Project Ibasho
A Place Where Boys Can Be Fully Human.
Ibasho
/ee-BAH-sho/
Ibasho is a Japanese term translating to “a place where you can be yourself,” signifying a sense of belonging, safety, and comfort. It represents a physical, social, or mental space where an individual feels accepted and valued without needing to perform a role.
Mission
Our mission is to address the crisis of boys and young men at a societal level.
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Societal messages around masculinity lead many boys to experience a lack of belonging and connection. Project Ibasho exists to shift these messages to healthier ones, to allow more people to create the meaningful relationships we each need to thrive.
Vision
Our vision is to leave a legacy of a healthy and connected society to Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
Our Work
Project Ibasho exists to bring people together to understand this crisis of boys and young men and to problem-solve together. We do this through community gatherings, policy research, and civic engagement.
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The Connection Between the Crisis of Boys/Young Men and Democracy
Through our policy work, we are learning that the relational crisis of boys and young men is connected to gender polarization and to the health of our democracy.​
Why We Need To Act Now
There will come a day when everyone on the planet is a digital native; when those of us who are not digital natives will not be around. Today is the moment for us to share our knowledge and work together.
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Those of us who have been around longer have the resources and influence to start this work on behalf of the younger generation. We have the lived experience of what connection, without tech, feels like — the kind that builds resilience, belonging, and meaning.
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This is how we build something new together. The younger generation creating the world they want to live in — with the benefit of everything we know about how humans are designed to flourish.
A Note from the Founder
"Our work begins with boys and young men — not because other genders don’t matter, but because each of us is called to the piece we are closest to. As a mother of two sons, this is my piece. I understand their world from the inside. I trust that others are called to work on the pieces around girls, other genders, and other communities. When each of us works on the piece that calls to us — the whole benefits" -- Wendy Jan Wong
“Every young man who has ever wondered, ‘Does my life matter?’ deserves to hear, ‘Your life absolutely matters — simply because you exist.’”
Wendy Jan Wong