We are located in the small fishing town of Manazuru, Kanagawa Japan. Founded by a former data base engineer who returned from Tokyo to his hometown of Manazuru and an IT consultant from the San Diego,United States with roots on the small island of Ocracoke on the outer banks of North Carolina. The Tech Lab was founded to be a space/co-working area for locals and weekend visitors to use to collaborate, talk, exchange ideas, and build. We have hosted a number of events for adults and hold workshops for children in the area to build and create. We were disheartened to find that so many people in Tokyo had access and knowledge of new technologies and tools that we created the Manazuru Tech Lab to expose and empower people in this small community with the ideas and desire to make new things.
Initial funding was through private investors with additional money granted by the prefectural government to buy some machines. We are located and work closely with the local schools, tourism board, and chamber of commerce to create programs and activities that can empower locals and foster a vision to create. We look forward to becoming a part of the Fablab network to increase our knowledge and connections with like minded creators around the world and Japan.
Jeff Garrish & Takayuki Shibayama
Founders