Event Report for ‘In the Loop, vol. 2’ where people interested in circular design and sustainability connect

“In the Loop” is a Circularly Driven Pop-up Community initiated by FabCafe Tokyo in partnership with Ekolokal.

On November 20th, the second edition of In the Loop took place, attracting approximately 100 participants to a one-day event focused on circular design and sustainability.

Let me provide you with information about what In the Loop entails, along with photos from the event!

The event took place on both the 1st and 2nd floors. On the 1st floor at FabCafe, there were pop-up stores featuring “CACTUS Tokyo,” specializing in cactus leather, “KiNaKo,” a designer jewelry brand created from architectural waste, and “SUSTAINABLE lifestyle,” a zero-waste goods store promoting sustainable living. The kitchen offered vegan burgers, and beer sales contributed to reducing food waste.

The owners of the pop-up stores engaged with visitors by providing explanations about their products and exchanging opinions with them during the event.

Additionally, at the café, vegan burgers from “LUNA BURGER,” sustainable beer from bread, and hemp protein smoothies from ASAKARA were available for purchase. The 60 burgers prepared for the event became extremely popular, with only 4 remaining after just 5 hours.

In the Loop banner and pop-up menu design by Dai Gondo

On the second floor, there was a compost box handmade workshop by “CATs,” and a swap market organized by “Swap Stories Tokyo” took place.

The picture above shows the process of making a compost box. Composting is the practice of turning kitchen waste into fertilizer for gardens. Despite facing some challenges with physical work, participants enjoyed the do-it-yourself (DIY) aspect.

Genki Nakamura (pictured on the right) hosted this workshop. He manages a local community called “CATs” on Cat Street in Harajuku. Nakamura organizes activities such as cleanups, composting, and farming to create a cycle within the community, promoting sustainability.

Participants took home a sheet with instructions on how to make compost and the compost box they crafted themselves. One participant mentioned, “I’ll give it a try as soon as I get home!” expressing enthusiasm for implementing what they learned during the workshop.

People also enjoyed burgers and beer in the break area.

Moreover, there was a swap market where people exchanged items such as unwanted clothes and books. What might be unnecessary for one person could be a treasure for someone else, making it a great opportunity to reuse old items. Diya (pictured in the middle), who operates Swap Stories, organizes swap markets across various locations in Tokyo.

The second one-day event, which saw the participation of a total of 100 people, including staff, was a gathering place where many individuals could come together and connect.

In the Loop is currently seeking collaborators and volunteers. If you’re interested, please apply through this form!