The SMSA connects with Dalkeith Men’s Shed Vice-Chairman Duncan Seymour (56), a working Shedder who recently embarked on an eye-opening trip to Japan’s first pilot Men’s Shed—Pokke Kotan in Sapporo.
Duncan, a Maintenance Technician at an Early Learning Centre in Vogrie, said: “I heard about the Scottish Men’s Sheds Movement through word of mouth and joined just over a year ago. Although I am busy in my working life, I wanted to put in the time to further connect with my community as a type of preparation for my retirement, plus improve on my D.I.Y and woodworking skills. I don’t work on Fridays and the Shed is open from 10am to 1pm that day, so I go along every week to hang out and chat.
“Our Shed, within the One Dalkeith community hub, is currently rented hourly. With only having three hours at the Shed each week, and by the time we have finished catching up with each other, there is not much time left to get in the workshop. But when I do—I love making sticks, spoons, keyrings, wooden jewellery and much more. We have talked about introducing additional opening hours in the evenings and weekends for working members like me, and hopefully we can implement those in the near future and attract new members.
“Through my personal life, career, love of playing rugby and being a member of the Midlothian Walking Rugby Club, I have been fortunate to have travelled the world but, always on a shoe string budget and let’s just say—it has made my journeys a little different to the norm!
“My wife Linda and I were planning another wee break and started looking at East Asia. I looked to see if there were any walking rugby and Men’s Sheds in Japan but could not find anything. A little perseverance and more research and I learned about the Pokke Kotan Men’s Shed—one of only two Sheds in Japan. The other Shed, ’Yo-Ro-Ya’ meaning ’let’s get together, is in the south in the village of Mizukami in Kyushu.
“I reached out to Pokke Kotan and began to correspond with Prof. Chihiro Sugimoto from Hokkaido University. Thankfully Chihiro’s English is very good and we began chatting back and forth about my plans to visit them whilst on holiday.
“Armed with handmade gifts from my fellow Dalkeith Shedders and a wee SMSA gift pack for our Sapporon brothers (including SMSA lapel pin badges and pens), my wife and I flew the 6,000 miles to Osaka on the 20th February before touring around heading north to Hokkaido. We reached Sapporo on Friday 7th March—a day before our planned Shed visit.
“The pilot Men’s Shed, supported by the Japan Community Sheds Association (JCSA) began back in October 2022 and aims to create a supportive community for its local men. Their men suffer from the same issues and problems as our Scottish men do. It is a collaboration project involving various individuals and organisations including Prof Barry Golding, Dr. Ayahito Ito (University of Tohoku) and Dr. Risa Takashima (Hokkaido University) with the goal to provide a space for local men to connect, share experiences, and engage in activities.
“On the day of our visit, Chihiro picked up my wife and I from our hotel and we navigated the snowy roads for the 45-minute drive to reach the Men’s Shed. Pokke Kotan means ‘warm village’ and we certainly received a warm and friendly welcome on our arrival.
“We were shown around the Shed, called ‘Base 871’, a former derelict house that was donated by a construction company, and it was great to see their workshop and social areas that have been transformed by their 50-strong membership. I then delivered a presentation on the Scottish Men’s Sheds Movement and what happens at our Shed before asking some questions from SMSA CEO Jason Schroeder.
“We also heard about the Japanese Men’s Shed model and it was extremely interesting to hear about their unique ‘Brain Dock’ programme where the Shedders receive annual MRI scans for brain health monitoring, prostate cancer and even male pattern baldness!
“It is fantastic to see their government taking men’s health and social isolation and loneliness so seriously. Japan has a high number of MRI scanners per capita and the Japanese government programme offers preventative health screening to identify any potential issues before they manifest as clinical symptoms. Their government is also actively investing in new MRI techniques including the use of AI in diagnostic imaging.
We come bearing gifts...
“It was then time to hand over the gifts from our Dalkeith members including Ronnie’s handmade plaque (pictured right) and the SMSA gift pack. They were intrigued by the ‘No Pub, No Bookies’ poster and I had to explain what the pub and bookies are.
“We were certainly not expecting anything in return but were delighted to be presented with one member’s beautiful origami butterflies. Following the exchange of gifts, we were then invited to go snowshoeing—which my wife and I were both more than up for trying.
“My wife Linda is a bit of a foodie and had asked if we could do a cookery class during our visit and show them how to make a traditional Scotch Broth which they kindly helped with—they even pre-soaked the pulses overnight for us. Our Japanese brothers then reciprocated by demonstrating and making hand-rolled sushi. We all then sat down to enjoy the multi-cuisine feast together.
“The visit to Pokke Kotan really opened my eyes. The welcome and hospitality was excellent and it was great to share a snippet of the Scottish Men’s Sheds Movement to them.
“We are already discussing the potential for Chihiro and a few of the Pokke Kotan Shedders to come over and visit us, some of our local Sheds and the SMSA. This is an experience I will never forget.”
Risa Takashima, Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Hokkaido University, said: “It is inspiring to hear about Duncan’s conversations with the SMSA. We’re still at the early stages of our Men’s Shed journey in Japan, so it’s encouraging to know that there is interest and support from a community with such a rich history and experience.
“We are truly honoured that Duncan wishes to share his experiences. It’s a wonderful opportunity for us to learn from his insights and to introduce the Men’s Shed concept to a broader audience in Japan. We are humbled by the interest from the Japanese Consulate in Edinburgh and this is a fantastic opportunity to foster connections and raise awareness in both of our countries.”
