Kanagawa Prefecture to Hold Workshop: Learning from Café Practice – Creating Spaces for Loose Connections

Certified NPO Komachi Plus (Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture), commissioned by the Kanagawa Prefectural Welfare and Children's Future Bureau, Welfare Department, Daily Life Support Section, will hold a workshop titled 'Learning from Café Practice – Creating Spaces for Loose Connections' starting September 2026.

In this workshop, using the practices of Komachi Café and Koyorido Café as examples, participants will develop their own concepts for the spaces they wish to create and learn from each other. A distinctive feature of this workshop is that, in addition to lectures and group work, participants can experience running a café and connect people aiming to create community spaces with those who support them. Through 'learning', 'experience', and 'support groups', the aim is to make it easier to start and sustain such spaces, ultimately preventing social isolation and fostering richer lives in the community.

Prior to the workshop, information sessions will be held on the following dates for those interested in participating. If you are interested in attending the workshop, please apply for the information session.

'Komachi Café'

Pre-information sessions for prospective participants:

① Monday, July 13, 14:00-15:00 / Odawara Citizen Exchange Center UMECO

② Saturday, July 18, 10:00-11:00 / Online

③ Wednesday, July 29, 20:00-21:00 / Online

*Please apply for the pre-information session here (you will be directed to the Kanagawa Prefecture application page).

<Background>

Komachi Plus has been active since 2012 under the slogan 'Adding to child-rearing in the community', aiming to eliminate isolated parenting and make child-rearing richer through community power. To achieve a 'rich child-rearing' environment, we believe that 'increasing the number of people who engage in child-rearing as their own concern' and 'creating spaces for dialogue and participation' are key levers for significant outcomes, and we have been working on coordination to create dialogue and roles in café-style spaces since 2016.

'Koyorido Café'

In recent years, such 'places' have gained attention as third places that prevent social isolation and restore humanity, as well as venues for citizen participation. However, the reality is that there are significant hurdles for ordinary citizens to start and sustain such spaces. Therefore, we are creating opportunities for practitioners to attend workshops that systematize Komachi Plus's 10 years of practice and to participate in internships where they can gain hands-on experience.

Since fiscal year 2020, the 'Creating Spaces Workshop' and 'Café Practical Workshop' have seen over 140 participants in total over the six years from 2020 to 2025, and the workshops incorporating internships, which started in fiscal year 2022, attracted 82 participants across six locations.

Creating Spaces Workshop held in Kanagawa Prefecture in 2025

Going forward, we believe it is essential to build a platform that enables practitioners starting spaces nationwide to connect with various public and private resources based on their own stories and ideas, and we are working on this.

If you are interested in this initiative or would like to support those starting spaces in Kanagawa Prefecture, please contact us!

<Workshop Overview>

Eligibility (applicants must meet all of the following conditions):

① Reside in Kanagawa Prefecture

② Plan to start your own 'space for loose connections' within approximately three years, or wish to enhance existing activities

③ In principle, able to attend the pre-information session, all five workshop sessions (including the final presentation), and the full internship schedule

*Submission of assignments and survey responses is required for each workshop session.

*A 'Workshop Completion Certificate' will be issued to those who complete all sessions.

Application Period: Monday, August 3, 2026 to Thursday, August 20, 2026

Capacity: 20 participants (lottery if oversubscribed)

Participation Fee: Free

Schedule and Content (5 sessions + internship):

Session 1: Friday, September 4, 9:30-11:30* / Koyorido Café – 'Why do you want to create a space?'

*After the session, a lunch exchange event will be held at Koyorido Café (optional).

Session 2: Friday, September 18, 10:00-12:00 / Online – 'What kind of café do you want to create?'

Session 3: Friday, October 2, 10:00-12:00 / Online – 'How do you create a café?'

Session 4: Friday, October 16, 10:00-12:00 / Online – 'Creating comfortable interactions'

Internship: One-day café experience at Komachi Café / Koyorido Café

Saturday, October 31 or Saturday, November 7, both 10:00-17:00

Final Presentation: Saturday, November 28, 10:00-12:00 / Venue within Kanagawa Prefecture – 'Space Concept Presentation ♪'

*After the presentation, an exchange event will be held with participants and local supporters (optional).

*For inclement weather responses, please check the Kanagawa Prefecture website.

Organizer: Kanagawa Prefectural Welfare and Children's Future Bureau, Welfare Department, Daily Life Support Section

Secretariat: Certified Nonprofit Organization Komachi Plus

【Inquiries】

Certified Nonprofit Organization Komachi Plus

〒244-0003 145-6 Totsuka-cho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, Nara Building 2F

tsunagari@comachiplus.org

045-443-6700