A place in

I made ensō because I was a newcomer myself.

When I left my job in Tokyo for my husband's work and came to Takayama, I did not know a single person here. The region has many communities with deep roots, but I could not find the door to any of them. The first days after moving were far lonelier than I had imagined.

What changed things was co-ba, a coworking space that stood by the Miyagawa river at the time. There I met people, found the seeds of work, and gathered the nerve to leave the company I worked for remotely and go independent. A place where local people and newcomers mix comfortably supported my first challenge.
Since going independent, through digital support work, I have borrowed the strength of many local players and met wonderful companies.

Every time, I think the same thing: this region has people with an astonishing range of talent.
And yet there is no place where they can gather and see each other's faces and work. So even when there is work to hand over, no one knows whom to ask, and the work flows out of town.
Make a place where people mix, and hidden talent surfaces. If new work is born here, the region's work starts to circulate within the region. That should be a tailwind for everyone who works in Takayama.
Someone who was helped here will one day be the one lending a hand to someone else. I hope people and work keep circulating like that, little by little.
And I hope this place can cheer on the first challenge of whoever knocks on Takayama's door next.