History of "REPRINTS"

Board of Directors

Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Social Participation and Health Promotion Research Team, current TMIG Social Participation and Healthy Aging Team, started training senior volunteers in 2004 to support schools, mainly reading picture books to children, with support from Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Health and Labor Science Research Grants of MHLW.
At that time, a pioneering study, "Research of productivity by intergenerational sympathy" was launched and investigate how intergenerational exchange between senior volunteers and children influences each other and what effects it has on both generations. This is how the REPRINTS, the reading picture books project by senior volunteers, started.
Currently, senior volunteers over 60 years old read books to children at various places, such as kindergartens, nursery schools, elementary schools, and junior high schools, as well as elderly care facilities. The REPRINTS Network grows an organization in and surrounding metropolitan Tokyo area. They hold training sessions and area meetings regularly: including Chuo Ward, Tokyo (Reprint Chuo Ward), Tama Ward, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture (Reprint Kawasaki), Suginami Ward, Tokyo (Reprint Suginami), Aoba Ward, Yokohama City (Reprint Aoba), Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo (Reprint Bunkyo), Toshima Ward, Tokyo (Reprint Toshima), Kita Ward, Tokyo (Reprint Kita), Ota Ward, Tokyo (Reprint Ota), Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo (Reprint Shinjuku), Nerima Ward, Tokyo (Reprint Nerima), Komae City, Tokyo (Reprint Komae), Itabashi Ward, Tokyo (Reprint Itabashi), Tachikawa City, Tokyo (Reprint Tachikawa), Inagi City, Tokyo (Reprint Inagi), and Meguro Ward, Tokyo (Reprint Meguro).
Training sessions are also offered to the independent groups operating in Chiyoda Ward, Fuchu City, and Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture (Reprint Nagahama "Jii-Baa Poko Poko").
Now, 500 members involve in the REPRINTS activities, more than 600 senior volunteers when combined with related organizations all over the country.