金沢町家をLGBTQ+や多様な人が集えるクリエイティブな居場所に！

* Of the returns, Japanese sweets are raw foods, so we can only send them to Japan.

 

Making Kanazawa Machiya (townhouse) a creative place

for LGBTQ+ and diverse people to gather! 

 

A place where everyone can be themselves,

My hometown Kanazawa

 

Located right in the center of Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, which is easily accessible from any part of Japan, there is a small walkable street where locals often visit in their daily lives named Tatemachi Shopping Street.
 

Just off the main street, between buildings, stands a single-storey Kanazawa Machiya (townhouse) more than 100 years old, quietly tucked away in a lane. We were blessed to given the opportunity to rent this machiya and have decided to preserve the historical architecture and atmosphere as much as possible by repairing and reusing existing building. Preserving the physicality and character of an area with the aim of creating a permanent place where LGBTQ+ and other diverse people can gather in their own way and feel safe.

 

We decided to name our place, Kanazawa Nijinoma.

 

Kanazawa Machiya House: Creating a permanent place to gather 'Kanazawa Nijinoma'.

Kanazawa Machiya House stands just next to the entrance of the Tatemachi Parking, a large car park building, in a small street in the Tatemachi shopping arcade. The landlord was a furniture maker that was passed down from his previous generation. It is also registered as a "Specified Kanazawa Machiya" designated by Kanazawa City's ordinance, which the mayor recognizes as particularly necessary for conservation and utilization in order to convey the city's history, traditions and culture. It is characterized by "Azumamachi", an old architectural style common in Hokuriku.

 

My hometown, Kanazawa, is one of the most conservative areas in Japan, where the climate and culture of traditional family values, patriarchy and male dominant society still remain strong.

 

We believe that "Kanazawa Nijinoma" is necessary in Kanazawa, and we are taking on the challenge with volunteers from various fields, together from members of Kanazawa Rainbow Pride, to join forces to create a new place for our future inclusion.
 

We hope to create a space for ALL; Creative creators or designers to LGBTQ+ and allies, people working with youth who are not attending school or have learning difficulties. It is our drive to have everyone to be involve in creating a town where people can live comfortably regardless of issues.

 

This is also a space where everyone can gather freely, there are also areas where groups engaged in various social activities hold workshops or artists of traditional crafts, art, and music introduce their works. We are also planning to set up a co-working area where visitors can feel free to stop by, an Ideal flexible solutions for all the ways anyone works.

 

Members of Kanazawa Rainbow Pride:
NPO Member, Educators, Former United Nations Employee, Community Development Consultants, Member in Tourism and Hospitality, Obstetrician, Staff from Learning and Development, Local Media editors, Undergraduates, and etc. - people of diverse ages, nationalities, races and gender identities.

 

This crowdfunding project aims to raise funds for the renovation of Kanazawa Machiya Houses, wishing to expand our circle of new friends in the near future.

 

Through this challenge, I would like to create a place where everyone can be themselves, and while promoting collaboration with traditional culture, education, and art, I would also like to change various "differences" into the Kanazawa's "power".

 

We would be grateful for your warm support!

 

Representative of the Kanazawa Nijinoma Project

Gon Matsunaka

 

 

Returning to my hometown which I once left

I was born in Kanazawa, the second of three male siblings, and grew up in Kanazawa until I graduated from high school. It was never easy to live truly and openly in my conservative hometown which made me decided to leave Kanazawa during my enrolment to University and settle down in Tokyo for the rest of my life. Being a gay man, I could not once envision a future where I could live, work and grow old happily in Hokuriku at all.

According to the survey once reported on a diverse and tolerant society, the highest number of respondents (60%) who said they would feel disgusted to have neighbours who were gay were from Hokuriku, my born place.^*1

Indescribable fear for LGBTQ+ people like me to imagine living in Hokuriku. There is no future for people like us, safeness is not guaranteed to LGBTQ people, and there is fear and risk of being exposed to terrible prejudice and discrimination every day if people know that you are one of them. Therefore In any case, there were only two options for me then: living in anxiety as closet and fake a different self and live an unwanted reality life.

 

^*1 出典:広島修道大学の河口和也教授などによる調査（「性的マイノリティについての意識 2015年全国調査）

 

三人兄弟の次男として生まれました。一番右が私で、子どもの頃からチェックの服が大好きだったそうです。テレビに登場する「保毛尾田保毛男」をみんなで笑い、辞書には「同性愛＝異常性愛、性倒錯」と書かれていた時代でした。

 

I have been keeping a distance from my hometown for a long time, but since I started Good Aging Yells (now a certified NPO, and then "Good") in 2010 to create various places related to LGBTQ+ with group of friends and exposing myself committing in my community, my feelings have changed significantly.

I decided to walk from the closet and chose to come out at work, and eventually to my parents living in Kanazawa. Since then it has open up more opportunities for me to return home to Kanazawa. Coming out has definitely alleviate the simplest joy in me.

