Vacant House Transformed into a Hub for Local Culture: Y-Wai Hiroba in Yokohama's Isogo Ward Launches Programs Featuring Yokohama Furniture, Traditional Crafts, and Reused Materials

Y-Wai Hiroba (Isogo Ward, Yokohama City), a vacant house renovated into a community space and disaster-prevention hub, will launch two programs.

The "Program to Learn Yokohama's History and Culture" will partner with local elementary and junior high schools, enabling children and students to learn about Yokohama's history, culture, and local charm through hands-on experiences with Yokohama furniture and traditional crafts.

The "Vacant House × Circular Economy × Art" program will engage children and local residents in workshops using timber from old houses and waste materials from local facilities, encouraging reflection on local resource circulation.

The outcomes of both programs will be exhibited at Y-Wai Hiroba in February 2027, fostering intergenerational exchange and strengthening community bonds.

https://acy.yafjp.org/projects/2026/135541/

1 Program to Learn Yokohama's History and Culture

"Yokohama Furniture" Talk Event and Workshop

Content: A talk on the history, characteristics, and cultural significance of Yokohama furniture, followed by a woodworking experience workshop.

Speaker (Talk): Yoshiki Sakaju (Daniel Co., Ltd.)

Instructor (Workshop): Masahide Moriguchi (Daniel Co., Ltd.)

Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026

Talk: 10:00–11:00, Workshop: 12:00–14:00

Venue: Y-Wai Hiroba

Capacity: 10 people (first-come, first-served)

Target Age: 6 years and older

Participation Fee: Free

"Kamakura Carving" Workshop

Content: Hands-on workshop in Kamakura carving led by a craftsman based in Yokohama.

Instructor: Traditional Kamakura Boroi Cooperative

Date: To be held in November 2026

Venue: Y-Wai Hiroba

Capacity: 10 people (first-come, first-served)

Target Age: 8 years and older

Participation Fee: Free

2 Vacant House × Circular Economy × Art

Workshops Using Reclaimed Materials from Yokohama

Content: Workshops focused on upcycling waste materials from vacant houses and construction sites.

Instructor: Nitehi Works

Dates: (1) Sunday, July 26, 2026; (2) Saturday, September 26, 2026; (3) Saturday, October 31, 2026; (4) Saturday, November 28, 2026; (5) Saturday, January 30, 2027

Time: 13:00 onwards each day

Venue: Y-Wai Hiroba

Capacity: 10 people (first-come, first-served)

Target Age: 6 years and older

Participation Fee: Free

"Puzzle of Isogo: Telling the Story of the Town" Workshop

Content: Workshop assembling a puzzle shaped like Isogo Ward, made from reclaimed materials.

Instructor: Shō Nakajima (Triple F Co., Ltd.)

Date: Saturday, January 9, 2027, 10:30–

Venue: Y-Wai Hiroba

Capacity: 10 people (first-come, first-served)

Target Age: 3 years and older

Participation Fee: Free

Final Exhibition

Content: Exhibition showcasing outcomes from programs 1 and 2

Dates: Sunday, February 7, 2027 – Sunday, February 21, 2027, 10:00–17:00

Venue: Y-Wai Hiroba

Curated by: Nitehi Works

Admission: Free

Profiles (in no particular order, without honorifics)

Yoshiki Sakaju (President and Representative Director, Daniel Co., Ltd.)

Representative Director and President of Daniel Co., Ltd., a company carrying forward the tradition of Yokohama Classic Furniture. Beyond manufacturing and selling high-quality furniture, he operates the "Furniture Hospital," restoring cherished furniture pieces, and the "Furniture School," promoting craftsmanship. He is dedicated to preserving tradition and advancing sustainable furniture culture, advocating authentic value and enriched lifestyles. He has contributed to restoration projects including Surugadai Yaminoe Hotel and the Oiso Meiji Commemorative Garden.

https://www.daniel.co.jp/

Traditional Kamakura Boroi Cooperative

Established in 1978, the Traditional Kamakura Boroi Cooperative is an organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the traditional craft of Kamakura carving. It focuses on training successors, technical education, quality improvement, market development, product inspection, and supporting the certification of traditional artisans.

https://www.kamakurabori-kougeikan.jp/

Minoru Inayoshi (Nitehi Works)

Art coordinator. "Nitehi Works" derives its name from the phrase "similar but fundamentally different." In 2010, he co-founded the art project "Nitehi Works" with actress Azusa Watanabe. Using memories and time embedded in places and objects that once served other purposes—such as a 60-year-old former bank building or old houses—he transforms everyday spaces into art. His unique creative practice opens these spaces to the community, building new relationships between people, objects, and places.

https://nitehi.jp/

Shō Nakajima (Triple F Co., Ltd.)

Representative Director of beauty salon "Triple F," based in Byōbugaura. Committed to strengthening community ties through the beauty industry, he actively participates in Living Lab initiatives and the planning and management of local events. Striving to create inclusive spaces beyond the salon, he aims to build a vibrant local community where anyone can gather and take on new challenges, contributing to the revitalization and enhancement of the Isogo Ward area.

About the Organizers

● Y-Wai Hiroba

Y-Wai Hiroba is a community space operated by Solar Crew Co., Ltd., serving both as a community hub and disaster-prevention base. In ordinary times, it functions as a community kitchen, workshop venue, and space for learning and exchange, fostering intergenerational connections. During disasters, it serves as a disaster-response center utilizing stored supplies, embodying the principle: "Transform surplus vacant houses into much-needed disaster-prevention bases."

https://solarcrew.jp/

● Arts Commission Yokohama

A mid-level support program operated by the Yokohama Foundation for the Advancement of Arts and Culture (a public interest incorporated foundation), designed to connect the arts with society. Arts Commission Yokohama (ACY) supports artists, creators, universities, NPOs, and other creative actors in Yokohama as they collaborate across diverse fields to interpret the city's history, culture, and environment, creating new value. ACY facilitates these actors' environments, builds networks, and promotes collaboration.

https://acy.yafjp.org/

Organizers: Solar Crew Co., Ltd., Arts Commission Yokohama (Yokohama Foundation for the Advancement of Arts and Culture)

Co-organizers: Yokohama City Bureau of Commerce, Sports and Culture

Fiscal Year 2026 Agency for Cultural Affairs Project for the Formation of Cultural and Artistic Hubs

*Please note that the content may be subject to change due to circumstances.