A shopping street that fosters relationships with local residents, and "+laugh," an open space that creates a sense of local daily life

Suwa Meitengai, where nature is close at hand

Located in Tama City, Tokyo, "Suwa Meitengai", is about a 15-minute walk from Keio/Odakyu Nagayama Station. If you walk all the way along the long main street and go up the stairs on the side, the road opens up like a plaza, lined with bakeries, bento shops, and general stores. It is a peaceful place with trees planted in the middle of the road and a promenade right in front of the shops.

"+laugh," a place where diverse local residents gather and conversations like "Have a good day!" are born

"+laugh" is a facility for children and adults with severe disabilities that opened on April 1, 2021. The large window at the front of the facility is kept open, allowing people to sit there and chat, or buy snacks at the attached candy shop. I also saw parents and children visiting. The staff members would peek out from a small window to interact with them.

Scenes of interaction with the facility's users are also emerging. When a user goes out for a walk, the adults and children around them naturally wave and say, "Have a good day!" The user also waves back with the help of a staff member, as if responding to them.

The second floor is a free space, open to the community for anyone to use for free at any time. With its wood-based design, kitchen, and bookshelves, it has a gentle, calming atmosphere that makes you feel as if you are at home. I also saw a child quietly playing a game.

A place that serves as a bridge between people with severe disabilities and the community

The representative, Kage-san, runs "+laugh" with the desire to create a daily life where people with severe disabilities are naturally in the corner of one's vision.

Children who come to buy candy do not have prejudices about the tubes in the users' noses for enteral nutrition, and they ask pure questions like, "What is that for?" or "Are you okay?" When the staff answers their questions, they accept it normally, saying, "Oh, I see!" Kage-san says he is happy that such scenes are being created.

He says that many adults who initially watched from a distance because they didn't know how to interact with people with severe disabilities have gradually closed that distance through such interactions. Also, since "+laugh" is operated in a state where it is fully visible from the outside, elderly people also seem to look out for the users.
He says that many adults who initially watched from a distance because they didn't know how to interact with people with severe disabilities have gradually closed that distance through such interactions. Also, since "+laugh" is operated in a state where it is fully visible from the outside, elderly people also seem to look out for the users.

Kage-san said he is not looking for dramatic episodes, but values the fact that people with severe disabilities exist naturally within the daily scenery of the shopping street, and he feels that this is gradually shaping the community.

+laugh（アンドラフ）

【定期開催日】
月曜〜土曜 9:00~17:00

【住所】
東京都多摩市諏訪諏訪5-6-3 多摩ニュータウン諏訪102号室
アクセス：京王/小田急永山駅から徒歩15分

Editor's Note

When I visited "+laugh," another group was holding a picture book project and a bubble-blowing event in one corner of the space. Children who happened to pass by were enjoying the picture books and bubbles, playing Molkky with Kage-san, or buying snacks. Mothers were watching over them or chatting. I was surprised to see so many different scenes in one space.

Also, for those who have had few opportunities to interact with people with severe disabilities in the first place, I felt that "+laugh" plays a hub-like role by opening its facility to the community.

Writer: Haruka
Editor: Kurichan

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"Donations that nurture the future," together with PIECES.
PIECES has made a fresh start as a certified NPO.

The issue of "isolation" that lies behind the wounds children carry.
While there are many direct support activities for children who carry wounds, we believe that the thoughts, perspectives, and ways of being of each individual citizen living alongside these children are what truly matter.

More than 650 people from across the country have participated in the CforC (Citizenship for Children) program, which has been running since 2016, and the graduates are creating diverse actions that foster connections between children and adults within their communities.

Although it is difficult to produce large, visible results immediately, sowing the seeds of relationships and trust is what will become the power to change society 10 or 20 years from now.
PIECES continues these activities every day, which can be called "soil preparation" for such a future.