Wishing You a Happy New Year

During 2016, The Nippon Foundation was active in a broad range of areas including our ongoing efforts to overcome leprosy and eliminate related prejudice and discrimination, and to promote ocean-related education and maritime human resource capacity building. We also held The Nippon Foundation Social Innovation Forum 2016 to seek ways to resolve social issues in Japan, launched a joint project with Tottori Prefecture that aims to create a model for local revitalization, and provided emergency relief and support for reconstruction in Kyushu following a series of earthquakes in and around Kumamoto Prefecture in April.

A number of laws related to the Foundation’s work were enacted in Japan during the past year. One of these sets up a framework under which money in dormant bank accounts that have not had a deposit or withdrawal for more than 10 years will be channeled to charitable activities, and another assigns responsibility to the national and local governments for preventing recidivism among persons released from prison or juvenile detention. In addition, revisions to the Child Welfare Act, originally enacted in 1947, and the passage of a related law governing private-sector adoption agencies seek to facilitate the adoption of infants while ensuring the quality of the adoption process.

The Nippon Foundation has been working with NGOs and other private-sector organizations and companies, and at times with governments, in each of these areas for many years, and one of the roles we play is to act as a platform that connects people with governments. While we are proud of our achievements to date, much work remains to be done. As we begin a new year, the world faces many uncertainties that are posing challenges in Japan and testing the global community. We will continue to move forward during 2017, with all employees of The Nippon Foundation working toward our goal of achieving a society in which all people support one another.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our friends and partners around the world – both individuals and organizations – a Happy New Year, and ask for your continued support and cooperation as we pursue this goal together.

Photo
The Nippon Foundation staff

Contact

Communications Department
The Nippon Foundation

E-mail
cc@ps.nippon-foundation.or.jp