March　Communities and people

Inquiries ： Chiiki Katsudo-tanto (Community Activities Subdivision), Naka Ward Office Tel: 224-8131 Fax: 224-8215

Korei Shogai-kakari (Elderly and Disabled Support Section), Naka Ward Office Tel: 224-8161 Fax: 224-8159

Local communities, such as neighborhood associations and senior citizens’ clubs, are the gentle and warm bonds that bring people together. This month, we consider the importance of these bonds.

We spoke with two people who are active in their communities

Matsuzawa: In neighborhood associations, local residents deepen exchanges through activities that include watching out for one another and disaster prevention drills, as well as events such as festivals and rice cake pounding. I believe that the building of face-to-face relationships through interactions of this kind is an important role of neighborhood associations, so that people can help each other out in times of disaster or other emergencies.
Niwa: With the increasing number of elderly people in society, we hear more in the news about people who live alone and die at home without anyone knowing. Senior citizens’ clubs support the community through a range of activities, such as by talking to and providing counseling to elderly people living alone, as well as cleaning activities and watching over children.

Matsuzawa: I'm glad to see younger people participating in our events, as there aren’t so many opportunities for people from different generations to come together and meet one another.
Niwa: We try to make summer festivals into events that can be enjoyed by people from all generations by having children’s associations set up booths among other things. Unlike summer festivals, however, we are concerned at how not so many young people take part in disaster prevention drills. Some neighborhood associations also run a soup kitchen for participants, so I hope this encourages people to get involved.
Matsuzawa: If you are not sure about getting involved in community activities, I think it is a good idea to participate in community events first. It will give you a chance to get to know people in your neighborhood!
Niwa: That’s right. I think that participating in events will help you foster a fondness for your community. I am very happy when children who I have got to know through our activities greet me in the street.

Neighborhood associations carry out a variety of activities to deepen friendships between people living in the same neighborhood, and to create a safe and secure community in which people can live comfortably. So why not join a neighborhood association and work together with the community?

- Support for raising children and watching over the elderly
Neighborhood associations provide support for child-rearing, work to promote good health, and watch over the elderly by holding child-rearing salons, meal gatherings for senior citizens who live alone, and other events.

Growing to love your community more in the hope of handing it down to the next generation

- Young people also participate to help create a thriving community
Having held an event in the town’s shopping district, our neighborhood association and the shopping district began to work together, and formed a youth division. This youth division holds events such as rice cake pounding and Halloween lantern workshops for local children to enjoy. This has made it possible for people to build face-to-face relationships.
- A wish for children to have fond memories of their hometown
When I was a child, I had the opportunity to help with local events every year. I hope that the children will have many happy memories in this town. I believe that if you have such memories and a strong relationship with the community, you will still want to contribute to the community when you grow up, even if you move somewhere else. I hope that children will make many happy memories in this town, too.

Inquiries ： Chiiki Katsudo-tanto (Community Activities Subdivision), Naka Ward Office Tel: 224-8131 Fax: 224-8215
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about how to join a neighborhood association, if you are unsure where your neighborhood association is, or anything else related to neighborhood associations.
⇒ You can access a website to sign up for neighborhood associations here（外部サイト）.

Why not take up a hobby and enjoy making friends and improving your health?

A desire to create a place where people leave with a smile on their face and want to come back

-Worried about elderly people who live alone
In my experience as a welfare commissioner, I felt that elderly people living alone needed someone to talk to, so I decided to create a place where they could come and spend time freely. Currently, I hold handicraft activities twice a month at the neighborhood association building. Please feel free to come and join in.
- Happy to see everyone’s smiling faces
When you are at home alone, you have no one to talk to and it can get you down. But everyone seems to be happy and cheerful when participating in these gatherings, which provide them with a chance to chat with their friends and share their daily worries and information.
- Just give it a try
There are many people who do not know how to make use of their interests and special skills. If so, please try joining a gathering such as a senior citizens’ club. Volunteering to teach is a great way to benefit yourself as well.