The history of Ibasho House 居場所ハウスのあゆみ

When Global Network Team (GNT) held 3rd Tohoku Trip in March 2014, Tohoku trip members visited ‘Ibasho House’ in Massaki Town, Ofunato city, Iwate Prefecture. They had a good time cooking traditional food in Iwate as well as Filipino and Vietnamese food together with local people.
We would like to introduce “The history of Ibasho House” which is written about its activities.

２０１４年３月に実施された第３回東北トリップにて、私たちは岩手県大船渡市末崎町にある「居場所ハウス」を訪れました。そして、地元の方々と岩手県の郷土料理やフィリピンやベトナム料理を一緒につくり、楽しい時間を過ごしました。その「居場所ハウス」のこれまでの活動の歩みをまとめた「居場所ハウスのあゆみ」が完成したようですので、みなさんにご紹介したいと思います。

Ibasho House is crucial gathering place for local people based on its mission below. They take it for granted that they do what they can do. It was 1st anniversary in June, 2014. Furthermore, it has started a farm from the end of August and a morning market from the end of October. Please have a look at “The history of Ibasho House”.
* “The history of Ibasho House” is written only in Japanese.

居場所ハウスは、下記の運営理念のもと、地域のみなさまの「自分にできることをやるのは当たり前」との思いで運営されており、地域の方々の大切な集いの場となっています。そして、2014年6月にはオープンから一周年を迎え、8月末からは農園作り、10月末から朝市を行われているそうです。ぜひご覧ください！

Ibasho House Website  居場所ハウス ウェブサイト

http://ibasho-house.jimdo.com

Ibasho Principles／Ibahsoの理念

Older people are a valuable asset to the community (Elder Wisdom)

高齢者が知恵と経験を活かすこと

Creating informal gathering places (Normalcy)

あくまでも「ふつう」を実現すること

Community members drive development and implementation (Community Ownership)

地域の人たちがオーナーになること

Local culture and traditions are respected (Culturally Appropriate)

地域の文化や伝統の魅力を発見すること

All residents participate in normal community life (De-marginalization)

様々な経歴・能力をもつ人たちが力を発揮できること

All generations are involved in the community (Multi-generational)

あらゆる世代がつながりながら学び合うこと

Communities are environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable (Resilience)

ずっと続いていくこと

Growth of the community is organic and embraces imperfection gracefully (Embracing Imperfection)

完全を求めないこと

Which season do you like best in Japan.....?

Hello beautiful people :)

Are you enjoying the best autumn season where ever you are?

Which season do you like best?

I like Spring and Autumn (Fall) seasons the best!!                               

I don't like winter because its too cold!!

So troublesome to put on many clothes :(

Where did you go during your autumn season?

I am sure you took beautiful pictures and sceneries of colorful leaves in this autumn season.

Why don't you share them with us?

Please enjoy this beautiful season before winter and snow falls :)

Stay warm and healthy everyone :)                 

From Maza-Faza Okasanjanai

Happy Halloween!!

My 1st trip to Nepal!

Hello EIC Family Members!! It’s me, JANE ;)

Hope everyone is doing great! Did you enjoy your summer vacation?
I certainly did! What did you do? I went to Nepal with Yuko (EIC Staff) Waiwai, and Manami (2 Awesome EIC Nurses).

Let me share what I did and interesting facts about Nepal!

We visited 2 cities; Kathmandu and Pokhara. Pokhara is a city that is very close to the Himalayas and the view is amazing, we can actually see the Himalayas, also we did paragliding! It was scary at first, but then it became very fun!

1. Did you know? A popular and cheap ‘fast food’ is the Momo. Delicious dumplings made from flour and water filled with different fillings like chicken, meat or vegetables either fried or steamed and served with a dipping sauce. We tried so many, and it was delicious!

2. Did you know? That the flag of Nepal is the world’s only national flag that ISN’T a square.



3. Did you know? That in Nepal, it is common for kids to go to school from Sunday to Friday, so only one day off on Saturdays.



We had such a wonderful time! For me, it is always interesting to learn new things and I was able to learn many things through seeing the reality, meeting the people, tasting the food and experience the culture of Nepal. Please if you have a chance, visit Nepal. It is one of my recommended places to go.

Before I go I have a few questions for you:
1. What is the Capital City of Nepal?
2. Can you name a few CLs who are from Nepal?
3. How do you say hello in Nepali? And which country also uses the same word?

Let’s share your answers in Let’s chat in BBS!

PS. Did you hear about our Overseas StudyTour in Indonesia(Jogjarkarta) in December? It will be a great opportunity to join the trip and Experience the World, and to learn more aboutIndonesian Culture and see the reality!

For more information, please check our website!
http://www.immersioncamp.com/wiki/index.php?2nd_Overseas_StudyTour_info_E

My thoughts from the 3rd Tohoku trip in 2014

２０１４年 第3回東北トリップに参加して思うこと

Dream jichan (Prof. Akihiro Chiba)　
ドリームじいちゃん (千葉杲弘先生)

It is such a sorrowful thing that happy moments stop. Cruel, hard times begin after happy moments stop. Members of the 2014 Tohoku trip both learned and seriously thought about what, "Happy moments stop,"
means, when they visited Yuriage, the first stop of the trip.

