Kazuko Yoshida - Manager, NPO Riku Café
Kazuko Yoshida is a founding member and co-manager of Riku Café. NPO Riku Café, which was established after the earthquake and tsunami, provides a space for people in the community to relax, to come together over coffee or tea, and to share information. After the disaster, Yoshida’s house, which survived, became a hub for receiving relief goods and for sharing information, and she and her friends realized the importance of creating a similar space for the community. The concept for Riku Café started as a “living room” for the community, but is now also a restaurant and is available for special events, lectures and concerts. Riku Cafe was a temporary structure with no kitchen, indoor restrooms or office space, and given the popularity of the Café, it has reopened in a larger, permanent building with kitchen and indoor restrooms.