KOHO, San Francisco Japantown co-working venue, seeks to uplift community
Entering the KOHO creative hub in the Japan Center East on Post Street, Aaron - a music producer and artist known as "Mr. Carmack" - abides by tradition and removes his shoes before finding a space and getting to work.
"I'm working on a triple album," he said.
Like many creators, he's used to working from home. But with the emergence of this new co-working space in Japantown, he's eager to switch up the atmosphere.
"Keeping your home space for home things and separating your work," he said.
Dana Dimalanda, an architectural designer, shared the same sentiment.
"A creative hub was missing from this area," she said. "It's bringing back more of the authentic community and culture to the space."
When Susie Kagami, KOHO's Founding Executive Director, set out to make the space a reality, she wanted to provide a hub for creators and artists. But the mission runs much deeper than that.
"This actually was envisioned by our community over 10 years ago as a community preservation strategy for Japantown," she said. "An arts and culture hub would revitalize our stories and bring people back, preserve our narratives of our past and elders, as well as give voice to a younger generation."
San Francisco's Japantown is one of three left in the United States. Kagami says it has shrunk in size over the last several decades due to displacement from WWII incarceration and urban renewal.
"If I can provide a nurturing space for folks to come back to, find a little bit of cultural identity, reconnect with community and families, that is my wish for this coworking space," she said.
Aaron thinks it will also help bring new and old faces to Japantown, and as a result, they'll help support the neighborhood's vitality.
"I think another aspect to having a coworking space is bringing people not only to work here but also to immerse themselves in the surrounding businesses," he said.
A space dedicated to nurturing creativity and culture, building blocks for the future while paying homage to tradition.
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