「幸せの時」が止まることは、どんなに悲しいことだろうか、
止まった「幸せの時」の後には、惨い苦闘の時間が始まる
２０１４年東北トリップのメンバーは、最初に訪れた閖上で、
「幸せの時」が止まることが何を意味するか学び、真剣に考えた．

2:46 PM. March 11th. 2011. Time in Yuriage has stopped. The terrifying Tsunami has attacked many precious lives, and the town has disappeared. Despair, nothingness, sadness, pain, and hardships in Yuriage have begun.We were impressed with the people of Yuriage, who bravely stood up to the challenge of recovering fully.

２０１１年３月１１日午後２時４６分：閖上の時計は止まった。
襲いくる津波の中に多くの尊い生命が失われ、街が消えた。
絶望と虚無感、悲しみと苦しみ、閖上の試練の時が始まった。
私達は復興に向けて勇敢に立上った閖上の人々の姿に感動した。

Narrators of folktales speak softly and positively by keeping sadness deep inside their hearts. What if the tsunami hadn’t come? What if people had escaped more quickly? Children would still happily be going to school. If we were to imagine our own children to be the ones who had passed away, they said, time would surely stop in our hearts as well.

悲しみを心の奥にしまい、明るく、優しく語りかける語り部さん。
もし、津波がこなかったら、もっとはやく避難していたら、
今も元気に学校に通っていただろうに！ツアーメンバーの子供達に
亡くなったお子さんのイメージを重ね，心の中の時は動かない。

The rainbow across Yuriage is beautiful; it is the linking bridge of hope from a town of debris to one of recovery. Many housewives make wishes and invoke this hope through the use of Rainbow Acryl Eco scrubbing brushes. They say, "Let’s clean up this town hurt by natural disasters and make the most beautiful town in Japan! The rainbow is the linking bridge to the world! Let’s clean the world’s town to make Yuriage’s wishes come true!"

閖上に架かる虹は美しい．瓦礫の街から復興への希望の架け橋、
多くの主婦が願いを込めて編むレインボー・アクリル・エコたわし。
みんなできれいにしよう、災害で傷ついた街を！日本一美しい街に！
虹は世界への架け橋！世界の街を美しくしよう、閖上の願いをこめて！

One photo, which was found out in debris, is the only evidence linking family, who became victims, and myself, who is still alive. It is destroyed beyond recognition.Yet..a miracle has happened in Ofunato. Father and Mother's smiles in the photo have been revived by Satoko Kinno, who rescues memories!
Hope from happy days!

瓦礫の中で見つけた一枚の写真、犠牲になった家族と生き残った
自分をつなぐ唯一の証し．顔の見分けがつかないほど傷んでいた。
大船渡に奇跡が起きた。思い出をレスキューする金野聡子さんの手で、
写真の父さんと母さんの笑顔が蘇った！幸せだった日々の想いでも！

Human beings are irresistible to Nature's fierceness. For elderly people who've lost all of their relatives, anger bears loneliness and sadness and yet has nowhere to address their anger. An elderly woman has found a home for her heart in a place named, “Ibasho House” of Ofunato. Everyone was touched by an elderly woman waving to children saying, “Come back again.”

自然の猛威に人間は抗し難い．身寄りをみんな失ったお年寄り。
孤独に耐える寂しさと悲しみ、どこに向けたら良いのかこの怒り。
おばあさんは大船渡の「居場所ハウス」に心の住処を見いだした。
「また来てね」と子供達に手を振るおばあさんの姿が胸を打つ。

Highest Building in Japan

Hello, everyone! This is Mika from Global Network Team.

How are you? How is your summer vacation?

I joined EIC2014 (Biwako1 & 2) as a camp staff. I really enjoyed it.

After EIC, I had a summer vacation! I visited a great place in Tennoji, Osaka, which I have lived in for 15 years. Do you know the ABENO HARUKAS?

It is the highest building in Japan which rises 300 meters from the ground and has 62 floors. I went to observatory "Harukas 300", which is in 58th-60th floors.

The scenery was so beautiful. You can see a lot of famous sightseeing places in Osaka from it. When you visit Osaka, you should visit ABENO HARUKAS!! I really recommend it!

Moreover, there is an ABENO HARUKAS mascot called “Abeno Bear”.
He is so cute! You can meet him!

Where did you visit in your summer vacation? Is there any good place?
Please introduce it to EIC family on BBS!!

Summer Vacation!

Hello, everyone! This is Tatsu from Global Network Team. How’ve you been? I’ve been busy with preparation for EIC 2014!  But, I’m doing well and excited to join EIC this year!

Speaking of your summer vacation, are you having fun? I’m very jealous of you! I don’t have summer vacation like you!  Please share what you have been doing and your plan for summer vacation.
I want to know about it!

I used to go back to my permanent house in summer.Who is going to visit your grandma & grandpa’s house? I’m from countryside, so, I like to spend in the mountain and feel the nature sometimes.  Who do you like to go to countryside? Please share your experience in countryside.

Or who is going to travel abroad? Asia? Europe? America & Canada? I know you are international person who can communicate in English! Traveling abroad makes you learn and enjoy very much! Bring souvenirs for GNT ok?

I miss Summer vacation! Please enjoy it for us and share lots of stories in English, ok?
We want to know more more stories from you!

Drink lots of water and stay healthy!

Tatsu