A multi-generational sharehouse where the owner also lives is opening in Kume Island, Okinawa.

Sharehouse “Kujira Jikan” will be opened by the Ishizaka family, who live on Kume Island.

They are a cheerful couple with warm smiles who originally met while volunteering and lived together at Kizunaya Sharehouse HASH196. They live on the remote Okinawan island of Kumejima (Kume Island) with their cute and mischievous preschooler, Zen-chan. The new sharehouse that the family is starting is located in a building that houses a stationery store in the island’s town center.

The goal of this project is to make this place, which combines a stationery shop and a sharehouse, into a base for exchange on the island! It is actually difficult to find a house on the island, but through a miracle and a chance encounter between the Ishizakas and the island, they were lucky enough to find a very interesting property.

The island’s only stationery shop has been reborn!

The owner, Mr. Ishizaka says:

“In this convenient world, you can buy anything online. We want to be a store where customers can pick up products conveniently whenever they want them, because it’s still cheaper to buy them in bulk on the Internet.

I want to be able to look customers in the face when they come into the store and give them what they ordered, and I hope the shop will become a place where you can not only hold the products in your hands, but also meet new people.

Some customers may come to the store to see how things are going after they hear that a young owner has taken over. I want to be at my best when standing in the store, because I myself will be a new encounter for the customers. I really appreciate that they come all the way to the store to buy stationery when it’s cheaper to buy things online.”

In a world where you can easily buy anything, a place where handiwork is handed down should be treasured, and perhaps this is the reason why people come all the way to visit the store. (If you live in the sharehouse, you can stop by the stationery shop whenever you want!)

The sharehouse is currently under construction!

With the help of local carpenters, we are building the sharehouse from scratch together.

We are looking for people who want to live and build while enjoying time on the island. (Although it is not yet open, we are also looking for people who want to live in the house from the very beginning of its construction.)

When considering living on an island,  one of the main concerns is whether you will fit in with the island community.

This is the most important concern when thinking about moving to an island, and many believe that participation in the community is the key to building a comfortable life.

The owner of Kujira Jikan has lived on the island for a long time and has connections to the island community and its people, so there is a sense of security that connects you to the various communities, people, and places on the island. There is a warm, island-wide family-like community on Kume Island. This house is perfect for those who want to enjoy not only life in a sharehouse, but also island life and interaction with the island. We hope you will find many wonderful people and shops here.