No.175 "LOUNGE WiTH372" 1st Anniversary Ceremony

July 23 marked the first anniversary of the public opening of "LOUNGE WiTH372," established at the Community General Support Center Koyodai. Mr. Yoshino, Executive Managing Director of Kiraboshi Bank Co., Ltd., and I were invited as guests, and Mr. Moriyama, President and CEO of the hosting company Earth Support Co., Ltd., attended the commemorative ceremony.

First Phase of Community Contribution Project

The story goes back two years to April 24, 2024, when Tokyo Kiraboshi Financial Group Inc., Kiraboshi Bank Inc., Earth Support Inc., and Inagi City signed a four-party agreement on "Deepening and Promoting the Community-Based Integrated Care System through Public-Private Partnership Using the Kiraboshi Bank Inagi Koyodai Branch Office Building, and Community Contribution."

Kiraboshi Bank consulted with City Hall about whether the vacant branch space could be effectively utilized, as they planned to consolidate the Koyodai Branch with the Inagi Branch, leaving only the ATM unmanned. Previously, due to regulations by the Financial Services Agency, even vacant bank branches were not allowed to be used for other purposes, but deregulation has now made it possible if it is for community contribution projects.

Meanwhile, Earth Support had been looking for a new location to move their office, which had become cramped due to the advancing aging of the Koyodai area.

Therefore, it was proposed to utilize the new location as the relocation site for the Community General Support Center Koyodai, which is commissioned by the city, and by having the city subsidize part of the relocation expenses, an agreement was reached, allowing the opening ceremony to be held on June 25.

For Earth Support, which operates Community General Support Centers at 26 locations nationwide, this is the first time they have had such a spacious and user-friendly facility. It features ample space for receiving consultations from local residents, the ATM corner remains as convenient as before, a personal information storage vault utilizing the safe from the former bank space, and a large lobby area capable of hosting various events—altogether, it is an unprecedented and pioneering layout.

Second Phase of the Community Contribution Project

This building was originally rented as a bank branch, but its spacious area is also ideal as a welfare facility, and with some renovations, it held the potential to be even more appreciated by its users.

Earth Support proposed to make effective use of all areas except the ATM corner, including the lobby, consultation space, and back space. While the city was considering the financial resources, at that very time, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government introduced the "Comprehensive Subsidy Program for Children, Longevity, and Community Spaces in Wards, Cities, and Towns," commonly known as the "3C Subsidy." By applying through the city, it became possible to utilize this subsidy, enabling large-scale renovations and overall facility improvements. General use began on July 23, 2025.

During the facility renovation, many local residents from children to the elderly participated, and it was reborn as a wonderful café-like facility. We would like to once again express our gratitude to the local residents, Kiraboshi Bank, and the people involved with Earth Support.

This project has become one of the excellent examples among the public-private partnership projects implemented by the city. We sincerely hope that many citizens will visit and make effective use of it as the core of the local community.