Intro
Miyakoda town had issues the number of vacant homes and idle areas increased and the aging of the population advanced. In order to solve the problem, we renovated the Miyakoda station building from May 2015. The innovative design and space created by renovation had new functions in the station building.<br />
Now it brings increasing of the number of people visiting and opportunities for exchange of local residents to the station and the area. While treating old value, we are challenging efforts leading to regional revitalization.
Objective of the practice
Miyakoda we located in is a mountainous, agricultural area filled with natural beauty such as lush greenery. There was a problem of aging same as other rural areas in Japan. To stop aging and make our town more lively and attractive to people, we decided to work on this problem as one of companies in the town through our business such as building, renovation and running shops and cafe based on “slow life” ,that is, aim for sustainable lifestyle. What we focus on was the station which was hardly used at the time. We thought refreshing the station was effective to revitalize the town because a station is a gate for this town where people gather from both local places and outside the town. We renovated the 75 years old wooden building of the station by using the most of sources we had already had instead of building new one. Also we made cafe in the station and held events regularly. With the result that the station gives visitors the place to meet people and information of the town. It also has economic effect on the town. We will not stop but continue to work on it to develop this place with new ideas.
Partners
In cooperation with the Tenryu Hamanako Railroad Co., Ltd., a regional railroad company, we are implementing renovation of the station building and station cafe. In addition, local carpenters and design company cooperated on repairing and designing the station building to be change innovatively. The station won GOOD DESIGN AWARD in 2015. Besides that, the special trains designed by same concept with station are running to motivate visitors to take in them. These efforts affect passengers riding trains, staffs working at the cafe and local residents gathering the station.
Implementation of the Project/Activity
About November 2014, we heard the information from local residents that stores had been operating as a pharmacy for 15 years in the station building would withdraw. We thought it would have negative effects for the local community that nobody was gone from the station because the station was the base of the area and it would even progress depopulation. Therefore we made an inquiry to the Tenryu Hamanako Railway and we asked them for us to lease the space inside the station building and create a place for people to meet. Later, in May 2015 it was decided to borrow the space from Tenryu Hamanako Railway and then we started designing with designers. From September of the same year, renovation work of the station building was carried out with the local carpenters. Finally it completed in February 2016.
Results/Outputs/Impacts
By station renovation, the number of passengers at the station have been about 10 times higher than before. The number of regular customers in the neighborhood also increase in the cafe, and tourists from outside the city also come to visit. By holding the JAZZ concert on the first Sunday of every month regularly, the station is changing to the place where local residents and tourists visit. Since events and station cafes are not temporary but continue, they function as a space for people in the area to gather in the long run. We are also able to cooperate with local shops which provide us organic coffee and baked sweets to offer at the station cafe. In addition, by introducing new bicycle rental and shower room, people riding around the area from the station with bicycles instead of cars increased. The carbon dioxide emissions associated with operation are zeroed (carbon neutral) by carbon offset. This station is transmitted not only as a contribution to the local community but also as a unique symbol on the environmental aspect.
Enabling factors and constraints
It was a challenge to harmonize the unique charm of the building which passed through a long time of wooden construction with the new design. Especially we needed some ingenuity to make the space meaningful added the function itself. It was not meaningful simply to clean the design of the overview and the interior, and the point was how to function the space inside the station building. Overcoming these challenges, in cooperation with partner design companies and carpenters in the area, we closely examined the concepts to be given to the space, the feasible methods expressing it and finally created the innovative space. While leaving 80% of the oldness, we did a gimmick such that the platform was integrated to the space inside the station building. In addition, we asked carpenters to create a lighting fixture that allowed people to see traditional skill and to convey the feeling of handwork. As a result, we created a space with these concepts and functions, which were cherishing things, design that does not get bored, consideration of the natural environment, and so on. The station building was reborn with harmony of fascination of oldness and new design. It is the station that is compatible with universality that is loved by users until then and novelty as a base for new tourism.
Sustainability and replicability
We spent about 15 million yen for construction cost of the station building. Furthermore the cost of running the station cafe was 400,000 yen a month. In order to reduce the running cost, we aggregated the operation day and time when many people use the station ; 11:00-16:00 of Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The both number of visitors to the station and tourists increased, and the number of customers related our businesses operating in the neighborhood doubled. Monthly sales increased by approximately around 1.2 million yen. Although the initial cost was applied, since the area is activated by the attraction effect, it is considered to be positive effect in the long term as a whole. We also capture this station as a symbol to communicate the value of our regional creation and environmental activities. We think we were able to implement because of our technical know-how on renovation and partners who could work together. It is possible to collaborate with the owner of the area where the facility and space can be provided, our company renovating, our partner company who will cooperate with design. By increasing such facilities in the area, we can revitalize the area while effectively utilizing idle areas and vacant houses that are no longer used.
Conclusions
JAZZ concert has been held on the weekend from the completion of this station building, and it is still being carried on now. The performers are people of Miyakoda residents, people come to gather on the train to listen to their music. We renovated the place with a wish to be an irreplaceable place for many people. Now we tell the new values by becoming a catalyst to change the lifestyle of visitors. Through this initiative, we learned about the importance of bringing in new values by making use of the potential innovation of the region, based on the potential charm of the area, especially history and personality of the land.
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