An Unexpected Way to Connect with the Community
Published: November 9, 2018
Have you ever passed by this shop?
If you live in Koto City, chances are you have, at some point. Because it’s located right inside the second floor lobby of Koto City Office!
City Hall—any city hall—is probably not a place you visit very often, except for handling paperwork (after which, most people are eager to leave). But Koto City Office is actually a great place to get information on anything from the Tokyo 2020 Games to the history of reclaimed lands to where your nearest evacuation area is (pro tip: it’s always good to know the nearest evacuation area from wherever you’re staying in Japan). And it just so happens that this particular city hall can also offer you a freshly made, soft-served ice cream cone!
Yum!
That’s all thanks to Roocle, the shop within the lobby. The name “Roocle” comes from combining two words: root and circle. It represents the shop as being “rooted” within the community and forming a “circle” around the people connected to it. It’s a convenient little shop, filled with snacks, food, drinks, handmade goods and even groceries (rice, fresh vegetables, salt, etc.), and well-used by office workers and visitors alike.
Their top seller is the soymilk chiffon cake, which sits chilling in the front display case next to other great ready-to-eats like sandwiches and puddings.
Meanwhile, inside, on the shelves, are various snack foods, baked goods, and even little lunch sets featuring onigiri (rice balls) with a few side trimmings.
For the crafts, there are seasonal, decorative items…
As well as one-of-a kind creations like unique tote bags upcycled from old kimono. Pair it with zori, a type of traditional footwear popular as indoor shoes or festival wear in the summer, to add a Japanese vibe to your outfit.
But the most notable thing about Roocle isn’t the food it offers or the colourful variety of its crafts for sale: it’s the story of where these items come from.
“Roocle opened on July 7th, 2009”, explains Mr. Iwasaki of the Koto City Persons with Disabilities Support Division. “All of the products are brought to us by different facilities that serve persons with disabilities, and all of the products are handmade by the people who use those facilities.”
The shop’s items span 8 establishments from 28 locations within the city. At each location, people of different abilities work daily to craft the items or bake the bread and cookies that are then gathered for sale at Roocle. The food is delivered in the morning, and anything left unsold is retracted at night. Though, as the staff would tell it: “There’s usually not much left by the time we close at 4 p.m.!” And for good reason; the food is absolutely delicious (more on that later).
So everything, even these leather keychain charms featuring cute Zodiac animals…
And hand-drawn postcards of delicate details…
Are all hand-made by people of diverse backgrounds and abilities! Can you believe the postcards were drawn with ballpoint pens? Incredible!
“I think it’s really important that we employ staff members who live with disabilities, and that we showcase what they are capable of,” commented one Roocle’s staff member to me. “The community needs to see that these people are energetic, happy, talented and productive, and that they can take their lives into their own hands.” She’s also hopeful that seeing people with special needs integrated so easily into the store setting will help citizens realize more concretely that they are a part of the community, which will hopefully in turn spread awareness into the city as a whole.
So the next time you’ve got an errand to run at the office, consider spending your waiting time browsing the shelves at Roocle. Sit down for a coffee, or simply appreciate what the amazing people of Koto have to offer. And if you’ve an appointment in the morning, why not grab your lunch here afterwards? I actually ended up buying a delicious katsu sandwich…
And a freshly baked sweet potato for dessert!
The katsu (fried pork) sandwich was crispy, juicy and filling, while the baked sweet potato was amazingly warm and perfect for a chilly day.
And best of all, I felt great knowing that the proceeds from these purchases would go right back to helping the community, and the people who make it great!
P.S. Did I mention that they also sell natural honey from bees kept on the roof of the city hall? (Yes, we keep bees on our office roof! Amazing, isn’t it?) They honey is sold every year in the fall in limited quantities, but you should give it a taste if you’re lucky enough to spot it!
Story, illustration and photos by Xianru Shen（Koto City Office Coordinator for International Relations）
