病院の駐車場が、街の広場になる朝。
――第5回「かしま朝市」のご案内
皆さん、日曜日の朝7時、何をしていますか？
まだ布団の中でしょうか。
それとも、ようやく眠りについたところでしょうか。（笑）
そんな皆さんに、ちょっと早起きしたくなるお知らせです。
11月29日（日）、第5回「かしま朝市」が開催されます！
会場は、かしま病院の敷地内にある身体障害者駐車スペース。
普段は車が並ぶ場所が、この日の朝は、地域の人たちが集まる小さな市場に変身します。
開催時間は、朝7時から9時まで。
早い！
しかし、朝市ですから仕方ありません。（笑）
今回も、なかなか魅力的な内容です。
🥬 軽トラ市
いわき市内の目利きの八百屋さんが、全国各地から選りすぐりの野菜を取りそろえてやってきます！
産地にこだわらず、おいしさと品質にこだわった自慢の野菜たち。
さらに、地元・小名浜で育てられた新鮮な野菜を提供するブースも登場します。
全国各地の選りすぐりと、地元の恵み。
どちらも楽しめる、ちょっと贅沢な朝市です。
🩺 健康ブース
かしま病院のスタッフが、健康にまつわるお悩みにお答えします。
今回は理学療法士が担当します。
「最近、膝が気になる」「運動を始めたいけれど、何から始めたらいいの？」
そんな身近な疑問も大歓迎。
病院の診察室とは少し違った、気軽な健康相談の場です。
🍞 マルシェ
地元のおいしいものや、こだわりの商品が大集合！
パン、焼き菓子、コーヒー、お惣菜、果物、雑貨など、魅力的なお店が並びます。
朝ごはんを食べてから来るべきか。
それとも、お腹を空かせて来るべきか。
病院長としては、非常に難しい判断を迫られています。
なお、医学的には、食べ過ぎに注意が必要です。（笑）
👧 ウェルカムキッズコーナー
お子さんにも楽しんでいただける企画をご用意しています。
スタンプカードを持って各ブースを巡ったり、お友達とシール交換を楽しんだり。
鹿島地区振興会による駄菓子屋さんも登場します。
ご家族そろって、ぜひお越しください。
🤸 ラジオ体操
朝市でお買い物をして、地域の皆さんとおしゃべりして、ついでに体も動かす。
なかなか健康的な日曜日の始まりではありませんか。
■ 病気でなくても、病院に来ていい。
さて、ここからは少しだけ、病院長としてのお話です。
病院という場所は、普通、病気やけがをしたときに訪れる場所です。
できれば、お世話になりたくない。
そう思われるのも無理はありません。
しかし、私たちは以前から、病院がそれだけの場所である必要はないと考えてきました。
病気でなくても、病院に来ていい。
買い物をするためでもいい。
おいしいものを食べるためでもいい。
近所の人とおしゃべりするためでもいい。
子どもたちが遊びに来るのでもいい。
そして、何か健康のことで気になることがあれば、ついでに医療者に相談してみる。
そんな場所が、地域の中にあってもいいのではないでしょうか。
健康というのは、病気がないことだけではありません。
おいしく食べること。
体を動かすこと。
誰かと笑い合うこと。
人と人とのつながりを持つこと。
そんな日々の営みも、私たちの健康を支える大切な要素です。
病院の駐車場が、たった2時間、地域の交流広場になる。
そこには、診察室の中だけでは実現できない、もう一つの健康づくりがあると思っています。
■ 主役は、地域の皆さん。
今回で5回目を迎える「かしま朝市」。
主催するのは、鹿島地区地域振興協議会です。
かしま病院は、地域の一員として、この取り組みに協力しています。
病院が何かを一方的に提供するのではなく、地域の皆さんが主体となって、地域の楽しみやつながりをつくっていく。
私たちは、そんな活動を大切にしたいと考えています。
全国からおいしい野菜を届けてくれる八百屋さん。
地元・小名浜の恵みを届けてくれる皆さん。
魅力的な商品を用意してくださる出店者の皆さん。
そして、朝早くから足を運んでくださる地域の皆さん。
その一人ひとりが、この朝市の主役です。
私たちが目指している「地域をまるごと診る」という医療も、こうした地域のつながりの中で育っていくものだと思います。
■ 第5回「かしま朝市」開催概要
📅 日時：2026年11月29日（日）
🕖 午前7時〜9時
📍 会場：かしま病院敷地内・身体障害者駐車スペース
福島県いわき市鹿島町下蔵持字中沢目22-1
🚗 お車でお越しの方は、かしま病院の駐車場をご利用ください。駐車券は会場までお持ちください。
☂️ 小雨決行。傘が必要なほどの雨の場合は中止となります。
主催：鹿島地区地域振興協議会
協力：かしま病院
日曜日の朝、ちょっとだけ早起きして、いつもとは違う時間を過ごしてみませんか？
新鮮な野菜を選ぶ。
おいしいものを見つける。
懐かしい顔に出会う。
初めて会った人と、何気ない会話を交わす。
そんな朝のひとときが、地域を少し元気にしてくれるかもしれません。
11月29日（日）、かしま病院でお待ちしています！
ちなみに、朝市は午前7時からです。
病院長がちゃんと起きられるかどうかは、現在鋭意調整中。
ただし、万が一寝坊した場合でも、朝市は予定どおり開催されます。
病院長不在でも地域が元気に動いている。
……それこそ、私たちが目指している地域づくりの姿なのかもしれません。（笑）
A Hospital Parking Lot Becomes a Community Gathering Place
— Join Us for the 5th Kashima Morning Market!
What are you usually doing at 7:00 a.m. on a Sunday?
Still comfortably tucked up in bed?
Or perhaps you've only just managed to fall asleep? (Haha!)
Well, here's a little announcement that might make getting up early worthwhile.
The 5th Kashima Morning Market will take place on Sunday, November 29, 2026!
