A project to make the most of everything we have and leave it behind in a sustainable way.
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The story begins in a room of an old building.
Recruitment and staffing agency JOBIA has launched the SustainuS project
to change the future into what we want it to be.
JOBIA has always believed that the relationship between people and places were important,
and would like to introduce you to a new form of Sustain us.
The aim behind the name “SustainuS”
Sustain : maintain and energize
us : all of the companies and people who were hurt
by covid19
JOBIA Co., Ltd.
CEO
Kayo Kibi
We want to ensure that the important things survives for future generations.
Brand
Story
4
5
6
Sales of recruitment and staffing services were halved
Due to the covid19 pandemic from 2020, our sales as a company were halved. As well as the crisis in the company, what was most distressing was to see that there were people who wanted to work, but there was no place for them to do so.
It was at this time that we moved our Yokohama head office to a building in Higashi-hakuraku, which we owned, only to find that the entire tenant area was now vacant. This was also due to the covid19 pandemic.
It was at this time that we moved our Yokohama head office to a building in Higashi-hakuraku, which we owned, only to find that the entire tenant area was now vacant. This was also due to the covid19 pandemic.
Faced with this old, hollow building, awaiting demolition, my mind was somehow set in the opposite direction: "Let's take care of things that were unable to make use of.” This was the beginning of a new challenge for us.
CHAPTER
2
Will the old building continue to decay?
The surrounding buildings are similarly full of empty tenants.
When we looked again at the city, we noticed that there were many buildings around us that were also full of empty tenants. Covid19’s impact was spreading throughout the area and it looked like the very future that the building owners were wandering into.
We could have given up the building and moved to another place. But we chose to "inherit the place". It was not about nostalgia, it's about creating a place where the people of this area can come together and create a future. In order to achieve this, we thought it was necessary to create a package scheme that would beautify and revive a dilapidated building and use the space with new business content. We thought that if we could come up with this business model, it would give hope to other building owners.
3
CHAPTER
The challenge of the sixth industry
There are 3 pillars to the challenge.
First of all, in order to make the most of the talent available to you, you should not only wait to receive requests for placement or temporary employment, but also become the main operator of your own sales.
Furthermore, we make the most of our registered staff by developing and selling our own products.
The stage for achieving this is the rehabilitation and use of old buildings.
We decided that the best way to achieve this was the “sixth industry” and we revitalized a building.
What is the sixth industry
The sixth industry is an initiative to create a new industry by combining the first industry (agriculture, forestry and fishing), second industry (manufacturing and processing) and third industry (distribution and sales).
01
High value-added plant production
02
Manufacturing
and processing
03
Distribution
and sales
Creating a hydroponic farm inside a building
Manufacturing and developing our own products
Café / Restaurant
We launched the SustainuS project to create a hydroponic farm in our building, a kitchen to process the produce, and a café and shop to sell it. As a company that has been in the human resources business for a long time, we wanted to create a place where we could make the most of everyone involved, including ourselves, our employees, registered staff and local talent. The idea behind this project was inevitably based on the proposition that we should all make the most of what we have, sustainably.
BUILDING
1F：ICONIC STAGE / ICONIC STAGE cafe
03
Third industry |
Distribution and sales
2F：ICONIC STAGE kitchen
02
Second industry |
Manufacturing and processing
3F：SustainuS farm
01
First industry |
High value-added plant production
4F：JOBIA（reception）
5F：JOBIA
RF：roof terrace
CHAPTER
4
All of our thoughts
The sixth industrialisation of the building will also increase the "joy of sales".
Cultivation, production and processing, and food and drink are fields in which women can play a particularly active role. We want to create a stage where women of the Showa era, who have been working in the food industry, can work more actively.
When we started recruiting new hydroponics staff at SustainuS farm, we were surprised to find that there were so many women interested in this kind of work! It made me realize once again that the fundamental joy of growing and harvesting is the same even if it's in a city building. I was also convinced that if the harvest could be created into cube cakes at SustainuS kitchen, sold at ICONIC STAGE, and then widely distributed to the world through websites and events, our motivation to work here would be even higher. I feel there aren't many businesses that can manufacture, process, develop and sell their produce in a great way as a way of "cultivation".
The development of a sixth industry in the building will not only increase employment opportunities in many different fields of work, but will also create "the joy of selling something you love". It is no exaggeration to say that we can propose how to create such a working environment which will improve not only the amount of human resources to be invested but also their work satisfaction.
Old buildings are reborn with new 'value'.
With the help of many people, our old and deserted building has been reborn. It is a dream building where we aim to offer new values to our customers, from production to processing and sales.
The circles on the image are optimized and there are front / back of the building.
SustainuS farm
On the third floor of the building we have a futuristic LED vegetable farm, where we grow the vegetables and edible flowers used in ICONIC STAGE.
The LED vegetable garden uses "LED" and "hydroponics" instead of the sun and soil. The temperature, humidity and intensity of light are regulated to create the environment necessary for the plants to grow. As plants are not subject to the resistance of the soil, they can grow freely, absorbing plenty of water, nutrients and air.
As the vegetables are grown in the same building, we have reduced the CO2 emissions that would have been caused by the transport of the vegetables and the amount of water used is reduced to 1/10th to 1/20th of what it would be if the vegetables were grown on a regular farm.
CHAPTER
5
Hydroponics in a building
CHAPTER
6
Food and sweets for the senses
ICONIC STAGE
A food brand established in Higashi-hakuraku, ICONIC STAGE is a café and shop that consists of ingredients that are created and sold within the store.
Used in our sweets and dishes are dozens of edible flowers and herbs, carefully grown hydroponically in the same building. In addition, we use non-standard vegetables that are delivered daily from local contract farmers.
Under the supervision of Yuka Macaron, a leading expert in catering, we have created an original menu to enhance the beauty and taste of freshly picked ingredients.
The menu includes sweets that can be enjoyed with all of your 5 senses and dishes that will cleanse you from the inside out.
We hope to become an ICON that will bring a moment of freshness to your everyday life.
We invite you to experience the comfort of being part of a sustainable cycle.
shop
ICONIC STAGE sells luxurious cube cakes accented with freshly picked edible flowers, delicious fondant chocolates with a hint of herbs, parfaits and soft serve ice cream made by Kintaro milk, freshly baked focaccia and many other sweets. They’re also an ideal gift for someone special and the moment you unwrap the package you will be greeted with a dessert that will make your heart bloom with joy.
cafe
The menu is rich in fresh herbs grown hydroponically and has a great variety of choices including children's lunches. The restaurant is open all day from breakfast to dinner. A wide range of sweets, available in the adjoining shop, are also served in their most delicious state.
The store is a relaxing water-like teal color and feels like a comfortable living room where you can just be yourself.
ICONIC STAGE is also an ideal place for community gatherings, events and learning about food.
JOBIA
人材紹介、人材派遣をする会社で、主に女性の自助の為の就労支援を行う。創業の1959年以来、社会環境が変化しつつも、女性の就労環境をより良く整備する事、また働き方を創造することを励行。職業安定法、派遣法をうまく活用しながら、発掘されていない就労者の可能性を活かす事にチャレンジしている。
ACCESS
2-9-11, Nishi Kanagawa, Kanagawa-ku,
Yokohama City,
Kanagawa Prefecture
221-0822
2 minute walk from Higashi-hakuraku station on the Tokyu Toyoko Line
