Akiko Yamagami: A Fable of a Closed School in Okinawa

2024/04/16

Golden chrysalises hang from vines, and a family of owls perches in the trees. The view from the window is a sea of cherry blossoms. Children run through the garden, picking and munching on seasonal fruits. The local spirit "Bunagaya (Kijimuna)" plays its pranks.

In the Yanbaru area of northern Okinawa Island, my children attended an elementary school that felt like something out of a fairy tale. This wonderful school in Kijoka village—famous nationwide for "Bashofu," a beautiful textile born from tropical fields—closed its 127-year history due to village policy. When I learned they were seeking operators to repurpose the site, I felt a strong push from something unseen, and before I knew it, I had raised my hand.

In my mid-20s, wanting to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, I started living in the countryside in Motegi, Tochigi Prefecture, after marrying a ceramic artist. In 2004, I moved to Ogimi Village in Okinawa. While involved in managing local craft fairs, I noticed that most works by local artisans were flowing out to urban distributors. Seven years ago, I opened a shop for locally produced and consumed crafts. Then, I named the site of the closed school "Kijoka Sho School" and launched the project in June 2022.

I wanted to do something about this place ourselves as residents, without it being taken over by some major corporation. I thought, "If no one else will do it, I have to," and started with the somewhat naive momentum that I could manage by renting out empty classrooms to tenants and offering lodging. However, a school facility is massive in many ways (the grounds, equipment, repair and maintenance costs, history, and even its "spells"), and I struggled at first. Nevertheless, by the end of last year, all 12 tenant rooms were full, and the craft shop moved into the school. It is becoming a fascinating facility where a fun group of people has gathered, including a sauna, bookstore, hammocks, pottery and woodworking workshops, a photo studio, film production, a watercolorist, a tourism corporation, and a lab. We also offer experience programs unique to the region, and lodging facilities are scheduled to open within this year.

In a region with deep culture and overwhelming nature, yet facing challenges unique to depopulated areas—such as a declining birthrate, intense interpersonal relationships, and rigid administration—I want to create jobs that leverage the land's charm so the younger generation can find joy in their work.

At Kijoka Sho School, where a mystical and fabled atmosphere flows comfortably, a story that had been paused has begun to be written again. Perhaps I, doing all this, am also one who was enticed by the "Bunagaya." Why don't you, fellow Keio University alumni, come and be enticed as well?