"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.

左からANCRプロデューサーの有賀美友さん、代表取締役CEOの福島颯人さん

The key phrase is "Tokyu really did it."

Nakaniwaは8月10日、明治通り沿い、宮下公園近くの渋谷セルモビル2階・3階にオープンした。きっかけは、同ビルを所有する東急が、将来の建て替えまでの遊休期間を活用し、新しい仕掛けをつくろうとしたことだった。

店内は2階と3階の2フロアで構成。写真は2階フロアの様子

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.

福島さんは「カフェはコーヒーを飲みに行く場所で、お客さんをどんどん回さなければいけない、という当たり前を壊したかった」と話す。店内には多くの植物が並び、その全てを購入できる。植物には価格が記され、QRコードから手入れ方法も確認できる。

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.

「仕事に熱中して、お昼を食べ過ごしてしまう人も多い。自分たち自身を利用者として考えた時に、昼時を逃しても食べられる場所が欲しかった」と福島さん。自家製グラノーラのボウルや鶏ハムを使ったオープンサンドなど、軽めの食事からしっかり食べたい人向けまで幅広いメニューを用意する。

渋谷で働くワーカーに向け、栄養価の高い朝食やランチメニューメニューを提供する

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

オープン後は、時間帯によって利用者の顔ぶれも変わるという。同ビル1階には、人気キャラクター「Sonny Angel（ソニーエンジェル）」と「SMISKI（スミスキー）」の直営店舗があり、連日、外国人観光客でにぎわいを見せている。午前中は、同店の入店を待つ外国人観光客がNakaniwaを訪れることが多く、夕方以降は仕事を終えた若者やワーカーが立ち寄るという。

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.

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