Ibasho: Long-Term Muslim International Students' Home Making in Japan

Muslim international students often face dual layers of insularity—social and physical—when migrating to non-Muslim majority countries, where they don’t initially have familiar physical or social markers. This paper explores how long-term Muslim students in Japan engage in place-making through the lens of "ibasho," a Japanese concept referring to finding or creating one’s place. It raises the question: What is "home away"? Drawing on both social and physical space, this study examines how these students gradually build a sense of belonging over time in environments where they lack initial familiarity and feel disconnected.

This research emphasizes the sense of everyday life and the temporalities of home, highlighting how these youth are in a phase of life transition—between academic and professional stages. They face decisions about whether to stay in Japan, return to their home countries, or move elsewhere, while navigating multiple languages, cultures, and time zones to stay connected with family and friends.

Through a qualitative approach, this study investigates how Muslim students create home-like spaces during their extended stay in Japan. It considers how these students build new social connections or adapt their living environments (such as using prayer spaces or reconfiguring domestic spaces) to foster a sense of "ibasho."

By examining both the tangible and intangible aspects of belonging, this study contributes to the broader discussion on youth mobility, insularity, and the complexities of place-making in a globalized world. It highlights how long-term Muslim international students in Japan actively negotiate cultural, social, and spatial challenges to create a sense of belonging and home away. This paper shifts the view from home away as static to home a way as dynamic, emphasizing that belonging is an ongoing, active process.