Nonogawa Community Center

You haven't visited the community center yet and you've been here over two months, already? No wonder the town thinks you're not going to stay!

— Ohno Suzu to Umeji Tatsuya

It's the heart of small-town Nonogawa. The village owes much of its increasing population to the center, despite its location in a rural valley. Japanese society is built on strengthening relationships, and it's the foundation of the community center.
Any group may meet at the community center. In turn, they must give something back to the community via a free group sponsored activity.

Purpose

To keep Nonogawa's population from shrinking, the city invested in creating a community center that would serve as the center for most community activities—a place where the townsfolk could develop deeper relationships.

Offerings

The community center staff members (both paid and volunteer) work hard to anticipate and listen to the needs of the community. They provide all they can locally and bring in digital options for areas the town can't provide. The center caters to all age groups from youth to seniors. Below is a sample the center's offerings.

Community classes

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Art, cooking, crafts, writing, foreign language, computer and technology, traditional games like Go or Shogi, music, and other lessons, can be found on the rotating schedule and digital classes shared with Shimosaki, Kyuunan, Okayama, and Kyoto.

Entertainment

Poetry contests, book readings, movie nights, video and board game nights, puppet shows, etc.

Recreation

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Photography groups who host contests and displays, bird watching groups who host hiking tours, a ping pong league that hosts a tournament open to all, a First Lego League that teaches kids how to build and program robots, and more.

A well stocked library

The library does its best to keep up with the current trends and has an excellent inter-library loan program for books they don't have yet. Every year, they have a city wide book and bake sale to help generate funds for new books.

Art gallery

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The walls of the library and meeting rooms serve as spaces for local artisans to display their work. For 3D pieces such as sculptures and pottery, there are hallway alcoves.

Small and large meeting rooms

Individuals, businesses, or clubs may reserve a space up to 3 months a head of time. There are separate spaces for meetings and celebrations, as most Nonogawans don't consider their homes large enough for events such as birthday parties and the like.

Tourism information

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The center posts a physical and digital calendar of all events happening through out the Nonogawa River Valley. Local temple and shrine keepers work with the community center to arrange festivals and volunteer help.

A Refuge for Nonogawans

Townsfolk seek out the community center as a way to deal with many small-town problems.

Summer heat and winter cold

Residences in the historic sections of town don't have central air conditioning or central heat. But the community center does.

Loneliness and boredom

Classes, events, and activities provide multiple opportunities for social gathering and entertainment.

Work in Progress

This article will be expanded in the future.

Stub

This article will be expanded in the future.

Definition

This article stub serves as a simple definition.

Nonogawa Community Center Logo by small.smiles

Nonogawa

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The small town of Nonogawa in Okayama Prefecture.

Founding Date

2003

Type

Common area

Parent Location

Nonogawa

History

In the early 1990s, Nonogawa saw the same depopulation as other rural communities and they formed a committee to research ideas that would help the area stabilize and grow. Festivals were a big draw for tourism, but not enough to keep the town going. They needed a central hub that villagers could rely on as a place to gather.
Finally, after seeing the popularity of community centers in larger cities, Nonogawa's city council decided to invest in a similar but more expansive concept. They broke ground in 2001 and the community center opened in 2003.

Architecture and Sensory Experience

The center needed to fit into the small-town, traditional atmosphere, yet feel modern enough to meet today's needs. So, the first floor has many windows and an open, welcoming feel. The top floors give the building a traditional look that fits in with the neighborhood.

Nonogawa Library by Leo Okuyama on Unsplash