October ①Enjoy the library with your children! ②Community Care Plazas, a source of support for daily life

This is an abridged version of “Koho Yokohama Naka-ku Ban,” Naka Ward Office’s public relations magazine. （Click here for the multilingual website of “Koho Yokohama City Edition”）

①　Enjoy the library with your children!

②　Community Care Plazas, a source of support for daily life

①　Enjoy the library with your children!

[Inquiries] Naka Library Tel: 045-621-6621 Fax: 045-621-6444

The first floor of Naka Library is the children’s book floor. Here, you can relax and read books with your children. You can sign up for a library card at any age, even on behalf of infants. There are also fun storytelling sessions and picture book readings by volunteer groups.
【Access】
16-1 Honmokuhara, 231-0821
2 min. walk from Honmokuhara bus stop
【Library opening hours】
Tue. – Fri., 9:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Sat., Sun., Mon. and national holidays: 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
*Closed once a month for maintenance. May be closed on other days.

Connecting children and books: Story time at Naka Library

(As of 9/17, we have cancelled all storytelling sessions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Information about the resumption of storytelling programs will be posted on the website (Japanese), etc.)

Kotori no Kai (volunteer group)

Kotori no Kai story time (once every other month)
～ A wish to connect children with books ～
Kotori no Kai began life as a storytelling program held as part of the PTA activities of Honmoku Elementary School. Since then, we have continued our activities to connect children with books based on our twice-monthly storytelling sessions at the Otori Junior High School Community House. We also have a bimonthly storytelling session at Naka Library, where children can enjoy listening to folktales and other stories.

Megumiza (volunteer group)

Megumiza story time (once a month)
～ Awakening to the charm of picture books... ～
Megumiza started out as a puppet show performed by volunteer parents at the evening summer festival of Honmoku Megumi Kindergarten. The principal of the kindergarten at that time, who had a deep knowledge of picture books, gave us various opportunities (such as lectures by picture book authors), which awakened us to the appeal of picture books. Since then, we have continued to read picture books and perform puppet shows at children’s groups and elementary schools.

Storytime for infants (librarian)

(Twice a month)
A storytelling session for babies and toddlers! Featuring fun children’s songs and picture books.
For children aged 0-2 years and their parents (siblings are also welcome).
Held twice a month. Advance registration required. Please contact us for details.

②　Community Care Plazas, a source of support for daily life

Enabling senior citizens to continue living in good health and peace of mind

[Inquiries] Koreisha Shien Tanto (Elderly Support Section), Naka Ward Office

Tel: 045-224-8167 Fax: 045-224-8159

What is a Community Care Plaza?

Community Care Plazas are facilities unique to Yokohama City that provide a variety of welfare and health services for the elderly, children, and people with disabilities, enabling anyone to live in the community with peace of mind. There are six such facilities in Naka Ward (Japanese).

(1) Shinyamashita Community Care Plaza
(2) Furocho Community Care Plaza
(3) Mugita Community Care Plaza
(4) Honmokuhara Community Care Plaza
(5) Minosawa Community Care Plaza
(6) Honmokuwada Community Care Plaza

Community Care Plazas provide the following kinds of services:

- Consultations on welfare and nursing care
- Consultations and applications for nursing care insurance
- Consultations on matters of concern to the elderly
- Day services
- Various lectures, salons, etc. (occasionally)

- What is more...
In addition to activities for the elderly, Community Care Plazas also hold childcare salons, courses for the disabled, and many other events.

For example, if you experience any of these problems, please consult with a Community Care Plaza!

Q1. Can you run a few errands for me?

Shopping and taking out the trash is getting harder and harder. I wonder if there is anyone I can ask to help me out with these little things...

A1. There are volunteer groups in the community that provide “small help” (cleaning the bathroom, taking out the garbage, shopping, etc.) that cannot be covered by nursing care insurance services. Each person requires different services depending on their situation, so we will work with you to find the best solution for your needs.

Example of an initiative taking place

“Troublesome Task Team”
～ Solving small problems in the community! ～
In order to solve small problems that cannot be covered by nursing care insurance or other public services, the “Troublesome Task Team,” a volunteer group for mutual support, was established through discussions between Community Care Plazas and local residents.
The members of the group work daily to solve minor problems, such as weeding the garden or changing a light bulb. Community Care Plazas are also involved in supporting the operation of the group.

Ms. Kiyona Saito
Daily life support coordinator,
Mugita Community Care Plaza

Q2. I’m worried about people who live alone...

There’s a neighbor of mine who lives alone. I was wondering why I hadn’t seen her lately, but she said she’s been laid up in bed at home. I wonder if she’s okay?

A2. There are groups and organizations in the community that call on and watch over households in which people live alone or only have elderly members. Recently, there has been an increasing movement to set up such mutual support activities to help prevent elderly persons from becoming isolated.

Example of an initiative taking place

Bayside Shinyamashita
Watchdog Group for Elderly People Living Alone
～ In order to prevent people from dying alone ～
In Bayside Shinyamashita, in the past year or two there have been several cases in which elderly persons died at home alone. In response, the head of the neighborhood association said, “I want to do something to prevent such deaths, so why don’t we start watching over senior citizens who live alone by establishing ties between people, just like in the old days?” The Bayside Shinyamashita Watchdog Group for Elderly People Living Alone was established in response to his appeal. The members regularly discuss how to visualize and share the information necessary for watching over the elderly, and how residents of housing complexes can keep a casual eye on elderly residents.