FaithActs x Ibasho Margaret Drive Centre was launched at Singapore

Ibasho, a new initiative under the Health District @ Queenstown, is partnering FaithActs’ new Active Ageing Centre in Margaret Drive to enable older persons to play a leading role in community change FaithActs and Ibasho are pleased to announce a collaboration between the social service agency and the global non-profit organisation, committed to creating socially integrated and resilient communities. This partnership aims to infuse Ibasho’s eight principles into FaithActs’ new Active Ageing Centre (AAC) in Margaret Drive, empowering older persons to lead activities and partake in community building. This project is supported by the Health District @ Queenstown. The new FaithActs x Ibasho Margaret Drive Centre was launched by Senior […]

Purposeful Longevity & Community Building Symposium

The number of ageing societies around the world are increasing, signalling a crucial need to address how this demographic shift impacts the health and well-being for older persons. Jointly held by the Centre for Population Health and Next Age Institute of the National University of Singapore, the symposium brings together academics, experts, policymakers and community organisers in Asia to share their experiences on community-based initiatives to empower and enhance the lives of the ageing community. The one-day symposium aims to be a great learning opportunity for all participants on identifying the best practices for optimising the health and well-being of older persons and provide a more holistic perspective on well-being […]

Feeding activity at The Philippines

On July 10th, 2021, after conducting the Senior Citizens Association of Barangay Bagong Buhay (SCA-BBB) Monthly Meeting, the SCA-BBB and Ibasho Philippines leaders join hands once again in facilitating a feeding activity for the less fortunate children of Barangay Bagong Buhay, as the country celebrates its 47th Annual Nutrition Month. The feeding activity was made possible through a generous donor (We sincerely thank you for your support). The activity was repeated on July 11th as they divided the children into 2 groups for better facilitation.

Ibasho Singapore booklet

In June 2021, four Nanyang Girls High students: Kirstin, Yue Xin, Bing Xuan and Charmaine responded to an internship opportunity with ibasho. Their mission is to find out more about programme for older adults in ageing countries. They were attracted by the ethos of ibasho Japn: Seniors empowerment and eight key principles. In a short period of 3 weeks, they researched diligently on the topic and compared with the multicultural and multigenerational environment between different countries and Singapore. Dr Kelvin Tan, faculty member of Gerontology Programme in Singapore University of Social Science was their mentor. A close to heart conversation with Dr Emi Kiyota was the prized opportunity for the […]

Windows installation of the Ibasho Philippines Building

The global pandemic that is COVID-19 either slowed down or stopped many things in its tracks. Including activities/progress for Ibasho Philippines. For a time, The Ibasho Philippines Building in Barangay Bagong Buhay of Ormoc City, served the purpose of being one of the quarantine facilities utilized by the city government. The elders of Ibasho Philippines should be proud that the building served such a purpose during these trying times. Cases still rise in the Philippines, but restrictions are no longer as strict. Lockdowns are no longer in place, but everyone is required to continue social distancing and wearing of masks, among other precautionary measures. The city government is no longer […]

The Role of Design in Promoting Social Connections

Dr. Kiyota, a founder of Ibasho, joined The Green House Project’s webinar “The Role of Design in Promoting Social Connections” on January 26, 2021. The Role of Design in Promoting Social Connections Emi Kiyota, PhD, founder of Ibasho, a model of eldercare that creates socially integrated and sustainable societies that value elders. She explains how Ibasho strengthens the social ties of elders in the communities and harnesses their skills and experience to create a positive impact in the community.

AARP’s online dialogue “Facilitate Intergenerational Engagement”

Dr. Kiyota, a founder of Ibasho, joined AARP’s online dialogue “Equity By Design Virtual Dialogue 5: Facilitate Intergenerational Engagement” on January 14, 2021. Equity by Design How do we make our built environment, at every scale, a tool for disease prevention and the promotion of wellness for all? As we begin to build and renovate our homes and communities in a post-COVID-19 world, we must radically accelerate the application of an age-friendly framework that addresses disparities. This means housing and communities that are safe, affordable, and facilitate multigenerational interaction; meet sensory, emotional, physical, social, behavioral, and health needs across the lifespan; and include appropriate transportation options—enabling every resident to thrive. […]

Nepal Pictorial Booklet

We are excited to share the new Ibasho Nepal booklet, a handbook describing the Ibasho core principles with colorful photos, paintings and prose inspired by our visit to Ibasho Nepal in 2019. We are especially grateful to the Ibasho members in Matathirta for hosting us, to our team of translators at Bihani Social Venture, and to our Ibasho colleague Yasuhiro Tanaka for designing the booklet. Click here to view the booklet. Letter from Emi Kiyota, Ibasho Founder “The time to be happy now, the place to be happy is here, and the way to be happy is to make other people happy.” I found this quote when I was working […]

Ibasho House in Japan: 7th Anniversary on the June 13, 2020

It has already been 7 years since we opened the door of the Ibasho House with our elders and dedicated supporters. Our elders taught us so much and touched so many people’s lives over this 7 years. This project was started out of natural disaster, and our elders have proven that communities could bounce back better after crises. We also learned that elders are so resilient and they had so much to contribute in the process of the recovery from extremely difficult time. At this challenging time of COVID19, I hope the strength of elders in this slideshow will give us hope and inspiration for our better future. Congratulations to […]

Ibasho’s booklet is available for free: Our response to COVID-19

In this social distancing period due to the COVID-19 virus, elders are considered to be a vulnerable population who need to be cared for and protected. To get through this challenging time, we should all take a cautious approach together.Once the worst of this pandemic crisis passes, we have an important task to heal our society by mending the social fabric, so that we are able to engage with others without fear. Ibasho envisions that the wisdom and experiences that elders can bring will be a critical element of this process. We are making our “Ibasho’s 8 Principles” book available for free as our contribution in this challenging time. It […]

The Role of Elders in a Societal Recovery from COVID-19

The Eden Alternative Facebook Live Monday, April 20th, 2020 featuring Emi Kiyota, found of Ibasho Dr. Al Power, Geriatrician, Author, Educator, Musician Ann Wyatt, MSW, Long term care program development We will explore the critical lessons learned during natural disasters and how they can be applied as our world recovers from the pandemic Sponsored by: SWBR In times of crisis, Elders are often cast into victim roles. Emi Kiyota, founder of Ibasho, turns that narrative around. After the 2011 earthquake and typhoon, the first Ibasho Café was created, founded in the power of Elders to drive community support services and recovery. That project continues to this day along with additional […]

Lessons Learned from Replicating Ibasho

Both our Ibasho technical team and local elders learned important Lessons in the process of replicating the Ibasho concept in post-disaster areas of the Philippines and Nepal. While both communities benefited from facilitation and technical support provided by individuals and organizations in Japan, Japanese expertise and methods needed to be modified in order to fit the culture and capacities of communities in different countries. Lesson 1: Find local elder leaders through collaborating with existing community organizations Ibasho’s mission is to create inclusive communities led by a group of elders. To find those elders when starting a new program, we learned that it is most effective to collaborate with local organizations […]