"Salon Wai Wai ISHINAZAKA" is OPEN !! The experimental project to form a Japanese model Senior Center is open to the local community and has become our base center."Salon Wai Wai ISHINAZAKA" is OPEN !! The experimental project to form a Japanese model Senior Center is open to the local community and has become our base center.

"Salon Wai Wai ISHINAZAKA" of SCNS has been established in Wakabayashi ward, Sendai city on October 4th, and we have started our "experimental " activities. "Salon Wai Wai" is not only our base center but also the place where the local residents can use it as they like. Some volunteers from SCNS have become the management members of the salon to ensure that the aged can put their knowledge and ability to use and also try to make flexible programs which every generation can participate in.

About 50 people, including the members from SCNS, attended the opening ceremony. After declaring the opening of the salon aloud by all of the people present, the vice president Mr.Ito greeted the audience saying -" We stepped forward to make our dream come true. I hope we will be able to widen our network making the most of this salon.

The salon is on the 3rd floor in the building in Ishinazaka. To go to Ishinazaka, you can take the subway and get off at the 3rd stop from the Sendai station. There are also many buses that pass near the salon. The management members of the salon hope that many people will use this salon in valid ways as " the base of the aged society".

This "experiment" has started since the owner of the building offered one floor for free use. Some donations, such as the fixtures from some companies in Sendai have also supported us a lot. It is the basic characteristics of this salon are based on senior centers peculiar to the U.S.

The senior center is the base where the aged can enjoy many activities such as cultural exchange and the volunteer projects. Since the year 1999 has been adopted by the United Nations as the International Year of Older People, our aim is to form "a Japanese model Senior Center".

On August 31, 1997, we organized "The Japan - U.S. Forum on the Japanese model Senior Center" in the JAPAN EXPO IN MIYAGI '97, and we had an attendance of about 400 people. We are trying to find ways to improve the lives of seniors through this experiment - "Salon WAI WAI".

The address of the salon is - Iwai Bld. 3rd floor, Ishinazaka 8, Wakabayasi -ku, Sendai. Telephone - 022 (217)0101

Open hours - Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays 10 am - 4 pm

Activities - rattan work class, finger language class, chorus group etc.

Sendai Citizens` Network for Seniors
1-Chome,Nagamachi, Taihaku-ku, Sendai-shi, 982, Japan
Copyright(C) 1996-1999, Sendai Citizens' Network for Seniors
E-mail:info@sendai-senior.org