The venue is the designated accessible parking area on the grounds of Kashima Hospital in Iwaki, Fukushima.
For just two hours, a place normally occupied by parked cars will transform into a lively little marketplace where neighbors can meet, shop, chat, and enjoy the morning together.
Opening hours: 7:00–9:00 a.m.
Early?
Absolutely!
But then again, it wouldn't be much of a morning market if we started at noon, would it?
Here's what you can look forward to!
🥬 Fresh Vegetables from Near and Far
One of the highlights is our Kei-Truck Market, featuring fresh produce sold directly from small trucks.
A local greengrocer from Iwaki will bring a carefully selected assortment of vegetables sourced from across Japan.
Rather than focusing on a single growing region, these vegetables are chosen for their quality and deliciousness.
And that's not all!
There will also be a stall offering fresh vegetables grown locally in Onahama, a coastal area of Iwaki.
So visitors can enjoy the best of both worlds:
Carefully selected produce from across Japan, alongside fresh vegetables from our own community.
Who knows what delicious discoveries await?
🩺 Health Consultation Booth
Kashima Hospital staff will be on hand to answer questions about everyday health concerns.
This time, our physical therapist will be running the booth.
"Why has my knee been bothering me lately?"
"I'd like to exercise more, but where should I start?"
"Is there something I can do to stay active as I get older?"
Feel free to stop by and ask!
It's an opportunity to talk with a healthcare professional in a relaxed setting, quite different from a typical hospital consultation room.
No white-coat anxiety required!
🍞 Marche: Local Food, Treats, and Handmade Goods
Our market will also feature a delightful selection of food and specialty products.
Fresh bread, baked sweets, coffee, prepared foods, fruit, flowers, handmade items, and more.
There will be plenty to explore.
This presents a serious dilemma.
Should I eat breakfast before coming?
Or should I arrive hungry and investigate everything the market has to offer?
As hospital director, I feel this is a decision requiring careful consideration.
Medically speaking, of course, moderation is advisable.
Personally speaking, however…
Well, let's not get into that. (Haha!)
👧 Welcome Kids' Corner
Children are very welcome!
There will be activities designed to make the morning enjoyable for younger visitors, including:
A stamp-collecting activity
A sticker exchange booth
A traditional Japanese dagashiya corner, offering inexpensive nostalgic sweets and treats
Bring the whole family and enjoy exploring the market together.
