Institutionalization of ibasho and case studies in architectural planning research

“Ibasho” is a Japanese word combining “i”(being) and “basho”(place) and was originally used to describe a physical location. Since the 1980s, non-institutional places with keywords such as “ibasho,” including “takurosho,” “community cafes,” and “kodomo shokudo” opened simultaneously around Japan. Afterward, some of these non-institutional places were institutionalized, used as models for institutions or incorporated into institutions. However, a question arises as to how ibasho, that is, non-institutional places, can be institutionalized. Therefore, this paper discusses the institutionalization process of non-institutional places and case studies in architectural planning research involved in this process.