People involved in the medical, nursing care and welfare sectors are drawing attention as they gather at so-called "nursing cafes" in Japan in an effort to stimulate dialogue in communities drawn from various occupations and age groups.
In Hakusan, Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, a cafe-style event was opened in March to address the concern of "developing the Ishikawa region." Participants, some of whom were elderly, came from a wide variety of occupations, including doctors, care workers, priests and internet business entrepreneurs.
[Photo courtesy of Hisako Takase]
"It wasn't for airing grievances, but we were able to hold productive conversations about how to change the region," said Yohei Kasama, 37, a supervisor of a care facility.
Participants ranged in age from their 20s to 70s and were split into groups of several people. Gathered around desks, they discussed topics such as "creating roles in society for people after they turn 80."
Other ideas were suggested such as getting medical professionals and care workers to involve local governments and people from the region in contributing to regional development.
"Hospitals are often hard for people to approach, so I thought of getting out here myself and making it easier for people (to approach us)," said one 46-year-old female nurse.
Hisako Takase, 40, the representative of "Kaigo Cafe" (Nursing Cafe), started the project in 2012. "I wanted to create a place where people could hold dialogues in an easy manner, regardless of their position or job title," said Takase.
The cafes are a place where anyone can go to exchange information. As a care manager herself, Takase often expressed her views over the internet but she thought she needed to create actual locations for people to meet. Spreading via social media, the events have boasted around 6,000 participants in total.
After listening to a guest speaker, participants settle on a main topic of discussion.
They talk about the best ways to entertain the elderly or how to understand what people suffering from dementia are going through. Topics change with each occasion. The events are held mainly in Tokyo every month and in regional areas when requests are made to have them.
The cost for participation is about 3,000 yen but seats, of which there are about 100, can fill up quickly. Wakako Mitsuya, 57, who runs the community general support center in a town in Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan, has been attending cafe events once every two months since she first took part.
"I was bothered by young staff members complaining that care work is boring. So I tell them it is not only about the place you work. Look outside, too!" Mitsuya said.
Yasuhiro Yuki, a professor at Shukutoku University, said "At most places of employment there really aren't that many opportunities to speak with people from different occupations. In the nursing field there are more and more elderly who require a lot of medical attention, so it is important to have cooperation among occupations."
Takase is working on creating a textbook for those who wish to host their own cafe events. She was able to raise funds for the project through crowdfunding.
"We want to have more people who can develop such places in their regions, and have this network spread nationwide," Takase said.
