Social Kitchen, 21st century Social & Cultural center, hopes to be a place where people with a diverse background gather, exchange ideas, discuss, learn, and practice the ideas that can be a force to transform our society in more just, fair and creative ways.
Social Kitchen has a community café and bookstore (1F), a space that can be used for lectures/workshops, debates, study groups, bazaars, exhibitions, meetings and parties (2F), and a shared office (3F). If you have any ideas for Social Kitchen, please email us at
Info(at)hanareproject.net
Started as a weekly café in 2006, hanare is a project that collectively and dynamically seeks out ways of realizing a better world through various projects. It attempts to engage with the emergent social issues relevant to life today: food, art, politics, urban planning, cultural theory, farming, and more! hanare also works together with people from various fields who are experimenting with creative projects to find ways of practicing a new, spontaneous way of living. While hanare's work has its roots firmly in Kyoto, it also wishes to be a space with direct links to other regional towns and cities in the world, and an independent place where critique and creativity are nurtured. See our past projects here http://hanareproject.net/project/
Sakiko Sugawa
Organizer and media activist. Sugawa Sakiko was born in 1978 (the year of the Horse) in Kyoto. Sakiko graduated from Hunter College of City University of New York, majoring in Media studies. While living in NY, she initiated various collaborative projects including, the photo exhibition, "Young photographers' biennial," and the lecture and experimental workshop series called, "Open University." From 2005-2008, She directed the continuing education program at Kyoto Seika University while building the organization, "hanare." Her projects, regardless of their size and medium, aim to question and challenge social and cultural cliché, and propose new ideas as well as new ways of living. In 2008 she was awarded a grant by Pace Futuro, an Italian based peace organization to participate in the residential program, “University of Ideas (UNIDEE) -Cittadellarte-Fondazione Pistoletto,” where she developed media activism project on the issues of the Israel-Palestine conflict. In 2009, Sakiko showcased the project at Yaffa gallery as a part of the show “In 40 years.”
Mail：sakiko(at)hanareproject.net
Yufuko Takahashi
Yufuko Takahashi was born in 1978 in Kyoto. She worked at an advertising agency, and managed a monthly free paper as a editor. Takahashi currently works at a design office in Kyoto where she specializes in editorial design for advertising booklets and designing other printed materials, such as posters, fliers, and postcards.
Mail：yufu(at)hanareproject.net
Shingo Yamasaki
Shingo Yamasaki was born in Okayama. While he was in high school, he became involved in researching the issues surrounding foreigners who live in Japan and activism in general, and music. He organized an independent seminar and cultural events, and published zines while he was in university, kind of activities that he still continues today. Since 2000, he has been working as a freelance PA, director and organizer of a community festival, radio programs, and experimental music events. His works include "Be Good Cafe Kyoto," "output," "sync-," "P-hour," besides his own artistic activities, such as media art unit, "rewarll" and music groups "sng," "little church," "GTSVL."
Mail：ymsksng(at)hanareproject.net
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