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This fundamental idea resonates in countries across the globe. Opportunities are being created for people of all ages to come together to share life experiences, to become more engaged in civic and community activity, and to provide support and care for one another. Innovative intergenerational programs and policies are serving to help to meet eldercare and childcare needs, strengthen educational systems, enrich the lives of retirees, improve relations between grandparents and grandchildren, reinforce people’s sense of cultural heritage, and strengthen community support systems.

In the U.S., the intergenerational field has a 30 year history, with various organizational systems established at the local, state, and national levels to stimulate and support programmatic innovation. An impressive intergenerational programming movement in Japan is now taking form. There are all sorts of innovative programs, a growing group of scholars focusing on intergenerational issues, and increased interest and activity aimed at forging intergenerational alliances at the local, regional, and, more recently, the national levels.

As a sign of the coming of age of the intergenerational field in Japan, on August 2-5, 2006, a major international conference will be held at Waseda University in Tokyo. The conference is being organized by the Japan Intergenerational Unity Association (JIUA) in conjunction with Penn State University, and over 20 partnering organizations and agencies in Japan.

The conference will bring together a wide range of professionals – including educators, social workers, community developers, community organization representatives, and health care professionals – to learn about promising intergenerational programs and practices for addressing relevant social issues and policy concerns. An international group of intergenerational specialists have helped to organize conference tracks and work sessions and they will be presenting on successful intergenerational initiatives in over seven countries.

The thematic tracks and major conference themes are as follows:

• Intergenerational strategies to promote cultural awareness and appreciation
• Models focused on community development and environmental education and preservation
• Intergenerational programs with a focus on early childhood development
• Intergenerational programs in educational settings
• Intergenerational programs in human service settings (including shared-sites/age-integrated facilities)
• Research and evaluation on intergenerational programs
• Demographic and social changes with implications for intergenerational relations
• Social policies to strengthen intergenerational engagement and understanding
• Networking and coalition building on a national and global level

These themes will help frame our efforts to strengthen the intergenerational field in Japan, and to build a collaborative international community of intergenerational professionals.

August 2nd, the first day of the conference, is for site visits to innovative intergenerational programs. August 3rd and 4th are devoted to workshops, plenaries, and panels that introduce effective intergenerational models and highlight issues related to intergenerational practice. August 5th will be a special day devoted to research and evaluation issues in the intergenerational field.

Site tours will be made to some notable shared site facilities in Tokyo such as Kotoen in Edogawa Ward and Akasaka Kodomo Chukosei Plaza in Minato Ward. Kotoen provides day care for young children and various services for older adults including long-term care and day care. Akasaka Kodomo Chukosei Plaza includes a skilled nursing facility and a children’s home. Mutually beneficial intergenerational interaction is a major aspect of life at both facilities.

Another intergenerational site that will be visited by conference participants is Fureai no Ie Obachan-chi, a newly started childcare site in Shingawa Ward started by a retired woman. The program aims to involve all generations in the community as childcare supporters and to create informal community-based support system. This NPO also operates a program that trains senior adults as childcare supporters in conjunction with local government and academic support.

Conference Coordination Team:

• Atsuko Kusano, Ph.D., Co-chair (Shinshu University, JIUA)
• Matt Kaplan, Ph.D., Co-chair (Penn State University)
• Masataka Kuraoka (Doctoral Candidate, Boston University School of Education)
• Satoru Sugioka (Doctoral Candidate, Obirin Graduate School Gerontology)
• Megumi Takahashi (Freelance Translator)

Japan Conference Steering Committee Members

• Takeya Katagami (Secretary Director, Wonderful Aging Club)
• Yuka Saitoh, Ph.D.(Lecturer, Seitoku University Lifelong Learning Center)
• Yoshikazu TAKANO (Secretary Director, Japan NGO Council on Aging)
• Yoshinori FUJIWARA, M.D. (Researcher, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology)
• Minoru MIYAZAKI (Principal, Saginuma Elementary School, and Chair, Association for Fusion of School and Community)
• Mieko WATANABE (Board Member, Japan Children’s NPO Center, and Director, Childcare Service Fureai no Ie, Obachan-Chi)

Japan Intergenerational Unity Association

• Director: Atsuko KUSANO (Director, JIUA, and Professor, Shinshu University)
• Vice Director: Makoto OSHIMA (Vice Director, JIUA, and Professor Emeritus, Tsuru Bunka University)
• Hiroyuki AKIYAMA (Vice Director, JIUA, and Professor, Jissen Women’s University)
  • Shoko Ikeda (Kaichi Elementary School)
  • Toshiko Kaneda (Professor, Shiraume Gakuen University)
  • Yusuke Kurosawa (Kyoto Furitu University Graduate School)
  • Susumu Kosasa (Dobashi Elementary School, Kawasaki City)
  • Keiko Sugi (Secretary General, Age-integrated Social Welfare Facility Kotoen)
  • Mariko Tairaku (Lecturer at Tokyo Kasei University, Clinical Psychotherapist)
  • Kimiko Matsuo (Kinuta Elementary School, Setagaya Ward)
  • Takehisa Hirose (Toy consultant, Nippon Good Toy Committee Member)
  • Yoshiko Machidori (Wako City Intergenerational Association)
  • Fujiko Fukushima (National Institute of Public Health)
  • Momoko Mano (Lecturer, Tsuru Bunka University)
  • Masako Yoshizu (Lecturer, Kumamoto Gakuen University)