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Last weekend we held LOGIN project vol.2. At ROOTS we our mission is to share satoyama wisdom with the world. This time it was fun to bring the worldly wisdom of @deuxmetresvingtsix to Keihoku. 2M26 is Mélanie Heresbach & Sébastien Renauld and they are a pair of architects, designers & artists who have travelled all over the world making connections through furniture and the spaces they create. For this project they offered to teach how to make two different styles of stool using local cedar wood.
Mélanie and Sébastien were really approachable, and combined with their relaxed teaching style and generous disposition they created a warm, collaborative environment for everyone.
I was especially impressed with their approach to design and space. Mélanie explained how they wanted to avoid the typical DIY aesthetic by designing furniture that is simple and easy to make but also appealing to look at. I loved how they design around standard plank sizes, creating spaces and furniture that are very efficient and quick to build but also comfortable and beautiful.
When talking about their travels around major cities all over the world Sébastien remarked that tables and chairs are possibly humanity's greatest invention. People are weirdly drawn to them and when people gather around a table it becomes a place of conversation and connection.
It was a great blessing to meet them and have them recreate sense of community through making in Keihoku. In all between 20 people 51 chairs were made, but we also took home a real sense of accomplishment and empowerment to engage with the local forest.
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#designthinking  #localwisdom #satoyama #japanesewisdom #keihoku #sustainableliving #ruralcommunity #ruraljapan #mountainlife #kyoto #eco #anotherkyoto #authentickyoto #japanesearchitecture #kayabuki #kominka #DIY #cedar #sugi #kitayama #北山杉 #doittogether #furnituremaking #architecture ...

We run study tours, not just for students but also for professionals who are interested in learning satoyama wisdom. In 2019 we had a group visit from Italy who were interested in Japanese building techniques.

#studytour  #learningtrip  #offthebeatentrack  #visitjapan  #communitybasedeconomy #regionaltourism #tradition #japaneseculture #designthinking  #localwisdom #satoyama #japanesewisdom #keihoku #sustainableliving #ruralcommunity #ruraljapan #mountainlife #kyoto #eco #anotherkyoto #authentickyoto #japanesearchitecture #kayabuki #kominka ...

🚩Guide training in Toyooka.

Multiplying success is a core part of ROOTS mission. We share our knowledge with other regions helping them to develop their own unique sustainable tourism. Part of that is guide education: including tour design, operation and English training.

These photos are from the first of an ongoing training program around Toyooka area including the scenic town of Izu. ...

What do you think are the necessary ingredients for creating meaningful social impact?

This year ROOTS represented Japan in the Asia round of the Generation Impact Fellowship. It was your first time to rub shoulders with social entrepreneurs from other parts of Asia and was an eye-opening experience with much to reflect on afterwards.
Co-founder Kei Nakayama presented on behalf of ROOTS on the day and here he has summarized some of the things he learned:

1. The importance of making visible social impact: we need to share our know-how with the world through English content. Until now we tended to focus on the field world but in the age of Covid-19 we need to create an online presence too.

2. The importance of creating a system where the social impact feeds back into the communities.

3. The importance of focusing on the one thing that makes you unique when presenting. For ROOTS our biggest strength is our Study Tour program. While we also provide private tours and consulting services, our educational program is where we can make the most impact. ...

🏡ROOTS HOMES - tehen

Here in Keihoku idle houses are increasingly a problem. Without maintenance within a few years, beautiful traditional country houses become unlivable. We had a relationship with the owner of a number of these houses here in Keihoku who allowed us to renovate and use them for ROOTS work. This is the largest our our homes, tehen.
Our vision for tehen is a place of creativity and exchange. We use it for gatherings, retreats, as a place to stay for interns, and more recently as a co-working space for remote workers to get out of the city and work from the heart of Kyoto’s satoyama.

#keihoku #kyoto #anotherkyoto #satoyama #retreat #remotework #co-workingspace #companyretreat #kyototour #kyotoexperience #kominka #japanesearchitecture #stayinkyoto #studytour #studyinjapan #visitjapan ...