From 'Consumption' to 'Creation'. Building a Circular Economy Society Starting from Shimane, Japan's Top Region for Traditional Houses, to the World.
Everyplan Co., Ltd., based in Matsue, Shimane, announced its 'April Dream' to redefine traditional Japanese houses as 'circular architecture.' They aim to build a sustainable society from Shimane, blending traditional living with modern technology and DIY culture to inspire the world.
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- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 19:00
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Everyplan Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Matsue City, Shimane; CEO: Yuji Katsube), which operates the traditional house revaluation brand 'TOKU,' has a dream. Their dream is to reinterpret traditional Japanese architecture as 'circular architecture' and build a 'circular society' from Shimane to the world, where people create their own lives.
## Our Dream: Shimane as a Pioneer of the Global 'Circular Society'
Our dream is to demonstrate a model of a 'sustainable society (circular economy)' that the world aspires to, based on the traditional houses and local lifestyles of Shimane.
Imagine a lifestyle that combines modern technology and new ways of working with fundamental skills like repairing houses, lighting fires, and making food. For example, spending the morning on a laptop joining remote meetings in urban areas, the afternoon replastering mud walls of a traditional house with neighbors, and the evening gathered around a table with fish caught in the sea or wild plants from the mountains.
This 'circular model of not just consuming with money, but sharing resources and recreating by oneself' has actually existed in the lives of people in Shimane for generations.
We aim to update this 'living circular system' dormant in Shimane to fit modern lifestyles. By turning the challenge of vacant houses into resources, we envision a future where Shimane's initiatives become a 'pioneer of a sustainable society' ahead of the world.
## Shifting from 'Consumption' to 'Creating' Lives Starting with Traditional Houses
In modern society, it has become common to 'consume' finished services and goods by paying money. As a result, we have come to leave even our own homes entirely to experts.
However, in an era where people can no longer make anything with their own hands, a lifestyle where you can create and circulate your own living environment and food is wealthy and attractive.
Traditional houses are not 'black boxes' like modern homes; they are 'editable spaces' where the structure is visible. Using these houses as a platform, we provide opportunities for ordinary people to get involved in home-making and community-building with a DIY (Do It Yourself) spirit, helping them reclaim their own lives.
## Passing Down 'Living Daily Life' Sceneries to the Next Generation. Redefining Traditional Houses as 'Circular Architecture.'
In Shimane Prefecture, many townscapes and settlements remain that possess 'authentic beauty' integrated with people's lives, rather than being intentionally preserved as museum pieces.
For example, the Ueda settlement in Onan-cho is beautiful with the contrast of red roof tiles and the greenery of the satoyama. Or Sagiura in Izumo City, a port town where alleys and houses are arranged in a fan shape toward the inlet, with the blue of the Sea of Japan reflecting off the red roof tiles. These are not 'cultural properties' enclosed by fences, but living landscapes where people still reside today.
## Our Dream: Shimane as a Pioneer of the Global 'Circular Society'
Our dream is to demonstrate a model of a 'sustainable society (circular economy)' that the world aspires to, based on the traditional houses and local lifestyles of Shimane.
Imagine a lifestyle that combines modern technology and new ways of working with fundamental skills like repairing houses, lighting fires, and making food. For example, spending the morning on a laptop joining remote meetings in urban areas, the afternoon replastering mud walls of a traditional house with neighbors, and the evening gathered around a table with fish caught in the sea or wild plants from the mountains.
This 'circular model of not just consuming with money, but sharing resources and recreating by oneself' has actually existed in the lives of people in Shimane for generations.
We aim to update this 'living circular system' dormant in Shimane to fit modern lifestyles. By turning the challenge of vacant houses into resources, we envision a future where Shimane's initiatives become a 'pioneer of a sustainable society' ahead of the world.
## Shifting from 'Consumption' to 'Creating' Lives Starting with Traditional Houses
In modern society, it has become common to 'consume' finished services and goods by paying money. As a result, we have come to leave even our own homes entirely to experts.
However, in an era where people can no longer make anything with their own hands, a lifestyle where you can create and circulate your own living environment and food is wealthy and attractive.
Traditional houses are not 'black boxes' like modern homes; they are 'editable spaces' where the structure is visible. Using these houses as a platform, we provide opportunities for ordinary people to get involved in home-making and community-building with a DIY (Do It Yourself) spirit, helping them reclaim their own lives.
## Passing Down 'Living Daily Life' Sceneries to the Next Generation. Redefining Traditional Houses as 'Circular Architecture.'
In Shimane Prefecture, many townscapes and settlements remain that possess 'authentic beauty' integrated with people's lives, rather than being intentionally preserved as museum pieces.
For example, the Ueda settlement in Onan-cho is beautiful with the contrast of red roof tiles and the greenery of the satoyama. Or Sagiura in Izumo City, a port town where alleys and houses are arranged in a fan shape toward the inlet, with the blue of the Sea of Japan reflecting off the red roof tiles. These are not 'cultural properties' enclosed by fences, but living landscapes where people still reside today.