The origin of the issue
What prompted us to tackle the theme of "utilizing vacant houses" was a small sense of incongruity that lurked in our everyday lives.
Ever since I was a child, I would always drop by this bakery run by a married couple on my way home from school. The shop, filled with warm smiles and the fragrant smell of freshly baked bread, was a place of relaxation for both children and adults in the area.
However, due to the owner's poor health, the store closed, and it remained vacant and quiet, as if time had stopped.
I felt a strong sense of loneliness when I faced the reality that one day, this place filled with memories would suddenly become vacant.
This feeling only grew stronger after I returned to Mishima after getting married. Every time I returned home for the summer festival, I noticed that the once bustling streets were now filled with closed storefronts and deserted homes.
The contrast between the vibrant Mishima I remember from my childhood and the silent Mishima that unfolds before my eyes became a major starting point for me to think about the future of the city.
空き家ラボが感じたこと
The future we envision is a Mishima where vacant houses become a catalyst for connecting people and the town.
For example, new residents turn old houses into homes and start new lives. Young people renovate vacant houses and use them as bases for work or cultural activities. Local people naturally gather, leading to conversations and exchanges. Each of these experiences accumulates, and we envision a future in which everyone - those who live in Mishima, those who visit, and those involved - will come to love this town.
Vacant houses are not just buildings. They contain human memories and history, and by utilizing these, the town can take on a new look. The choice to utilize these properties rather than demolish them protects the safety and security of the community, circulates the economy, passes on culture, and nurtures the future.
The Mishima City Vacant House Utilization Lab will bring out the potential hidden in each and every vacant house and shape the future of the city.
We are creating. Vacant houses are not a burden, but something to be proud of. It is because of vacant houses that new encounters occur and new stories are born.
And I hope that through these vacant houses, we can create a future where we can love Mishima even more.
活用を考える方へ
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The future we envision is a Mishima where vacant houses become a catalyst for connecting people and the town.
For example, new residents turn old houses into homes and start new lives. Young people renovate vacant houses and use them as bases for work or cultural activities. Local people naturally gather, leading to conversations and exchanges. Each of these experiences accumulates, and we envision a future in which everyone - those who live in Mishima, those who visit, and those involved - will come to love this town.
Vacant houses are not just buildings. They contain human memories and history, and by utilizing these, the town can take on a new look. The choice to utilize these properties rather than demolish them protects the safety and security of the community, circulates the economy, passes on culture, and nurtures the future.
The Mishima City Vacant House Utilization Lab will bring out the potential hidden in each and every vacant house and shape the future of the city.
We are creating. Vacant houses are not a burden, but something to be proud of. It is because of vacant houses that new encounters occur and new stories are born.
And I hope that through these vacant houses, we can create a future where we can love Mishima even more.