Anyone working in Hida Takayama, or planning to base themselves here, can join regardless of profession or industry. We hold a short interview before you join, to hear about your situation and how you plan to use ensō.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Answers to the questions we are asked most often about joining ensō and using the space.
Membership and pricingWorkspace, hours and facilitiesBusiness address and company registrationCommunity and eventsStay
Membership and pricing
Who can join?
Can I look around before joining?
Yes. Tours run on weekdays by appointment, and you can book from the visit page. We also hold open tours from time to time, which need no booking.
What memberships do you offer, and what do they cost?
The monthly membership gives you 24-hour access to the workspace for ¥13,200 per month (tax included). You can add the business address option (¥3,300 per month, tax included) and the company registration option (¥2,200 per month, tax included). If you want to use the workspace for a single day without joining, a drop-in day costs ¥1,650 (tax included).
Is there a joining fee?
There is no joining fee.
How can I pay?
Monthly membership is paid by credit card only. If your company covers the cost, please register a company credit card. Drop-in days can be paid by credit card or QR code payment.
Is there a minimum term?
There is no minimum term. Membership runs month to month, and you can leave or pause whenever you want.
Can I cancel at any time?
Yes. You can cancel from the member page yourself at any time, and you do not need to contact us or get our approval. Cancellation takes effect on the last day of the billing period in which you cancel, and you can keep using ensō until that day. We do not refund part of a period when you cancel partway through.
Can I pause my membership if I will not use it for a while?
Yes. Monthly members can pause from the member page at any time. The pause begins the day after the last day of the billing period in which you apply, and while it lasts you pay ¥550 per month (tax included) to keep your membership and your member information on file. There is no limit on how long you can stay paused, and you do not need another interview when you come back. A new billing period starts on the day you return and the fee is charged then, and any part of the pause fee you have paid but not yet used is put towards it. That day becomes your billing date from then on.
What can I use while my membership is paused?
You can keep using the members’ Slack and the member directory while your membership is paused. You cannot use the workspace, book the meeting room, unlock the door with your digital key or attend members-only events. If you come to an open event or use a drop-in day, you are treated in the same way as someone who is not a member. The business address and company registration options carry on while you are paused, and you pay for them alongside the pause fee.
Do you have a student plan?
We do not offer a student discount.
Workspace, hours and facilities
What are the opening hours?
Monthly members have 24-hour access every day of the year. Drop-in visitors can use the workspace during staffed hours, on weekdays from 9:00 to 17:00 except Japanese public holidays. You do not need to book. We announce closure days in advance, such as the new year period, private hire days and maintenance days.
How do I get in and out?
Monthly members receive a digital key that unlocks the smart lock at the entrance, and you open it with the unlock button on the member page. You may not share your digital key with anyone, and you may not let non-members into the building.
Do I get a fixed desk?
There are no fixed desks and all seating is open. Choose between the focus desks, the standing desks and the large table, depending on the work you have that day.
Where can I take calls and online meetings?
We have one soundproof booth for online meetings and audio recording. The joinery is still being fitted, so the booth is not ready yet. We will let you know when you can use it.
Can I bring a friend or a client with me?
You can bring the people you are meeting during a time you have booked the meeting room. Outside that, people who are not members can use the workspace on a drop-in basis.
Can I use the meeting room?
Monthly members can book the meeting room free of charge from the member page, every day. Non-members can also book it online from the meeting room page. The fee is ¥2,200 per hour (tax included), plus ¥1,100 (tax included) for each additional 30 minutes. Bookings are available on weekdays between 9:00 and 17:00, for up to three hours per booking and one booking per person per day.
What is the cancellation policy for the meeting room?
Non-members receive a full refund if they cancel at least 24 hours before the booking starts. You can cancel on the booking page that opens from the link in your confirmation email, and the refund goes back to the credit card you paid with. We cannot refund cancellations made less than 24 hours before the start time. Members book the meeting room free of charge and can cancel from the member page at any time.
Do you issue receipts for the meeting room?
Yes. When your payment is complete, we email a receipt to the address you used to book. The receipt shows our invoice registration number. If you cancel and receive a refund, we email a refund receipt as well.
Is there parking?
There are five parking spaces on site. Monthly members and drop-in users can use them free of charge on a first-come basis. If you only book the meeting room, you cannot use the car park. Please use one of the paid car parks nearby.
Can you receive post and parcels for me?
We receive post only for monthly members who have the business address option. Members who keep that option while their membership is paused can still receive post. We cannot accept anything that requires a signature or a payment, such as courier deliveries and registered mail.
Business address and company registration
Can I use the ensō address as my business address?
Monthly members can use the ensō address on tax filings, business cards and websites with the business address option (¥3,300 per month, tax included). We hold any post that arrives and hand it to you when you next come in.
Can you forward my post to my home?
We do not forward post. We send you a direct message on Slack when something arrives, and you collect it when you next come in.
Can I register my company at this address?
Monthly members with the business address option can register the ensō address as their head office with the company registration option (¥2,200 per month, tax included). We hold an interview and verify your identity when you apply, and we ask you for a certificate of registered matters. The address cannot be used for licensed businesses that require a physical office, such as real estate brokerage, second-hand goods dealing and paid employment placement.
I cannot travel to Takayama. Can I use the address only?
The business address option is for monthly members who actually use ensō as their base. Because we do not forward post, it is not available to people who cannot come in.
What happens to my company registration when I leave?
If you cancel your membership, you stop using the ensō address and move your registered head office elsewhere. If you pause, the business address and company registration options carry on, so you do not need to move your registration.
Community and events
What is the members’ Slack?
It is an online community that monthly members can join. Together with the member directory, it helps members find each other through their work and their interests. The directory shows only the details each person has approved for publication.
Who can come to your events?
Some events are open to everyone and others are for members only. Monthly members attend both at no cost. People who are not members pay to attend the open events, and we announce the fee for each one. Members whose membership is paused cannot attend members-only events, and they attend the open events on the same terms as everyone else.
Stay
Can I stay without being a member?
Yes. You do not need to be a member to stay with us. The rooms suit workations and longer stays as well as short visits.
Where can I book?
We take bookings directly through the ensō website. We do not sell rooms through other booking sites.
Do you charge a cancellation fee?
From 14 days before your arrival date we charge 100% of the accommodation fee, and up to 15 days before there is no charge. We charge 100% for a no-show without notice. The new year period (29 December to 3 January), Golden Week, Obon (the period covering 13 to 15 August) and the Takayama Festival (13 to 15 April and 8 to 10 October) are non-refundable periods, and we charge 100% if you cancel. Payment is taken in advance, and we charge the card you registered once the cancellation policy period has begun.
If your question is not answered here, please get in touch.