Emi Kiyota: Building Socially Integrated and Sustainable Communities

Ibasho founder, Emi Kiyota, and her team created community hubs or cafés as a form of resilience after natural disasters in Japan, the Philippines, and Nepal. The cafés are designed, built, and operated solely by local community members. The activities of the cafés provide the opportunity for social inclusion and intergenerational connections. In this interview, Emi Kiyota describes the Ibasho cafés and her mission to create spaces that rely on the wisdom, knowledge, independent spirit, leadership abilities, and strengths of older community members.