Your Ibasho, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Chiyoda City, Tokyo (Representative Director: Atsukazu Negishi, hereinafter 'Your Ibasho'), has signed the NIC+ (Nakano Inclusive Care Partnership) agreement with Nakano Ward, Tokyo (hereinafter 'Nakano Ward'), on July 14, 2026.
Under this agreement, 'Your Ibasho Chat Counseling'—a 24/7, free, anonymous chat counseling service accessible to anyone regardless of age or gender—and Nakano Ward’s welfare and administrative networks will collaborate to build a system that connects online-identified concerns and loneliness to local support services when needed. Your Ibasho’s counseling system, which utilizes volunteer counselors residing overseas to provide nighttime support by leveraging time zone differences, complements municipal efforts that often struggle to maintain consultation services during nights and holidays. Through this partnership, we aim to advance public-private collaboration by integrating online 'chat counseling' with 'local support,' enhancing Nakano Ward’s community-based integrated care system so that no resident facing distress or loneliness is left behind.
In response to the growing issue of loneliness and social isolation, it is essential to incorporate anti-isolation perspectives across all sectors of society, including local communities. Relevant government ministries, local public entities, and NPOs are called upon to collaborate based on three key principles: (1) creating environments where people feel comfortable speaking up and seeking help; (2) promoting cross-sectoral collaboration to amplify the synergistic effects of initiatives that foster human connections; and (3) establishing the foundation for public-private partnerships. (Refer to page 2, 'I. About the Key Plan (2)-2' of the 'Key Plan for Advancing Measures on Loneliness and Social Isolation' issued by the Cabinet Office's Headquarters for Promoting Measures on Loneliness and Social Isolation on June 11, 2024.)
With the signing of this agreement, Your Ibasho will serve as part of Nakano Ward’s community-based integrated care system, actively promoting regional collaboration to connect individuals experiencing loneliness or isolation with the support they need.
Moving forward, we will work with Nakano Ward and other signatory organizations to advance local initiatives against loneliness and isolation, raise awareness of counseling services, and create environments where people can easily access support.
Your Ibasho has established a collaboration framework to support urgent cases by confirming the user’s location with their consent and connecting them to local authorities such as police, child consultation centers, and independence support consultation windows. Through this agreement, we aim to deepen our collaboration with local partners and realize a society where individuals do not have to bear loneliness or anxiety alone and can access the support they need.
<Comments from Atsukazu Negishi, Representative Director of Your Ibasho>
To realize a society free from unwanted loneliness, it is essential not only to receive consultations online but also to connect individuals to local support when necessary. We are delighted to participate in Nakano Ward’s NIC+ agreement. We will continue working with Nakano Ward and diverse local stakeholders to build a society where everyone can speak up with confidence and access the support they need.
Your Ibasho will continue advancing initiatives toward realizing a society free from unwanted loneliness through collaboration among industry, government, academia, and civil society.
About the NIC+ (Nakano Inclusive Care Partnership) Agreement
The NIC+ (Nakano Inclusive Care Partnership) Agreement is a public-private collaboration system designed to strengthen Nakano Ward’s community-based integrated care system. It establishes cooperative relationships between the ward and private businesses, educational and research institutions, and organizations, encouraging them to contribute their resources and expertise to community welfare initiatives and participate in local support networks.
About Your Ibasho Chat Counseling
'Your Ibasho Chat Counseling' is a chat counseling service operated by the nonprofit organization Your Ibasho. Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it is free and anonymous for all, regardless of age or gender. It is designated as a subsidized suicide prevention program and registered support information service by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
Your Ibasho Chat Counseling conducts all counselor training and actual counseling sessions online, enabling individuals to volunteer as counselors using their spare time. This approach has resolved the critical shortage of counselors that has long plagued counseling services. Moreover, by utilizing Japanese-speaking volunteer counselors residing overseas during Japan’s peak consultation hours—from 10 PM to early morning—Your Ibasho has become the first and only counseling service in Japan capable of providing 24/7 support on a national scale.
About Your Ibasho
Founded in 2020, headquartered in Chiyoda City, Tokyo. Operates 'Your Ibasho Chat Counseling,' a 24/7, free, anonymous chat counseling service for all, designated under the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s suicide prevention program. With approximately 1,000 counselors across 30 countries, it is Japan’s largest-scale chat counseling service, handling up to around 3,000 consultations per day. Pioneered loneliness prevention advocacy in Japan and contributed to the establishment of a dedicated ministerial position and the passage of related legislation. Serves as a core organization in the public-private partnership platform for loneliness and isolation countermeasures. Recognized in 2022 by Forbes JAPAN as one of the '30 Outstanding Nonprofit Organizations.'
URL: https://talkme.jp/
Contact for inquiries
Public Relations Department, Your Ibasho
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- Source: PR TIMES
- Category: Partnership