Community Co-creation Shared Kitchen Opens in Kariba Plaza, Kobe City's Nishi Ward. New Exchange Hub Connecting Residents Through Food Opens July 4

Hitotoba Co., Ltd. (Location: Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, Representative: Yasuhiro Enomoto) will begin operating "Kariba Kitchen" within the commercial facility "Kariba Plaza" in Nishi Ward, Kobe City, on July 4, 2026 (Saturday).

This facility aims to be not only a kitchen for those who want to try their hand at the food service business, but also a community hub where local residents can naturally gather and interact through "food."

In cooperation with local residents, we will create a new place for community exchange in Nishi Ward, Kobe City, as a new form of shared kitchen that users, the community, and the facility will nurture together.

A New Way of Operation, Nurtured Together with Local Residents

The characteristic of this project is that local residents are involved not only as "users" but also as "partners who nurture the space."

We aim for a shared kitchen that can only be born at "Kariba," by operating together with local supporters and accumulating small daily improvements and new initiatives.

Instead of providing a finished space, we will operate through trial and error with local residents. That is what we consider a "community co-creation shared kitchen." We will start with the aim of increasing the "vitality of the space" through our operations.

What is the "Vitality of the Space" Pursued by Hitotoba?

In parallel with its shared kitchen business, Hitotoba also engages in the roasting and sales of specialty coffee. Representative Enomoto had a strong realization during his time working for a coffee bean wholesaler in his previous job. It was that "the [deliciousness] in various foods is born from the careful work and communication of many people." And through our business, we realize that when people eat flavorful and delicious meals, they naturally become cheerful and generate vitality in the space.

A coffee seminar at our head office and roastery.

Hitotoba will continue to create opportunities for new connections and challenges to emerge in the community under the philosophy of "vitality for those living in society."

We will work to make the initiatives at Kariba Kitchen an important first step in this endeavor.

Comment from Yasuhiro Enomoto, Representative Director of Hitotoba Co., Ltd.

Hitotoba started in 2017 from a corner of the Motomachi Shopping Street in Kobe.

After that, through the COVID-19 pandemic, we had the opportunity to be involved in many local projects. There are also many cases that stalled midway and could not be publicized. Through that, I felt something strongly.

"The appeal of a place is proportional to the passion of the people involved."

At least, all the projects that continue to this day are strong initiatives filled with the passion of the community and companies. Although we are a "stock company" and profit pursuit is one of our important indicators, "passion and challenge" are also very important indicators. In fact, everything done with perfunctory customer service, responses to meetings, and minimal communication according to rules has been eliminated.

Hitotoba is a company where "doing this is enough" does not apply. I always feel that this is not the easy path. However, I believe that things that are not yet visible or seem troublesome hold the potential for value creation, and I think that exploring them changes individual awareness, changes actions, and enriches life. And the daily activities of the project stakeholders and employees who have walked with me in this exploration have led to the start of this new co-creation shared kitchen.

As a representative, I want to continue exploring with gratitude and courage.

I believe that a place where many people can feel "their own place" naturally generates vitality, attracts people, and becomes a strength for the community.

At Kariba Kitchen this time, we will practice "place-making" together with the local community. We want to nurture this place through trial and error with local residents in its operation as well.

We will strive to develop this initiative into an interesting project that can serve as a model for new community hubs that will emerge not only in Nishi Ward, Kobe City, but also in various locations in the future.

And believing that the new connections and challenges born in this place will lead to vitality for each individual, we will move forward towards the realization of our philosophy, "vitality for those living in society."