At Roopt, we not only recruit residents but also regularly hold events to introduce many people to the charm of share house living and Miyagi Prefecture. From these events, this time we bring you a report on the "2nd Roopt MEET UP" held for three days from Friday, July 22nd to Sunday, July 24th, 2022!
The 1st Roopt MEET UP, held in April 2022, had many participants who were visiting Miyagi Prefecture for the first time, so a coordinator guided them to discover the charm of the town. However, this time, as many participants had a connection to Miyagi Prefecture, the event was fittingly a "MEET UP" where everyone enjoyed the town from their own perspective and shared their experiences.
Please read on to find out how the participants enjoyed themselves.
To briefly explain Roopt MEET UP, it's an event where participants "experience life in Miyagi Prefecture's port towns while staying at various Roopt locations." It's held to introduce the charm of Roopt and Miyagi Prefecture through town walks and interactions, set in Shiogama City, Higashimatsushima City, and Ishinomaki City, where Roopt locations exist as of August 2022. The 1st event was held in April 2022, and the 2nd in July of the same year.
Participants
A total of 5 people from Tokyo, Fukushima, and Sendai participated in the 2nd Roopt MEET UP. They were all "meeting for the first time" and seemed to have warmed up to each other over the three days.
The 3-day MEET UP proceeded with the following schedule:
Day 1: July 22nd (Fri) 12:00 Orientation & Share House Tour @Roopt Shiogama Kaigandori 13:30 Lunch 14:30 Free Time 18:00 Check-in & Share House Tour @Roopt Higashimatsushima Shintome 19:00 Social Gathering @Roopt Higashimatsushima Shintome Day 2: July 23rd (Sat) 11:00 Relax & Lunch @Irodori no Oka 14:00 Ishinomaki Town Tour 16:00 Check-in & Guesthouse Tour @Roopt Ishinomaki Izumicho-OGAWA- 16:30 Free Time 19:00 Social Gathering @Roopt Ishinomaki Izumicho-OGAWA- Day 3: July 24th (Sun) 10:00 MEET UP Summary @Roopt Ishinomaki Izumicho-OGAWA- 10:30 Dismissal & Free Time
As mentioned earlier, this MEET UP prioritized "freedom," allowing participants to enjoy the town and share house life in their own way during the extended free time.
We gathered at Roopt Shiogama Kaigandori, completed brief self-introductions and orientation, and then, as is customary for MEET UP (?), explained Roopt's renovation. The renovation incorporated many interesting ideas, and the participants seemed to listen with great interest.
As we started to get hungry, we all went for lunch! At "Harema," a cafe created by renovating the former Ebiya Ryokan, a 140-year-old inn, we were able to communicate deeply while enjoying our meal.
We had planned a Shiogama town tour by the coordinator from here, but it was canceled due to a sudden heavy downpour, leading to free time. It was an interesting time, like a group activity despite being free time, with everyone reporting their locations in the LINE group and even meeting by chance at their destinations.
By the way, the coordinator enjoyed a leisurely appreciation of the artworks at the Shiogama City Sugimura Jun Museum of Art.
After enjoying Shiogama, we moved from Hon-Shiogama Station to Tona Station on the JR Senseki Line and checked into Roopt Higashimatsushima Shintome, our accommodation for the first day. Similar to Roopt Shiogama Kaigandori, we gave a share house tour, and everyone seemed surprised by the size of 9LDK.
The first day concluded with a social gathering in the living room of Roopt Higashimatsushima Shintome.
As it was the first day, we played board games as an icebreaker, and it was a huge hit! Everyone forgot their age and innocently enjoyed the board games (lol). After the social gathering, everyone seemed to have warmed up, and they reportedly continued talking until late at night even after the coordinator left.
Day 2 started quite leisurely.
Mitsuru Sato, an intern at Makigumi, prepared breakfast, everyone went for a walk, and some worked. Even though it was a MEET UP, it seemed like they were spending a normal holiday morning, which was reassuring for the coordinator.
The first destination on the second day was "Irodori no Oka" (opened in 2021), a complex facility operated by a medical corporation. It's a unique facility that combines clinics and nursing homes with cafes, restaurants, hot springs, and bedrock baths, offering all kinds of relaxation.
This MEET UP was all about "prioritizing freedom." Upon arrival, participants split into hot spring and cafe groups, and then had lunch at their own pace, resulting in two hours of leisurely time. A beer after a bath also sounds delicious!
We moved from Tona Station to Ishinomaki Station on the JR Senseki Line, and the Ishinomaki town tour started immediately! The downtown area of Ishinomaki has interesting sights and shops compactly gathered, making it a course where you can get a digest of Ishinomaki's charm.
We visited the following spots and shops:
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