Participatory Action Research with Immigrant Youth in Tokyo : Possibilities and Challenges of Ibasho Creation Project

The last decade saw a 32 percent increase in the number of immigrant children and youth in Japan and the educational difficulties they experienced. Part-time high schools have played a critical role in furthering equity and inclusion by securing ibasho (places where one feels comfortable, safe, and accepted) toward these students. Drawing on the participatory action research approach, we collaborated with a part-time high school and a nonprofit organization, and developed an afterschool program that aimed to nurture ibasho among immigrant youth through intercultural and language exchanges. This article, collaboratively written by a faculty member and former university students, explores the possibilities and challenges of the ibasho creation project which took place from 2017 to 2018 in Tokyo. Specifically, it reflects on how we attempted to develop ibasho that responded to the needs and strengths of high school students and dealt with the dilemmas associated with ibasho creation.