Finding Ibasho: Acculturation Strategies among International Students in Rural Japan

This qualitative study explores the psychological experiences of acculturation among international high school students (N = 8) living in a rural Japanese town. Utilizing Berry’s model of acculturation and Ward’s ABCs of acculturation, this study investigates how students experience cultural transitions in this under-researched, non-metropolitan context. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using deductive thematic analysis. Findings revealed that participants utilized all four acculturation strategies—integration, separation, assimilation, and marginalization—often switching between them depending on the situation. During the acculturation process, the participants expressed a wide range of affective, behavioural and cognitive psychological changes. A central finding was the role of ibasho—a sense of belonging and psychological security—as a buffer against acculturative stress. The study concludes that finding ibasho is a dynamic process that requires balancing heritage culture maintenance with host society participation, especially within a highly homogenous and "tight" social structure.