Madoka Minamisawa

Shibaura House is a community space in the Tokyo district of Shibaura, a neighborhood in the south of the city near the port. 

In 2022, we set about to create a 'City Portrait' of Minato City, our neighborhood, with a desire to relook, and to understand what is truly happening in people's lives. Things have drastically changed due to Covid-19, and there was an urgency to reconnect with people who come to work, build a family, and play in the area. We saw Doughnut Economics as a great tool to do this, as it allowed us not only to analyze what is occurring in front of us, but also to think in multifaceted terms. Through this journey, we have manifested our 'City Portrait' in the form of an exhibition, which you can see recorded in the report on the DEAL website. 

We are currently in the process of transforming the 'City Portrait' into an action plan. We are doing this with several strands: collaboration with an artist who would use our resources, acquired knowledge, and contacts as a basis for her work. Collaboration with a landscape designer to rethink green spaces and biodiversity in urban settings, with the aim of creating a community project. We are also looking into emerging political voices by talking with young politicians or those aiming to be one, and to understand what motivated them to become politically involved, and what their communication strategies are. 

We have received great support from DEAL and its community in developing our ‘City Portrait’. If you have questions or happen to be in Tokyo, please don’t hesitate to contact us.