🤸 Morning Radio Exercises
We'll also have rajio taisō, Japan's familiar group exercise routine.
A little shopping.
A little conversation.
A little exercise.
And perhaps something delicious for breakfast.
Not a bad way to begin a Sunday, is it?
You Don't Have to Be Sick to Visit a Hospital
Now, allow me to say a few words as hospital director.
Most people visit hospitals because they are ill or injured.
And naturally, many people would prefer not to have a reason to visit one at all.
That's perfectly understandable.
But at Kashima Hospital, we have long believed that a hospital can be more than a place people visit when something is wrong.
You don't have to be sick to come to a hospital.
You can come to buy vegetables.
To enjoy something delicious.
To chat with your neighbors.
To spend time with your children.
Or simply to see what's happening in the community.
And if you happen to have a question about your health, you might even have the opportunity to talk with a healthcare professional while you're here.
Why shouldn't a hospital be that kind of place?
Health is not simply the absence of disease.
It is also about enjoying good food.
Moving our bodies.
Laughing with others.
Feeling connected to the people around us.
And having places where we feel welcome.
These ordinary parts of daily life play an important role in supporting our health and well-being.
For just two hours, a hospital parking lot becomes a community gathering place.
And in those two hours, something meaningful can happen.
People meet.
Conversations begin.
Relationships grow.
A sense of community becomes a little stronger.
These are things that cannot be achieved through medical consultations alone.
This, too, is part of community healthcare.
The Community Is the Main Character
This year marks the 5th Kashima Morning Market.
The event is organized by the Kashima District Community Development Council, with Kashima Hospital participating as a supporting organization.
That distinction is important.
This is not simply a hospital organizing an event for local residents.
It is a community-led initiative, with the hospital contributing as one member of that community.
The real stars are the people who make it happen.
The greengrocer bringing carefully selected vegetables from across Japan.
The local growers providing fresh produce from Onahama.
The vendors preparing delicious food and unique products.
The volunteers helping organize the event.
And, of course, the residents who get up early and come to enjoy the morning.
Every one of them is part of what makes this market special.
At Kashima Hospital, our guiding philosophy is to care not only for individual patients, but also for the community as a whole.
We sometimes describe this as "caring for the whole community."
That doesn't mean trying to turn every aspect of daily life into a medical intervention.
Quite the opposite.
It means recognizing that people's health is shaped by their relationships, surroundings, daily activities, and opportunities to participate in community life.
And it means supporting the people and organizations already working to make our community a better place.
The Kashima Morning Market is a wonderful example of that philosophy in action.
Event Information
5th Kashima Morning Market
📅 Date: Sunday, November 29, 2026
🕖 Time: 7:00–9:00 a.m.
📍 Venue: Designated accessible parking area, Kashima Hospital grounds
Address:
22-1 Nakazawame, Shimokuramochi, Kashima-machi, Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture 971-8143, Japan
🚗 Parking: Visitors arriving by car may use the Kashima Hospital parking lot. Please bring your parking ticket to the event area.
☂️ Weather: The event will proceed in light rain but will be canceled if the rain is heavy enough to require umbrellas.
Organizer: Kashima District Community Development Council
Supporting organization: Kashima Hospital
A Little Earlier Than Usual, a Little Closer to Our Community
Why not wake up a little earlier than usual on Sunday, November 29?
Discover some delicious vegetables.
Find a new favorite bakery.
Enjoy a cup of coffee.
Run into an old friend.
Strike up a conversation with someone you've never met before.
Or simply enjoy the atmosphere of a neighborhood coming together.
Sometimes, the smallest moments create the strongest connections.
And those connections are part of what makes a community healthy.
We look forward to welcoming you to Kashima Hospital on November 29!
One final matter remains unresolved.
The market opens at 7:00 a.m.
Whether the hospital director will successfully wake up in time is currently under careful investigation.
However, I can assure you that even if the director oversleeps, the market will proceed as scheduled.
A community that thrives even when the hospital director isn't there.
Come to think of it, isn't that exactly the kind of community we should be trying to build?
(Haha!)
