居場所

• Reading: いばしょ
• Romaji: ibasho
• Kanji breakdown: 居 (i) — to be, stay | 場 (ba) — place | 所 (sho) — place, location
• Pronunciation: /i.ba.ɕo/

Meaning

Whereabouts; a place where one belongs; one's niche. Refers both to a physical location and to a sense of social belonging.

Beyond its literal sense of 'where someone is', 居場所 carries a deep psychological meaning: the sense of having a place in society or a group where one is accepted. The phrase 居場所がない (having no place to belong) expresses alienation or social isolation. Widely used in welfare, education, and mental health discourse.

Examples

1. 学校にも家にも居場所がないと感じる子どもが増えている。 There is a growing number of children who feel they have no place to belong, either at school or at home.
2. 新しい職場でようやく自分の居場所を見つけることができた。 At the new workplace, he was finally able to find his own place.
3. 地域のコミュニティが、孤独な高齢者の居場所になっている。 The local community has become a place of belonging for lonely elderly people.

Usage Guide

Context: mental health, education, social welfare, personal reflection

Tone: empathetic

Origin & History

Compound of 居 (i) meaning 'to be, to stay' and 場所 (basho) meaning 'place, location'. The psychological sense developed in modern Japanese to describe social belonging, extending beyond the original physical meaning.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal