SHARED KITCHEN SPACE OPENS IN TOKYO

A shared kitchen space accessible to all -- including young cooks who wish to put their skills to the test before opening their own establishments, and resident groups interested in opening their own stores -- has emerged in Tokyo, Mainichi Shimbun reported.

A footwear shop which closed last year was converted into the shared kitchen space located in the "Happy Road Oyama" shopping district in the capital's Itabashi Ward. Related parties expressed their hope that the shared space will contribute to vitalization of the area.

The facility, located near Oyama Station on the Tobu Tojo Line, consists of a kitchen space equipped with a large refrigerator with a freezer, as well as professional cooking utensils, and an eating space containing 16 seats. A display case for showing products is also at the site. The shared kitchen space can be rented starting from half a day. Related parties are hoping to launch an online school on how to start businesses, and promote local efforts to open new establishments.

The owner of Kameya, a footwear shop that shuttered its doors after having been in business for over 80 years, approached the association working to promote the commercial district last summer and asked it to make use of the space to help invigorate the community.

Ject One Co., a Shibuya Ward-based real estate agency that reuses abandoned houses, and a company comprising the commercial district promotion association collaborated to renovate the shop into a shared kitchen space, while also considering requests made by residents. The space was named "Kameya Kitchen," after the old store.