Your Ibasho to Host 2025 Annual Activity Report Event

Your Ibasho, a nonprofit organization (Headquarters: Chiyoda City, Tokyo; President: Atsukazu Negishi, hereinafter "Your Ibasho") will host the "Your Ibasho 2025 Annual Activity Report Event — Together Toward a Society Without Unwanted Loneliness and Isolation" online on Thursday, July 9, 2026. The issue of loneliness and social isolation is increasingly recognized as a societal challenge requiring collective action. Meanwhile, the number of consultations received through "Your Ibasho Chat Counseling"—a 24/7, free, and anonymous chat service operated by Your Ibasho that anyone can access regardless of age or gender—continues to rise. Over the past five years, consultations have reached 1.7 million, with 436,536 consultations received in the 2025 fiscal year alone. According to the National Police Agency, the number of suicides among elementary, middle, and high school students in 2025 reached 538, the highest on record. Approximately 19,000 people still lose their lives annually, indicating that the crisis surrounding loneliness and isolation remains severe. In the 2025 fiscal year, Your Ibasho advanced its mission of “realizing a society without unwanted loneliness” by sharing challenges and collaborating with stakeholders from industry, government, academia, and civil society. This event will provide a detailed report and open discussion on the organization’s 2025 activities, offering participants an opportunity to reflect deeply on the issues of loneliness and isolation together. We warmly welcome supporters, partners, collaborating organizations, and chat counselors who have supported Your Ibasho’s activities to join us. Date and Time: Thursday, July 9, 2026, 18:00–20:00 Format: Online (Press members may attend in person; please contact us.) Admission: Free Eligibility: Open to all [Part 1] Report on 2025 Activities President Atsukazu Negishi will present a report on Your Ibasho’s activities in 2025. Chat Counseling Division Manager Koga and Public Relations & Social Design Division Manager Suzuki will share trends observed at the counseling frontlines and examples of collaboration. [Part 2] Cross-Talk: “Behind the Scenes of 24/7 Operations” President Negishi, supervisors, and expert counselors will discuss the operation of Your Ibasho Chat Counseling. They will explore the dedication behind the 24/7 support system and share insights on the current state of loneliness and isolation with participants. [Part 3] Your Ibasho Roadmap for 2026 President Negishi will present initiatives planned or already underway for 2026, along with future outlooks and aspirations. Advance registration is required. Please register via the link below. https://peatix.com/event/5046777 Register here ■ About Your Ibasho Chat Counseling "Your Ibasho Chat Counseling" is a 24/7 chat counseling service operated by the nonprofit organization Your Ibasho, open to anyone regardless of age or gender, free of charge and anonymously. It is supported by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's suicide prevention program and is registered on the ministry's support information search site. Your Ibasho Chat Counseling conducts all counselor training and actual counseling sessions online, enabling volunteers to participate using their spare time. This approach has resolved the critical issue of counselor shortages at counseling services. Moreover, by leveraging time zone differences, Japanese-speaking volunteer counselors living overseas provide support during peak consultation hours in Japan—from 10 PM to early morning—making Your Ibasho the first and only counseling service in Japan capable of offering 24/7 nationwide support. ■ About Your Ibasho Founded in 2020, headquartered in Chiyoda City, Tokyo. Operates "Your Ibasho Chat Counseling," a 24/7, free, and anonymous chat counseling service for all (a Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare suicide prevention initiative). With approximately 1,000 counselors across 30 countries, it is Japan’s largest-scale chat counseling service, responding to up to 3,000 consultations per day. Pioneered loneliness prevention in Japan and contributed to the establishment of a ministerial position and the enactment of related legislation. Serves as a core organization in the public-private collaboration platform for loneliness and isolation countermeasures. Selected as one of Forbes JAPAN’s “30 Outstanding Nonprofit Organizations” in 2022. URL: https://talkme.jp/ ■ Contact for Inquiries Public Relations Contact (Suzuki), Your Ibasho pr@ibashochat.org