MOTIVATION｜Explore with your hands and feet the way of life.

In cultural anthropology, where Ikegami majored in graduate school, guiding principle is to question once and for all what is taken for granted in the world, and to derive answers with his hands and feet through fieldwork in which he walks, talks, and feels for himself. Mr. Ikegami shared this philosophy, and doubted the commonly held belief that "once you get a job, you should first try working for 2-3 years. She decided that "if I am going to spend the same amount of time working, I might as well do what I want to do," and quit her job as a sales representative at an apparel company after four months. His interest in making clothes led him to Okayama, where the textile industry is thriving, where he met Kota Miyake, who runs a campground in Mimasaka. Mr. Ikegami, who emphasized the importance of moving his hands and feet and feeling with all five senses, and Mr. Miyake, who has actually spent time in nature. The result of their encounter was "Mountain-related Etcetera," which offers mountain experiences.

ツナガリ｜「そこにあるもの」から始まる地域おこし

池上さんは「服作りの現場がそこにある」という理由で岡山県に移住したものの、当初は土地勘がなく、地域の人との繋がりもなかった。そんな土地でゲストハウスの設立をはじめ、エトセトラとしての山での活動の傍ら、地元高校生への授業をプロデュースしたり、繊維に関するイベントの企画運営も行った。そして現在、池上さんの活動は、アパレルブランドの運営へと形を変えている。一見して、これらの活動同士には関連が見えないが、実はすべて池上さんが地域を歩き、手を動かすというフィールドワークを通して自ら構想したものだ。人もモノも「そこ（地域）にあるもの」を繋げて、あたらしいものを組み立てる。それは人や文化を外から持ってくるような地域おこしとは逆をいく、地域からボトムアップする地域おこしだ。それゆえに池上さんの行う全てのプロジェクトが、その土地と人々に馴染んでいるような印象を受けるのだろう。

ECOSYSTEM ｜Regional development starting from "what is there"

Mr. Ikegami moved to Okayama Prefecture because "that is where the clothes are made," but at first he did not know the area and had no connections with the local people. In such a land, he established a guesthouse, produced classes for local high school students, and planned and managed textile-related events, in addition to his activities in the mountains as an et cetera. And now, Ikegami's activities have morphed into the management of an apparel brand. At first glance, these activities may not appear to be related to each other, but in fact, they were all conceived by Mr. Ikegami himself through his fieldwork of walking around the region and working with his hands. He creates new things by connecting people and things that are already there (in the region). This is the opposite of the kind of regional revitalization that brings in people and culture from the outside; it is a form of regional revitalization that comes from the bottom up, from the local community. This is why all of Mr. Ikegami's projects seem to fit in with the region and its people.

コツ｜人と丁寧に関わる

池上さんの物事の判断軸は「やりたいかどうか」だという。「どうせ時間を費やすなら好きなこと、面白いなと思ったことをやりたい」と語った。実際に池上さんは彼個人で多岐にわたる活動を展開している。ゆかりのない岡山の土地で、それまでのキャリアや人脈とは切り離された状況から、なぜそのような活躍ができているのだろうか。その秘訣は、それぞれの活動に巻き込む人との丁寧なコミュニケーションにありそうだ。池上さんは、関わってくれる人々ができるだけ無理なく、それぞれが納得した活動ができるような、心地の良い関係性を築くことを心掛けている。地域の山や工場に実際に足を運び、出入りをすることを通して、その土地の人やものと真摯に向き合うスタイルを貫く池上さんだからこそ、より多くの技術者・専門的な人たちとの関わり合いの中で、ひとつひとつのプロジェクトを実現させているのだ。

Tips｜Engage with others carefully

Mr. Ikegami's axis for judging things is "whether or not I want to do it. If I am going to spend my time, I want to do what I like and what I think is interesting," he said. In fact, Mr. Ikegami is involved in a wide range of activities on his own. How is it possible for him to be so active in Okayama, a place with which he has no connection, and a situation that is so disconnected from his previous career and personal connections? The secret seems to lie in careful communication with the people involved in each activity. Mr. Ikegami tries to build a comfortable relationship with the people involved, so that each person can be involved in activities that are as easy and satisfying to them as possible. It is precisely because Mr. Ikegami adheres to a style of sincerely dealing with local people and things through actual visits to and from local mountains and factories that he is able to realize each and every project by engaging with more and more technical and professional people.

コレカラ ｜服から始まる循環の渦

一度製品になった衣類には様々な素材が含まれているため、「再利用」するのにはそれらを分別するコストがかかる。そこでland down underは、工場にて廃棄される「未使用」の生地を再利用した「循環するジーンズ」の製作販売でブランドの旗揚げをした。池上さんは今後、廃棄素材の再利用だけでなく、一度製品となったものも再利用することで100％のリサイクルをすることを目指している。具体的には、デザインの段階からリサイクルを前提とした服の開発と、消費者から衣類を回収し、リサイクルして再び服を生み出す事業の展開であり、そこに周囲のブランドも巻き込むことで、地域一体となって服の循環を形成する仕組みを作ろうとしている。日本全国に散らばった倉敷の製品が再び倉敷で息を吹き返す、land down underが作る循環は、倉敷にあるもの、人、技術を中心とした新たな渦を巻き起こすかもしれない。

FOR THE FUTURE ｜The vortex of circulation that begins with clothes

Once a garment is made into a product, it contains various materials, and "reusing" them involves the cost of sorting them out. Therefore, land down under has launched its brand by producing and selling "recyclable jeans" by reusing "unused" fabrics discarded at factories. In the future, Mr. Ikegami aims to achieve 100% recycling by not only reusing discarded materials, but also reusing once they become products. Specifically, this means developing clothing that is designed to be recycled from the design stage, and developing a business that collects clothing from consumers and recycles it to produce clothing again. The recycling process involves the involvement of surrounding brands, and the company is attempting to create a system that will form a regional clothing cycle. The circulation created by "land down under," in which Kurashiki products scattered all over Japan come back to life in Kurashiki, may create a new vortex centered on the products, people, and technology that exist in Kurashiki.