“Coworking Space KLATCH Ishigaki” was opened on Ishigaki Island in April 2021. While there have been several small-scale coworking spaces on the island since before, this is the first full-scale facility on the Island that is open all the time, and has become a topic of conversation. It is also situated near “Euglena Mall,” Japan’s southernmost shopping arcade, making it a perfect location for workations.
The indoor structure is quite unique, as it was originally a house for a three-generation family that was converted into a coworking space. The main space is a spacious Japanese-style room where people can chat, make phone calls, eat and drink freely, and also features two focus rooms, and a living room with a counter. The users all say, “It’s fun to be able to choose a spot that fits my mood of the day.”
“We wanted to create a place where a community could be born naturally,” says Yosuke Suzuki, the manager.
He also said that the fee structure is quite reasonable, “Instead of having one person come for 10,000 yen, I would rather have two people come for 5,000 yen and make this place exciting together.”
Furthermore, an island resident with an address in Ishigaki Island can avail of the service at half the regular price.
Many of the current members are immigrants working freelance and people visiting from the city on workcations. Since it opens at 6:00 a.m., local high school students also come during the exam season.
As a community-building mechanism, a daily restaurant is open several evenings a week in the kitchen in the living room. Suzuki says, “People who are difficult to talk to during the workday can have a casual conversation over a meal.”
It is hard to find a place where you can connect with people beyond occupation, age, and gender. As people from various industries come and go, it is said the relationships have had a variety of positive effects such as members ordering work from one another, getting ideas from fields outside their expertise, or even forming hobby groups.
There is a variety of individuality in “Coworking spaces” from store to store. Coworking Space KLATCH Ishigaki is attractive for its relaxed atmosphere. Various encounters and jobs will likely continue to be born in this place.
User Voice
IT Company Employee
Kohei Mayama
Mr. Mayama lives in three locations: his home in Sendai, his office in Osaka, and Ishigaki Island.
Since he visited Ishigaki, where his colleague lives on a work vacation, he has been completely charmed by the island and is spending 1/3 of the year there. This time’s visit, he is said to be participating in the Ishigaki Marathon with friends he made at Coworking Space KLATCH Ishigaki.
“I have used many coworking spaces in the past, but unlike in the city, here, the members are all wearing short sleeves, shorts, bare feet, and sandals. So even though I am working, I feel relaxed (lol). There are many freelancers, and it is easy to talk to people and when you talk to them, you find out that they are also engineers. It is a place where communities can easily form naturally.”
Mr. Mayama hopes to continue working here when he returns to the island in the future. After the interview, he was immersed in his work for a while, but after a while, familiar members gathered around him and chatted. He seems to be having a fulfilling workation surrounded by many friends.
