Shizuoka City Children's Creative Town Ma・a・ru

A town by children, for children

Shizuoka City envisioned a children's experiential facility that would contribute to the development of local industries, with the aim of "nurturing the next generation of creative individuals." They felt that collaboration with local shopping districts and businesses, as well as experiential exhibits for children related to industry and the economy, were necessary. In response to their desire and challenge to nurture these children with the strength of the entire community, we proposed a system that would allow children to participate and act proactively, and a project that would be developed in collaboration with the community, based on the concept of "a town by children, for children." This proposal was well-received, and the project was launched.

Regarding the spatial design, we created a fully variable space to allow children's independent activities and creativity to be fully expressed. There are no recreated spaces like those in theme parks or exhibits and interactive devices like those in science museums; instead, we have created a creative space where children can enjoy the process of thinking, creating, and experiencing things from scratch.

"Hidamari Park" is a corner for infants and toddlers where they can experience work-themed role-playing.

"Digital Workshop" where you can enjoy hands-on programs such as Video workshops

Creating a system that encourages children to take the lead in their activities.

The third floor has been transformed into "Children's Bazaar," a "children's town" where children can experience the workings of society and the economy by acting as shop managers and staff, creating and selling products in shops they designed themselves, and enjoying shopping with the money they earned (pseudo-currency).

To bring this to life, approximately 100 "Opening Preparation Leaders," ranging from fourth graders to junior high school students, held a children's meeting where they brainstormed ideas on what kind of shops to create, what to make and sell, and what kind of jobs children who visit the museum would have. These shops will continue to be improved with the help of the children after the museum opens, and will be made even more appealing.

Children at a children's meeting exchange ideas for creating shops for the "Children's Bazaar."

Creating experiential programs in collaboration with local communities

The fourth floor is comprised of the Wakuwaku Atelier, Digital Workshop, Cooking Studio, and Anything Hall, creating the "Children's Factory" where children can participate in and experience a variety of workshops. Here, we have planned diverse content that encourages children to actively participate and engage in activities, such as listening to stories about various jobs and experiencing work and manufacturing.

To achieve this, from the preparation stage for opening the facility, we worked with officials from Shizuoka City to ask for cooperation from local shopping districts, businesses, universities, and other organizations. After opening, many people have participated as instructors, mainly on weekends.

Aiming to "create, nurture, and grow together"

Tanseisha continues to be involved in the operation of "Ma-a-ru" as the designated manager even after the facility opened. This is because they believe that by directly participating in regional revitalization and human resource development through their operations, they can realize the "space that moves the heart" that Tanseisha aims for. In addition, the perspectives of businesses and users gained through facility operation are fed back into their planning, design, and production efforts in creating the space, leading to the provision of a high-quality space as a whole.

At "Ma-a-ru," where the core content is the business activities themselves rather than the exhibits, facility management plays a crucial role. Aiming for the children who grow up in this place to support the vitality of Shizuoka in the future, we will continue to make daily improvements and operate the facility in a way that "creates, nurtures, and grows together" with the children and the community.