A pleasant day for waiting
#02 Not waiting, but the first step

Hello. This is Morino.

In the previous article, I introduced the background of "Machitaku Yanai," a project that started in Yanai City.

This time, I'd like to write about what happened at the Yanai Tenjin Spring Festival, which was one of the first initiatives we undertook.

On the day of the Yanai Tenjin Spring Festival, we set up a small space in a corner of the white-walled townscape. We sold beer and snacks, soft drinks and sweets.

At first glance, it might look like a typical stall. But what we really wanted to do wasn't just sell food and drinks.

I wanted to create a place for interaction.

The theme of this initiative is:
"Our goal was to create a place where people naturally stop and conversations can begin ."

Festivals attract large crowds. However, surprisingly, there aren't many places where people can relax and unwind. What if there was a place where people could easily drop by to take a break, chat with someone, or simply find some peace and quiet?

That's how this project started.

This time, we decided to start small by setting up tables and chairs, and preparing drinks and snacks.

Was it beer that brought people together?

The beer offered this time was "CLAMP IPA," a craft beer developed by members of Monosus. "CLAMP" means a clamp or bond, and the name reflects the hope that it can become something that connects people.

As a result, many people stopped by.

And indeed, that beer became the conversation starter. "Where is this brewed?" "What does CLAMP mean?" From conversations like that, the discussion expanded, and before you knew it, complete strangers were sitting at the same table talking.

It wasn't so much that they were selling beer, but rather that beer was a catalyst for people connecting with each other. That's the scene that left the biggest impression on me.

Creating a space allows people to connect.

The tables were occupied for most of the time that day. But I don't think the reason it was so lively was because of the number of seats. Someone would sit down, someone would strike up a conversation, and then someone else would join in. It was a series of small, spontaneous interactions.

Even though we were initially the providers, after a while we started to feel less like staff and more like participants enjoying the event together, and before we knew it, the boundary between "sellers" and "attendees" had become blurred.

Amidst the lively atmosphere of the festival, laughter echoed through the white-walled streets. Watching this scene, I thought to myself, "Perhaps this is what it means to create a place for interaction."

Things I learned from trying it

This initiative is by no means a major event.

You could simply say that we just sold beer, snacks, and sweets. But in that small experiment, I realized that just having "a place to sit for a bit" and "a place to chat a little" can change the distance between people. I'm sure that's the kind of place "Machitaku Yanai" is aiming to be.

Whether it's table tennis, beer, or an event, the important thing is that it provides an opportunity for people to naturally gather and connect with others.

What kind of scenery will we see next?

Machitakuyanai is still just getting started. This year's Tenjin Spring Festival was just the first step. We will continue to experiment and learn as we go, gradually creating a place where people want to gather.

We ourselves are looking forward to seeing who will come next and what kind of conversations will take place.