Our challenge was to get everybody involved in the making of this cafe in Numazu, Shizuoka. It is usually difficult to involve amateurs in the making process, as the quality would inevitably be lowered. On the other hand, I don’t think it is ideal to have experts achieve a perfect quality, because users might feel too intimidated to touch and change it. With such thoughts in mind, we designed a cafe that allows for everybody’s involvement in the making process, so that the cafe will be loved as their own place, and that the place will continue to change and grow while embracing all visitors.

Jo Nagasaka held open workshops and made various items; Recycled chairs were made with assistance of Schemata Architects, lamp shades were made with instruction by Jin Kuramoto; Bookshelf units were made with instruction by Shigeki Fujishiro.

We asked Fumikazu Ohara (soup design) to do the signage plan and asked Yoshitaka Haba (BACH) to do the book direction.

Thanks to all collaborators, we achieved this lively and fresh cafe space. Kato Komuten, a local contractor, did all architectural construction; OFC, a local furniture manufacturer, did all furniture works; and NCN cooperated in the production of wood angles.

Jo Nagasaka, Ryosuke Yamamoto and Kosuke Nakano