Our staff
These are the staff members working for the community division at SHIBAURA HOUSE. Their backgrounds are different, but they seem to share a similar sensibility. If you come across them, feel free to talk. We have staff members who can communicate in Japanese, English, or Chinese.
▼ Current staff
Minori Sawaki
Minori is a new staff member from Yokohama. She is responsible for international cultural projects and projects involving children. She is quick and responsive, and seems like she can handle anything. She takes real pleasure in food.
Poyen Chiang
Poyen is a new staff member from Taiwan. She is mostly in charge of new projects in the community space. It was three years ago when we got to know her in Taiwan, and it led her to work at SHIBAURA HOUSE. She’s usually quiet and humble, but when she gets excited or passionate about something, she transforms.
Kana Sato
SHIBAURA HOUSE has a promising newcomer who is earnest and perhaps a little nervous. She came to her job interview with us an hour early, which sums up her personality. Although she applied for a job as an accountant, she is now working as a barista. With the help of a drink or two of good Sake, she exposes her true self.
Miho Shimizu
Miho is an influential mover and shaker who supports SHIBAURA HOUSE from behind the scenes. A few years ago, she said: “I will go back being a full-time artist” and left, but she came back to us. That said, she’s not here every day.
Ryuichiro Suzuki
Ryuichiro sometimes works as a photographer, and sometimes works for SHIBAURA HOUSE. He’s a jack-of-all-trades; his abilities range from music, plants, food, and crafts; Recently, he started a radio program with Miho.
▼ Backstage staff
Naoko Tochigi
Her nickname is “Tochii”. She is a mid-career member of staff with 13 years of experience, working at our office, she’s often running around. Mostly working on publicity and photography. She is also the mother of two children.
Masaru Ito
Head of the company, who is well-aware that he is not fit for management. His favorite pastimes are drinking and cycling, and he is also a passionate fan of the baseball team Yakult Swallows.
▼ Former staff (hall of fame)
Mami Motoyuki
Mami spends most of her time working on nl/minato, a collaborative project with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands based around the theme of social inclusivity. Now, as remote work has become the norm, she also works on public relations. She was born in Kobe and has already reached her sixth year at SHIBAURA HOUSE. Currently, she is on a break from work in Kobe where her parents reside.
Patrick Wheare
Patrick was born in Australia and has a background in architecture. He was in charge of planning and managing the community space at SHIBAURA HOUSE for two years until spring 2020. One of the worst things that happened to him while he was working at SHIBAURA HOUSE was suffering a terrible broken bone. Currently, he’s working until late at night at an architectural design office in Tokyo.
Kanako Iwanaka
Kanako is bright, sociable, and hard-working. She worked for five years as a core member and managed programs until 2017. Now she works for an organization involved in art. She loves beer and horumon-yaki, grilled organ meats.
(Illustrations by hagieK)
