Thank you for visiting the Ogojo Canada website.
I want to support Japanese women living in Canada.
With this vision in mind, we launched Ogojo Canada in 2017. However, everything came to a halt in 2020 due to the pandemic. In June 2021, we created a Facebook group called IDOBATA-KAIGI, which means “beachside meeting” in Japanese, as we searched for ways to restart the project and connect with Japanese women in Canada.
Why IDOBATA-KAIGI was created
What we hope to convey through our activities at Ogojo Canada is the value of “connection”. We believe that connections between people can open up new possibilities and provide courage, especially for those of us who are far from our home countries. Our workshops, events, and activities, such as “Ohanashi Ohanashi”, have all been suspended due to COVID-19, which has made us appreciate the importance of connections even more.
That’s why we created IDOBATA-KAIGI, a Facebook group where Japanese women in Canada can support and connect with each other. Even if we can’t physically see each other, we can still create a space where we can support one another and feel that we are not alone, no matter what the circumstances are.
The many talents we met in Canada
Through our “Ohanashi Ohanashi” class, we had the pleasure of meeting many women who were talented, attractive, and wonderful people. As we listened to their stories, we realized that they were like treasure chests full of diverse talents. However, after three years of holding workshops and events, we started to feel limited in reaching a larger audience. We began to question if there was a better way to communicate and connect with more people. Unfortunately, our plans were abruptly halted due to the pandemic, and we were forced to suspend our project. This led us to create an online community, IDOBATA-KAIGI, where we could freely communicate and connect with others, even under difficult circumstances.
We would like to connect with Japanese women living in Canada.
After my move to Canada, the Japanese community helped me get through a really difficult time. Based on my own experience, I realized that we could help each other by connecting. We can create something interesting, and understand each other because we are in the same situation. This is what inspired us to create IDOBATA-KAIGI.
We hope that more people, not just from Vancouver but from all over Canada, from different generations and without children, can meet and connect with each other through this platform. We believe that by sharing our experiences and supporting each other, we can make a positive impact on each other’s lives.
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
African Proverb
We strongly believe that every individual’s wonderful talents will shine even brighter when they are connected to others. By fostering connections between people, we can create a supportive community where everyone can feel valued and empowered to share their unique gifts and talents. Through our activities at Ogojo Canada, we hope to create opportunities for people to connect, collaborate, and create something truly special together.
IDOBATA-KAIGI is like this
We have created the following discussion threads in the hopes of fostering encouragement and support within the group:
Description of the contents of IDOBATA-KAIGI
IDOBATA-KAIGI “Japanese people working hard in Canada” is a group I created to build a borderless community where we can support and connect with each other. Our group covers a wide range of topics, from casual conversations to business ideas. I hope that this group can be a place where new connections are formed, and new opportunities arise.
Japanese Women in Canada
Ogojo Canada conducts interviews with Japanese women living in Canada, exploring topics such as what led them to move to Canada, what changes they have experienced, what they are currently doing, and what challenges they have overcome. By sharing these articles, we hope to inspire and connect with other individuals living in Canada.
Ohanashi Ohanashi/Mobile Library
In Vancouver, we have been lending out picture books and holding a small reading session at Tonarigumi for small children and babies in Japanese twice a month.
Introducing myself
Tell us about your hobbies, activities, what you are learning, your business, whatever.
It would be great if you could introduce yourself.
This is what I want to do!
We tend to get stuck when I’m trying to figure out or plan what we want to do. If you have any advice or ideas, please let me know.
Vancouver Regional Thread
Vancouver has a different atmosphere in each area. There are areas where it is easy for singles to live, areas where it is easy to raise children, areas near the ocean and mountains, and so on. And each community has its own events, cafes and stores, and so on. It’s the place to exchange information about your community.
It would be great if we could start threads for other cities in the future.
Local School/activities Thread
We didn’t grow up in Canada, so we didn’t know anything about the Canadian school system, what is preschool? What is Kinder? It was a state of affairs. What kind of preschools, elementary and secondary are there? What are the features and options of each? We thought it would be nice if there was a place where we could ask questions directly to those who have actually experienced it and learn from them.
Parenting Threads
Raising a child in a foreign country tends to be a lonely struggle. There may be no one around to help you, or the parenting methods and food in Canada may be different. We ourselves had a very hard time finding a day care. We just started this thread in the hope that we could encourage each other, help each other, and talk to others who have been there.
I am looking for…
If you are a sitter, pet sitter, cleaner, designer, etc., please click here to request a job.
Product Sale Information
If you are selling products, etc., please introduce your products here, and special offers for IDOBATA members are welcome!
SNS posting
This is a thread for people who participate in IDOBATA to share their information! If you are posting on Youtube or blogs, please let us know. We’d love to have this opportunity to connect with you.
Online Garage Sale
This is a sell/buy thread. It’s nice to know that the things you love can be used by people you know, and it’s safe to buy and sell with people you are connected to.
IDOBATA-KAIGI Q&A
What is DOBATA-KAIGI?
It is a community where Japanese women living in Canada feel free to communicate and connect with each other, and help each other if they have any problems.
How do I join IDOBATA-KAIGI?
Please click the “Join Group” button on the IDOBATA-KAIGI group page. After approval, you will be able to join the group. (It’s free to join.)
▼Facebook group page
Can anyone enter IDOBATA-KAIGI?
If you would like to join the facebook group, you can do so after we approve your request. Postings are all in Japanese.
Our thoughts
Once upon a time… Long before telephones, televisions, and cell phones were born. The origin of the word “well meeting” is that women living in tenement houses used to enjoy chatting around the common well while washing and drawing water.
They must have talked about their families, their homes, and other trivial things, laughed, relieved their sorrows, and returned to their own homes with energy and courage.
In other words, it was a community.
We are sure there must have been some unexpected hints, job opportunities, or solutions to their problems that came out of those conversations. There must have been something like that.
We have created such a place.
This is a borderless community where women who are working hard in Canada can support and connect with each other.
You can talk about anything from trivial things to ideas that could become a business.
We would be happy if they are born from IDOBATA-KAIGI.
