Even if you need care, you want to live as yourself in the town you know and love.
A care facility that can make that wish come true is Day Service Soda.
Unlike the image many people have of care facilities, it is a place that values each person’s life and their connections with the community.
It is about more than simply being “supported”—it is about continuing to connect with society as an individual. What kind of color do these efforts bring to the daily lives of the people who use the service?
Here, we introduce the ideas behind Day Service Soda and the new kind of care facility taking shape from them.
The information provided was current when this article was published in February 2026. Please note that it may differ from current information.
About Day Service Soda
Day Service Soda is a day-care facility that opened on August 1, 2024.
It provides support that respects each user’s life and wishes, and values helping them spend their time in a way that feels true to who they are.
Representative Doi Shuhei has built up experience as a physical therapist in medical and care settings, including hospitals, outpatient rehabilitation services, and day-service facilities. One of the distinctive features of Day Service Soda is that its daily interactions and support are grounded in this hands-on experience.
An open day service connected to the community
“We want to dispel the negative image people have of care facilities.”
Inspired by this wish, Doi and the team at Day Service Soda place great importance on creating a space that is open to the community.
The building has a glass facade that lets people see inside, and a dagashi shop and bookstore are located by the entrance. It is an open space where local people can drop in and exchange with users and staff.
During our visit, we saw elementary school students waving to users from outside the facility on their way home from school.
A care facility that feels like an extension of everyday life
Care has also been taken with the facility’s interior.
To create a warm atmosphere that feels like an ordinary home, they have chosen warm-toned lighting and familiar-looking furniture and fixtures. The kitchen is also open as part of the activity area, and users can use it themselves.
Rather than restricting everything in the name of safety, they say, they value keeping an eye on users while allowing them to spend their time in a way that feels true to who they are.
Daily activities inspired by “Let’s give it a try together!”
At Day Service Soda, daily activities are said to begin when staff take an interest in users’ lives and interests and invite them to “give it a try together.”
What matters is that users do not remain passive, but make their own choices and take part. Everyday actions are treated as activities, creating time for users to spend actively.
Activities connected to the community and everyday life
Activities at Day Service Soda do not all take place solely within the facility. Initiatives connect users with the community and society while making use of their past experiences and strengths.
For example, a user who is still an active calligraphy teacher gives lessons at the facility, while a user who enjoys cooking prepares lunch. They also help prepare materials for projects at a nearby kindergarten and sometimes deliver them there.
By putting what users “can do” and “have done” to use in the facility’s activities, users can feel their own connection with society.
The company that operates Day Service Soda, Godo Kaisha 28, also runs a travel business, and reportedly takes users on day trips once every three months.
Support that respects each person’s life and values
The facility takes each user’s life and values into account in its daily interactions and support.
On the day of our visit, one user mentioned, “I used to go to the Tongu bakery a lot,” and staff went with them to Tongu to buy a snack.
Starting from each user’s life and values, the facility values interactions and ways of spending time that feel true to each person.
A care facility opens a neighborhood dagashi shop and bookstore
A dagashi shop and bookstore are located by the entrance to Day Service Soda. It is a place where not only people who attend the care facility, but also neighborhood children and local residents, can drop in.
It was created to help local people feel that day services are close to home and to let care facilities blend naturally into everyday life. Today, it serves as a place for users to exchange with local people and customers who happen to drop by.
Users reportedly go along with staff to buy the dagashi, too. Choosing products while considering questions such as “Which ones should we stock?” and “Which snacks will people enjoy?” helps maintain and improve their abilities, while also bringing enjoyment to their lives.
We spoke with representative Doi Shuhei about why he started Day Service Soda and the concept behind the facility.
Day Service Soda details
| Name | Day Service Soda |
|---|---|
| Address | 3-1-14 Soja, Soja City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 0866-33-0802 |
| Parking | Available From the Day Service Soda building, go straight south; the parking area is on the triangular lot just before the first traffic light on the left There is a “Soda” sign. |
| Hours | Day service: 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Bookstore and dagashi shop: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. |
| Closed | Sunday Closed during Golden Week and the year-end/New Year holidays |
| Payment methods |
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| Website | Day Service Soda |
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