 

 

｜Various LGBTQ+ inclusive activities that I have been involved:

 

 

It was exactly five years ago that I strongly believe that I wanted to face Kanazawa boldly, that I wanted to enable LGBTQ+ people like me who had once left Kanazawa to be able to come home. I wish to make Kanazawa a place where diverse people could be themselves without being lonely.

 

In the summer of 2017, I decided to focus on LGBTQ+ activities and left my company of 16 years after a sad incident at Hitotsubashi University, where I graduated had awakened me.

 

My first major task after leaving the company was to start walking out, voicing out, able to talk and share about the basic LGBTQ+ information and my personal story in Komatsu Summer School, which was held in the neighbouring city of Kanazawa.

 

This project aims for high school students living in Ishikawa Prefecture to spend a week with university students with overseas experience, allowing them discover a new side of themselves, and think about their future.

 

On August 8, 2017, NHK interviewed the state of "Komatsu Summer School"

 

Hokuriku is the place where everyone should know about LGBTQ+.

Woman safety and rights, it is important to change.

I want to be an ally for my friends.

 

The youth are our future. The enthusiasm to change society for one where diversity is the norm, such as in the following areas they pondered us to think, was completely different from when I was a youth. I could vividly recalled I did not see such society as something that could be changed at all when I was at their age.

 

 

I met some of my friends through LGBTQ+ and gender diversity events.

Ms. Mikiko Nagai, then Executive Director of the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies on Sustainability, Ishikawa-Kanazawa Operating Unit (UNU-IAS OUIK), who attended the Komatsu Summer School at the same time as a lecturer for the basic SDGs lecture, shared the same feelings towards the youths.

 

“We adults have to change. We adults have to change, we have to start now.”

 

We hit it off so well, and in the autumn of that year OUIK and Good co-organised the 'LGBT and Education Forum', which we have continued to hold every autumn since. (This year, the 6th LGBTQ+ and Education Dialogue will be held on 17 September as part of Kanazawa Pride Week 2022.)

 

 

3rd LGBT and Education Dialogue In 2019, together with 2,000-people photo exhibition of the LGBTQ + coming-out Photo project “OUT IN JAPAN” sponsored by Good was held at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa at the same venue. Ms. Nagai and I took to the stage together.

 

Due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection in 2020 but still continuing with our awareness, the 4th project of the "LGBT and Education Forum" will be held at "KANAZAWA Tabine", which is using an old Kanazawa townhouse as a guest house.
 

This then starts the beginning of the creation of Kanazawa Niji-no-Ma.

 

KANAZAWA Tabine then co-joined 'Coconoma Café', inviting people from different walks of life and with different concerns making relaxed connections over a cup of tea.

 

This exciting experience triggered us to organize a similar project LGBTQ+ and gender diversity at this place, which eventually led us to continue organizing the nijinoma café every month since January 2021.

 

Nijinoma café : Held on every fourth Saturday of the month at KANAZAWA Tabine located at Kobashi machi in Kanazawa, the café brings together a diverse group of people, including not only LGBTQ+ people but also their families and friends, students studying gender at university, local health workers and teachers.

 

 

At first, we were worried if we would be able to attract people to an event on LGBTQ+ and gender diversity in Hokuriku, but our fears were unfounded: despite social networking and word-of-mouth announcements, we now have 30-40 people attending each event, many of them coming from outside the prefecture.

Many friends began to gather, and from there then, Kanazawa Rainbow Pride, a general incorporated association was found. In 2021, we started our 1st Kanazawa Pride Parade, the first LGBTQ+ parade in Hokuriku.

 

 

The Kanazawa Nijinoma Project was set up to create an inclusive city, Kanazawa, where LGBTQ+ people and allies who live in Kanazawa now, had once left Kanazawa or visitors, as well as people who have difficulties because of their differences, can feel safe and comfortable. The team was set up to create an inclusive city, Kanazawa, where LGBTQ+ and allies, and people with difficulties due to their 'differences' can feel at ease.

 

The team of the Coconoma Café are also the members of Kanazawa Rainbow Pride. Currently, everyone is working hard for the second parade on Sunday 18 September this year.

 

 

 

From Kanazawa Machiya House, we want to create opportunities and places for everyone to “discover”.

In this project, we will be renovating a Kanazawa Machiya house, located in the center of Kanazawa City, along the Tatemachi shopping street where art, education, history, animation, etc. intersect. We will create a permanent place where people can get together regardless of their ethics, gender, identity, and other differences.

 

What we have learnt through various activities and events is that in order to promote Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, it is important to create as many awareness as possible through many different many different approaches.

 

In my hometown of Kanazawa, I have met many people and strongly felt the need for these opportunities and places to be known.

