[From February Issue 2010]

Ikejiri Institute of Design (Setagaya School of MONOZUKURI) is located from just several kilometers west of Shibuya. The school was designed to be a place for creators in design, architecture and art and offer opportunities to meet each other and learn from one another.

Mr. MATSUMURA Takuya serves as the “school principal” although his official title at Ikejiri Institute of Design is managing director. “When we first opened the school, we faced considerable opposition from the neighborhood. People had strong concerns and unease about having many young people in their neighborhood because many deadly attacks had happened in schools throughout Japan at that time. Also, we are next to an elementary school, and there is a pre-school behind us, so people became very nervous. Now we have meetings with people in our community four times a year. We discuss, share the information and try seeking the direction for consensus with people when the issues arise,” Matsumura says.

This school opened in October 2004 as a temporary plan to revive Ikejiri Middle School. At first, Setagaya Ward officials requested the school to keep the school building unchanged. So, a local furniture designing company did the remodeling without changing appearance.

Currently all spaces in the school are fully occupied by 41 different companies. Occupants may be individuals, groups of designers, inexperienced or experienced, unknown or well-known designers working in companies as diverse as a film distribution company, the design research department of a major electric company, the editing division of a magazine devoted to parenting, a food coordinating company, and a “bread sommelier” association, but they have all connected under a common theme, “design and monozukuri.”

“There has been a blossoming interaction among school residents. They even sometimes work together in collaborative activity. The general public can tour the school themselves, allowing an open-minded atmosphere that private business companies do not have,” Matsumura says.

In addition, the school offers classes for people who want to be designers or launch their own business. Matsumura himself has given lectures of how to prepare for starting a business. The school also offers workshops such as woodworking, instructed by furniture designers, and one on making snow domes instructed by Japan Snow Dome Association.

The school renews its contract with Setagaya Ward every five years. “The school was able to fit in the community and gained more of their understanding in the first five years,” Matsumura says. As a result, the ward approached the school to extend their contract. “We would like to express more the individuality of the school in the coming five years. Head office will organize more events in the future and we would like to make school residents even prouder of the school.”

IKEJIRI INSTITUTE OF DESIGN (Setagaya School of MONOZUKURI)
世田谷ものづくり学校

[2010年2月号掲載記事]

東京・渋谷から西へ数キロの住宅地に「世田谷ものづくり学校」があります。この学校は、デザインや建築、アートなどのクリエイターたちの活動場所として教室を貸し出し、互いが刺激し合い、学び合える空間を目指してつくられました。

松村拓也さんは、正式な肩書きは取締役ですが、実質的には「校長」です。「設立当時、近所の人たちから猛反対にあったんです。あちこちの学校で暴力事件が多かった時期で、となりに小学校、裏に保育園があるここに若者が集まることに不安があったのでしょう。今は年に4回、地域の人たちとミーティングをしています。問題はそのつど話し合って、みんなで情報を共有して方向性を模索しています」と松村さんは語ります。

学校は2004年10月に区立池尻中学校を「再生」させる一時的な策として、「開校」しました。当初、世田谷区からの要望は「建物は学校のまま残してほしい」というものでした。そこで、地元にあった家具のデザイン会社が中心になり、外観には手を加えず改築しました。

現在、入居は満室の41社。個人も集団も、駆け出しもベテランも、無名も有名もいます。映画配給会社、大手電機会社のデザイン研究所、子育て応援雑誌の編集部、フードコーディネイター、パンのソムリエ協会など、デザインと物作りというテーマこそ共通していますが、様々なジャンルのクリエイターたちが入っています。

「入居者同士の交流が盛んで、共同で仕事をすることもあります。一般の人の見学も自由なので、一般企業にはない開放的な雰囲気があります」と話す松村さん。

さらに、クリエイターを目指す人や起業を計画する人に向けたセミナーも開かれ、松村さん自身も、「起業を志すうえでの心構えを講義しています」と話します。また、家具設計士による木工教室や日本スノードーム協会の講師によるスノードーム作りなどもあります。

世田谷区とは5年ごとに契約する。「最初の5年間で地域になじむことができ、理解者も増えました」と松村さん。結果、区からは契約延長の話がありました。「これからの5年間は、この学校の個性をもっと打ち出したい。事務局でもより多くのイベントを手がけて、今以上に入居者たちが自慢できる学校を作りたいですね」。

世田谷ものづくり学校