Residents of Honmoku welcomed a brand new community space to their neighborhood in April of 2018 called HOMMOKU BASE (spelled differently than the area, but pronounced the same). After surveys and much planning, the community leaders strove to create a barrier-free environment that all residents could use and enjoy. A wheelchair accessible bathroom, a nursing room for new mothers, and a space for all to use for meetings or events were incorporated into the concept to ensure every member of the community felt included.
A small cafe was also added as part of the plan. The cafe offers light food like pasta, beef curry, and pizza (all ¥700~¥800) and a mixture of drinks from coffee and tea (both ¥400) to alcoholic beverages, such as draft beer and cocktails (both ¥500). The cafe is more a service for local residents than a money-making venture, so prices are very reasonable. It also provides a place for residents to chat over a bite to eat.
Attached to the main room of HOMMOKU BASE is the makings of a community FM broadcasting station. Music studio veteran, composer/keyboardist and Honmoku native Nobusuke Sasahara is the head of the radio station in the making. With a staff of about thirteen, he plans to broadcast 24 hours a day for the residents of Yokohama’s Naka Ward. Programming will cover local news and announcements, tourist information, traffic reports, weather/disaster alerts, and more. Plans are also in the works for English broadcasts with the prospect of Chinese and Korean programming, too.
If you look closely at the HOMMOKU BASE logo, which resembles a window from afar, you will notice that it is actually made up of four letters. The letters spell out the word “NEWS”, but are also meant to represent the four directions of the compass; north, south, east, west. From whichever direction you come, you are welcome to stop by for a visit.
