"Shibuya Culture Project" is a radio program broadcast every other Wednesday from 5:00 PM to 5:30 PM on the community FM station "Shibuya no Radio." The program is hosted by Nishi Tatsuki, editor-in-chief of Shibuya Keizai Shimbun, and features discussions with guests on hot topics each week.

The guests on August 26th were Hayato Fukushima, CEO of ANCR, which opened the cafe lounge "Nakaniwa" near Shibuya Station this month, and producer Miyu Ariga. What kind of company is ANCR? And what kind of place is the newly opened Nakaniwa? The program asked them about the background of creating the store and their thoughts on Shibuya.

*This article is an edited version of excerpts from a radio program broadcast.

Combining different fields creates a "chemical reaction."

The company name ANCR is derived from "Arising New Chemical Reaction." It is a company that brings together professionals from various fields, including spatial design and branding.

Fukushima says, "We combine various elements to create a chemical reaction, and the output of that reaction becomes our own unique style."

Ms. Fukushima founded the company in 2018, while she was a third-year student at Musashino Art University. After graduating, she worked for Recruit while running her own company. She recalls, "I thought I wouldn't be able to continue unless I learned business knowledge that I hadn't been able to acquire while I was in university." Nine months later, she resigned and dedicated herself to managing ANCR.

Meanwhile, Ms. Ariga has worked as a freelance PR professional for about 10 years, primarily in the beauty industry. Leveraging her experience in branding and event planning, she continues her own work while participating in ANCR.

Nakaniwa was born from combining knowledge and experience from these different fields.

From left: ANCR Producer Miyu Ariga and Representative Director & CEO Hayato Fukushima.

The key phrase is "Tokyu really did it."

Nakaniwa opened on August 10th on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the Shibuya Selmo Building, located along Meiji Street near Miyashita Park. The impetus for the opening was Tokyu Corporation, which owns the building, wanting to utilize the vacant period until it is eventually rebuilt to create something new.

The store consists of two floors, the second and third floors. The photo shows the second floor.

According to Ms. Fukushima, the keyword given to her by the Tokyu representative was "Tokyu has done it again."

"We were inspired by a passionate energy that made us want to create something that would make people feel that way," said Fukushima. Ariga added, "The desire to create an interesting place unlike anything that had ever existed before was something that Tokyu and we shared."

From there, they began planning with the goal of creating a place where people from all walks of life—workers, students, creators, and others—could naturally interact.

Breaking the "norms" of cafes

Nakaniwa aimed to be a place different from typical cafes that prioritize efficiency and turnover.

Fukushima says, "I wanted to break the common perception that cafes are places to go to drink coffee and that they have to keep customers coming in quickly." The shop is filled with many plants, and all of them are available for purchase. Each plant has a price tag, and care instructions can be checked via a QR code.

Furthermore, CD players are provided at each seat. Guests can choose their favorite CD from the racks displaying music from the 1980s, 1990s, and the Heisei era, and enjoy it with headphones. The reason for incorporating CDs is that the owner once discovered new music by using a listening station at a CD shop in Shibuya.

Fukushima explains, "I thought about what was popular during the Heisei era and what we were passionate about. I wanted to deliberately incorporate unproductive activities, like going to Tower Records without spending any money to listen to new music."

"A place you can go to for no particular reason, a place to hang out. A place where you can meet someone and have a conversation." Nakaniwa embodies the desire to create such a "place of relaxation."

An "all-day cafe" where you can eat whenever you like.

The food isn't limited to breakfast or lunch; it's served throughout the day. This is based on the lifestyle of people who work in Shibuya.

"Many people get so engrossed in their work that they miss lunch. When we considered ourselves as customers, we wanted a place where we could eat even if we missed lunchtime," says Fukushima. The menu offers a wide range of options, from light meals like bowls of homemade granola and open sandwiches with chicken ham, to more substantial options for those who want a full meal.

Offering nutritious breakfast and lunch menus for workers in Shibuya.

Fukushima says, "I wanted to create a place where you can eat what you want, when you want, with who you want, and eat what you want, surrounded by your favorite music and plants. A place where you can customize everything to your own liking."

The shop's mascot is a crocodile named "Niwani." According to Ms. Ariga, the name was created as a wordplay on "a crocodile in the garden." The shop also offers "Niwani cookies," which are shaped like crocodiles, as part of its sweets menu.

Unexpected use by people bringing their dogs

After opening, the types of customers change depending on the time of day. The first floor of the building houses flagship stores for the popular characters "Sonny Angel" and "SMISKI," which are bustling with foreign tourists every day. In the mornings, many foreign tourists waiting to enter the flagship stores visit Nakaniwa, while in the evenings, young people and workers who have finished work stop by.

On the other hand, there were also unexpected uses.

After opening, they received numerous inquiries via Instagram about bringing dogs, so they made the second floor pet-friendly. "From the very next day, a community of dog owners started gathering there," says Ariga.

There are few cafes around Shibuya Station where people can stop by with their dogs while out for a walk. Based on customer feedback, they are considering adding dog-friendly menu items in the future.

"Place-making" expands further, including use for events.

The third floor is designated as a "CAFE & EVENT SPACE," providing a relatively free and flexible space for use.

Ariga expressed his hope that the space would be used for a variety of purposes, not just banquets, but also music events, dance events, and more. He envisions small-scale talk events and radio recordings, and plans to expand into live performances, exhibitions, and private rentals in the future.

ANCR will continue to expand its "space-building" initiatives, such as Nakaniwa, in the future.

In Kyoto, the company collaborates with real estate companies to develop a complex facility that combines a hotel and restaurants in a renovated traditional townhouse. They also work with developers and general contractors on area development concept design and content development.

Fukushima said, "I would be happy if we could create a future where more cities get involved and the ideas we come up with are put into practice."

ANCR brings together professionals from different fields to create new "chemical reactions." Nakaniwa, which opened in Shibuya, is one example of this, and it aims to create a "space" in a city where many people are rushing around with a purpose, where they can deliberately stop and spend time as they please.

*For more details, please be sure to check out the radio program broadcast.

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