Cooperative Housing International produces a series of podcasts to bring conversations and stories about cooperative living and why housing co-ops are such wonderful and unique places to live.

This podcast episode features an interview with Tsukasa Ono and Marina Takahasi, who are members of Sumu Yakushima, a housing cooperative located on Yakushima, a small island in Japan. The cooperative, which Tsukasa designed, is jointly owned by eight members through a joint-stock company and combines modern and traditional Japanese architecture to create a balance between the built and natural environments.

Take some time to listen to the story of how and why this cooperative was born during the most challenging times of the COVID pandemic, and has since blossomed into a beautiful, sustainable and inspiring lifestyle for many future generations.