”IBASHO” in Japan means a place where people can feel safe, have roles, and recognize their lives as meaningful. If IBASHO helps older adults to see their lives as meaningful, implementing “IBASHO” in the community would possibly contribute to community members’ objective well-being… Findings suggest that implementing “IBASHO” within community settings is associated with higher levels of well-being among older adults in the community. “IBASHO” is crucial to realizing the “no one left behind” policy in Japan.’
A Japanese-to-English dictionary may translate ibasho as "whereabouts; place; location." However, as the quote above illustrates, the word is also deeply tied to the sense of belonging and mental well-being. Ibasho is composed of two words: the verb iru, meaning "to exist," and basho, meaning "place." Together, ibasho translates to "a place to be," inviting reflection on who is important to you and how you find your place in the world. This could refer to a physical space where you feel connected to your environment, such as a favorite holiday spot, the beach, a park, or your local café.
On another level, ibasho can represent a social niche rather than a physical one—the group of people with whom you can be yourself. It’s the social context where you feel that you belong, providing the psychological well-being that comes from feeling peaceful, secure, accepted, and connected.
Having ibasho provides you with the freedom to be yourself in an environment where you have a role and can express your true thoughts and feelings. This shows that ibasho is not limited to a physical place but is more of a state of mind—a space where one can be authentic, experience connection and trust, and feel at ease. In such an environment, people feel comfortable sharing personal stories and their innermost thoughts.
A role gives you a place to belong
“Ibasho empowers older people to engage in meaningful activities, cultivate a sense of purpose, and build relationships beyond professional caregivers. Having a meaningful role and feeling valued boosts confidence while reducing feelings of depression and dependency.”
My Japanese friends often tell me that their ibasho provides them with anshin-kan—a sense of relief or “peace of mind.” People experience anshin-kan when they feel physically safe, accepted by others, and have clear roles to fulfill. This sense of safety and acceptance arises when their presence is valued, and they share common values within their group—emotional experiences are essential for creating ibasho.
Ibasho also fosters ibasho-kan—a sense of belonging. A role strengthens ibasho-kan by connecting individuals to others in society, offering them a sense of purpose and enabling them to live authentically.
According to Daiki, people increase their sense of rolefulness through collaboration in an ibasho context. He realized this while reflecting on a study he conducted using LEGO block construction. In this study, participants collaboratively expressed their creative ideas through building with LEGO blocks. They examined how such collaborative tasks could enhance a sense of ibasho.
The findings indicated that participants’ sense of role developed during the block construction process, suggesting that collaborative tasks, such as building with LEGO, can be an effective medium for fostering communication in group settings or a valuable tool in group therapy. Collaborative creation—whether through LEGO building or community-building activities—fosters a sense of belonging and role satisfaction.
Based on these findings, they observed that rolefulness could be enhanced in the short term by strengthening social relationships. The study underscored the importance of investigating how we acquire a sense of role and understanding the structure of role satisfaction.
They believe that social rolefulness buffers the effects of lacking social competence and enhances a sense of acceptance. Emotional connections with others and feeling accepted are essential for improving mental health.
The necessity of ibasho
The recent rapid changes in nature and society have had a profound psychological impact on us. Disasters such as floods and earthquakes can abruptly disrupt our lives. The social impact of COVID-19 is ongoing, significantly affecting our social roles. In emergencies, anyone can be directly affected—including professionals like medical workers, who typically serve others under normal circumstances. But during times of crisis, even they may find their roles upended, leading to role confusion and a loss of identity.
This risk is not limited to medical professionals. For example, office workers who cannot visit their workplaces or communicate with colleagues in person, or students who experience disrupted education and interactions due to school closures, may also face this challenge.
Therefore, it is crucial for people to engage with others in an ibasho—a place where they feel accepted and have a role to play.
A lack of role leads to a lack of ibasho-kan, a sense of belonging.
We are currently facing significant difficulties in fulfilling our social roles. Society is rapidly changing. Communication is now often reduced to short and impersonal messages via the internet, and AI is starting to replace certain roles or even eliminate them altogether. With all this change, it is becoming increasingly challenging to identify and fulfill our roles and responsibilities.
Having various social roles is clearly an important factor in developing rolefulness. However, as we’ve discussed, another key insight is that rolefulness—general role satisfaction—is not tied to any particular profession or job position. We argue that everyone can increase their rolefulness through daily social interactions.
Rolefulness is not about engaging in special activities; rather, it involves ordinary interactions, such as greetings, conversations, and expressing gratitude to the people who are important to you.