1st Flat Garden in FY2023

The Midori Ward "Fureai Talk" is held in which groups working in Midori Ward and Mayor Midori exchange opinions on activities and issues related to local activities obtained through activities.

On March 13, 2024, we interviewed Flat Garden members.

　Since 2018, we have been engaged in activities to provide exchanges and places for various people, such as the elderly, children with disabilities and persons, foreign nationals, young people and children. As a main activity, a multi-generation exchange cafe “Lemon no Niwa” holds knit cafes and healthy mahjong as nursing care prevention programs. In addition to the "Yokohama Gyoza Project", which creates multi-generational connections through various food-related workshops and events and shares the importance and enjoyment of food, we also hold art events, sign language events, flea markets, etc. .

• Representative Director Matsuoka

　With the support of the Community Care Plaza and the Japan National Council of Social Welfare, we were able to set up a flat garden as a place where elderly people, children and people with disabilities could interact and help each other as members of the same area. People who are active in various fields participate and it is in the current form.

　We aim to be a community where you can come and do what you want to do, and you can be yourself. For example, healthy mahjong is popular among the elderly, but we are working to create opportunities to challenge and enjoy new things. Recently, girls who have evacuated from Ukraine have been able to go as a place where they can feel safe to do what they like, and to other participants show pictures of Ukraine and talk about them.

• Executive Director Akutsu

　Originally, I was working in a knitting group, but since I was working as a sign language interpreter, I participated in the launch of a group to see if I could do something with people with disabilities or the elderly. .

　Elderly people and children also participate in the “Knit Cafe”, where they interact while knitting. In addition, we are conducting a “deaf market” where deaf people open stores. A large number of deaf people and hearing people gather, and even if they are not interested in sign language, getting people with disabilities to know how they are having fun is also a catalyst for changing society. .

　The "Lemon Garden" seems to have a fun atmosphere of "everyone likes freely", and many people come.

• Mr. Asakawa (Knit Cafe staff)

　I participate as a staff member of the flat garden through knitting. I'm glad that I can be invited to various new things through my hobby knitting, get a lot of stimulus, and enjoy activities that I can send from here.

• Mr. Kishimoto

　Children are only children, people with disabilities are only disabled, and elderly people are not only elderly people, but also participate in activities that convey to children that there are various people.

　When a child is small, even if there are many exchanges with parents who are raising children, the exchange will gradually disappear as the child grows up, but the flat garden is a place where you can listen to consultation and worries about child care and share it It is. As a staff member, there is no such thing, it's fun and it's very often a plus for me.

• Mayor Sato

　We want to enliven local activity more as ward office. To that end, I would like to hear valuable stories in the field of activities and support where we can support them. I think it's important to meet more people and places and know that there are actually such activities, but this time it was very meaningful to get ideas about activities to expand connections with people.