 

This crowdfunding initiative aims to create a creative multi facet hub for Fun, Learning and Support. It can be another form of space, from work to entertaining to arts corner. We hope to present Kanazawa Niji-no-ma into everyone’s home within the home of everyone’s heart. In this crowdfunding, we hope to raise funds for aiding us in the renovation cost of the townhouse.

 

Especially in Hokuriku, which is said to have a strong conservative culture, it is difficult for a single person to start a new initiative. We hope to connect with people who resonate the same thoughts and ideas, and take the first step toward creating a fun town together.
 

 

 

 

We want to expand our circle of 'Allies' = Making friends through crowdfunding.

For LGBTQ+ people, it is said that 'allies' (English word 'ally' meaning 'companion', 'ally' or 'comrade') are very important.

 

In a society where it is difficult for LGBTQ+ people to come out, we believe that 'allies' are people who talk about the importance and beauty of a society where diversity is normal, and take action to change places such as workplaces, schools and towns into inclusive places.

 

The opening of Kanazawa Nijinoma requires your help, as the renovation of a 100-year-old Kanazawa townhouse will cost a great deal of money, even with subsidies and self-financing.
 

Through crowdfunding, we hope to raise funds for the renovation of the townhouse, and at the same time expand the circle of 'ally' and widen the opportunities for people to get to know about Kanazawa Nijinoma.

 

We would like to ask for the warm-hearted support of all those who agree with us.

 

 

 

Let's build it together! "Kanazawa Nijinoma"

Kanazawa Nijinoma is a place to gather and organize various workshops and events, we would like to invite and welcome all and as well to organize joint projects with other organizations involved in social activities.

"Let's build together, Kanazawa Nijinoma"

 

We would like to open up our space here for a viewing soon after our Kanazawa Pride Week 2022, which is scheduled for 16-19 September (Friday). We are planning to organize a meet up to talk more about the space, renovation and discuss further on how to best utilize Kanazawa Nijinoma.

 

Also, we would like to take the opportunity to ask everyone to join us through the experience of painting the interior with us.
 

In addition, we are also planning and considering joint workshops with Herald Bonnie Ltd, a company that creates new culture from welfare by commercializing products through an art license agreement with artists with intellectual disabilities who are enrolled in welfare facilities.

 

A project to think about new inclusive tourism in collaboration with Professor Atsuro Tsutsumi of Kanazawa University and the Research Centre for Advanced Tourism Science. We are also planning and considering a project to think about new inclusive tourism in collaboration with Professor Tsutsumi Atsuro of Kanazawa University and the Centre for Advanced Tourism Science.

 

* More details will be provided in future editions of 'What's New' and other newsletters. We hope that many of you will join us.

 

 

 

Through diverse and inclusive in Kanazawa , “No one is left behind”

The Kanazawa Nijinoma Project aims to be a kind of community hub where people from NPOs, professionals, businesses and educational institutions, as well as a diverse range of creative people from Japan and abroad can come and enjoy, whether it is in a form of traditional crafts, music, art and design. People can interact and collaborate offline and online, transcending positions and sectors, with the pillars of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

 

At the same time as pride parades are being held in towns across Japan, trials are underway with different approaches to create spaces for LGBTQ+ and diverse people, taking advantage of the characteristics of each region.

 

 

Currently, Pride House Tokyo and other organisations working to create a place for LGBTQ+-related activities in various parts of Japan are also gathering online to exchange information on a regular basis.
 

While Kanazawa Nijinoma are green in starting up, we hope to be part of the network so that we can apply what we learn from initiatives in other parts of Japan to Hokuriku as well.

 

We also plan to actively create opportunities to share with the rest of the country what we have discovered and learnt in promoting collaboration with diverse people in addition to LGBTQ+ and allies in a conservative city like Hokuriku.

 

When it comes to LGBTQ+ matters, there is a widening gap between metropolitan areas such as Tokyo, where a large mix of diverse people are visibly living together, and areas where the population is small and conservative, making diversity invisible.

 

With the launch of this project, I have started living and moving to-and-fro to these two locations, in Tokyo and Kanazawa. And from now on, I would like to shift the weight of this project to Kanazawa and work on it. I feel that creating a permanent place of residence in Kanazawa in the Hokuriku region is such a big task. A mission and a dream that holds everyone’s hand to make it come true.

 

We would be very grateful if you could support us. Thank you very much for your support.

 

応援メッセージ

Reiko Komuro, Chiomi Okada

Restaurant owner / Kanazawa City Partnership Oath No. 

 

 

Midori Saito

Teacher, Ishikawa Prefectural High School

 

 

Seiichi Ozu

Representative of E.N.N. Ltd.

 

 

Atsuro Tsutsumi

Professor, Kanazawa University / Deputy Director, Kanazawa University Research Centre for Advanced Tourism Science

 

 

Hirotada Ototake

Writer

 

 

Keiko Kojima

Essayist / TV personality

 

 

Fumino Sugiyama

Co-Chairperson, NPO Tokyo Rainbow Pride