualizing the process of making the many empty houses on the island usable once more, the aim is to present the unlimited possibilities for “I-turn” newcomers or “U-turn” returnees from the city to make things happen on the island. In addition, we will continue to research and gather information on vacant properties capable of being regenerated/repurposed.

Using the “Kuruto broadcasting studio” in the “Mansaku” hub area, we will roll out a variety of content linked to the hub formation program and the artist program. In addition, we will provide information through monthly publication of the “Kuruto News” newsletter for islanders, and through social media posts documenting daily project activities in words and images, with a view to promoting common knowledge and understanding of initiatives designed for people both on and outside the island. Interviews with various people connected to the island will be delivered in the form of articles and online content, in an effort to create opportunities for people living outside the island to find options for engaging with the island in their lives, and to maintain their attachment to the island.

In order to build an operational infrastructure for the project, we will hold regular workshops and planning meetings, conduct research on the island’s resources, and carry out research on existing cases with a view to area development that utilizes vacant houses, and hub formation on the island.

For the purpose of presenting both connection and incongruity with the island community, artists, musicians, researchers etc. will be invited for workshops and work-in-residence programs. The aim is to create opportunities for a wide range of generations on the island to encounter unknown things, different ways of thinking and values, and to broaden their perspectives through coming into contact with artists and their creative activities.