[Support in Japan]
Financial Assistance to Evacuees from Ukraine
We are providing assistance for travel and living expenses for Ukrainian citizens who have evacuated to Japan as a result of Russia’s invasion in February 2022 and who have a guarantor with residence status in Japan.
The gigantic eruption of the underwater volcano Hunga Tonga-Hunga-Haʻapai on January 15, 2022, caused major damage in Tonga.
The Nippon Foundation began accepting donations to the Tonga Emergency Relief Fund on January 19, and the period for donations ended on July 31.
The Nippon Foundation announced today that it plans to provide humanitarian assistance for travel and living expenses of people who have been displaced from Ukraine, and who have family or acquaintances living in Japan and wish to reside in Japan. There are roughly 1,900 Ukrainian residents of Japan, and roughly 1,000 of their family members and acquaintances are expected to seek to come to Japan.
The Nippon Foundation is carrying out the following support measures while closely following the situation with regard to infections.
Yohei Sasakawa, The Nippon Foundation Chairman and World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination, was received by Pope Francis at the Vatican on the morning of January 26 (local time). Mr. Sasakawa asked for the pope’s cooperation in eliminating both the disease of leprosy and the prejudice and discrimination that accompany it. In response, the pope thanked Mr. Sasakawa for his work as WHO goodwill ambassador and displayed a deep understanding of the situation, noting the need to continue to work to make people understand that leprosy is a curable disease.
The 52nd installment of the Awareness Survey of 18-Year-Olds, launched by The Nippon Foundation in October 2018, was carried out from December 2-5, 2022, on the subject of “Values and Life Design.” The survey of 1,000 respondents in Japan aged 17 to 19 (i.e., approaching or just having reached legal adulthood) was intended to examine young people’s values and thinking regarding marriage and partnership, and child-rearing.
While more than 40% of male and female respondents replied “Yes” to the question, “Do you want to get married in the future,” only roughly 20% of men and roughly 10% of women replied “Definitely yes” when asked, “Do you believe you actually will get married in the future.” In addition, more than 70% approved of common-law marriages, the use of separate surnames by husbands and wives, and partnership oath systems for same-sex couples.
With regard to Japan’s aging population and declining birthrate, more than 70% of both men and women view the situation with a sense of crisis, while roughly 80% replied that the government’s response is “insufficient” and showed a clear desire for economic support including tuition-free education.
The Nippon Foundation held a symposium on December 5 to mark the launch of the Digital Transformation Fund, established with a US$3 million donation from Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google LLC, to use the power of digital transformation to invigorate the social sector.
The Nippon Foundation is providing assistance for travel expenses, daily living expenses, and home furnishing expenses to people who have evacuated from Ukraine to Japan. The details are as follows.
The Nippon Foundation has announced the results of a survey of evacuees from Ukraine who are 18 years old and older. Of the 750 respondents, roughly one in four (24.7%) showed a clear desire to settle in Japan, replying that they “Want to stay in Japan for as long as possible.” Adding those who replied that they “Want to stay in Japan until the situation in Ukraine stabilizes” brought the percentage of evacuees who wish to become long-term residents of Japan to 65.5%.
The MetLife Foundation and The Nippon Foundation announced on December 12 the launch of Shared House Satchan-chi, a home-like hospice for older people located in Otsuki, Yamanashi Prefecture. The hospice is part of the “MetLife Foundation and The Nippon Foundation: ‘Better Life Better Place’ for the Elderly and Children” program, which is funded by donations from the MetLife Foundation, and is the program’s first home-like hospice for older people.
The 51st installment of the Awareness Survey of 18-Year-Olds, launched by The Nippon Foundation in October 2018, was carried out from October 21 to 25 on the subject of “Coronavirus, Travel, and Inbound Tourism.” The survey of 1,000 respondents in Japan aged 17 to 19 was intended to examine young people’s thinking regarding the relaxation of border controls introduced to stop the spread of coronavirus infections, and travel within and outside Japan.
The following is the first of a series of discussions with the creators involved in THE TOKYO TOILET project, being carried out by The Nippon Foundation and the Shibuya City government to renovate 17 public toilets in Shibuya to make them accessible for everyone regardless of gender, age, or disability.
The Nippon Foundation, Hiroshima Prefecture, and Otake City held a joint demonstration project on November 17 on Atata Island for the efficient recovery and processing of large amounts of debris that have washed up on a remote island that is difficult to access, as part of their efforts to reduce plastic ocean debris.
Japan’s Special Envoy for National Reconciliation in Myanmar and The Nippon Foundation Chairman Yohei Sasakawa has brokered a cease-fire and reached an agreement between Myanmar’s military and the Arakan Army ethnic armed group. Mr. Sasakawa visited Myanmar on November 25-27 and met with senior leaders of both Myanmar’s military and the Arakan Army to continue brokering a humanitarian cease-fire. He also plans to visit Rakhine state before the end of this year to work out further details.
TESMaP, a joint initiative of The Nippon Foundation and NIWA, has completed the fullest investigation to date into January’s eruption of the underwater Tongan volcano.
The Nippon Foundation held an international seminar on ocean development on November 9 in a hybrid face-to-face and online format at The Nippon Zaidan Building in Tokyo. More than 210 participants attended the seminar either in person or online, and in addition to presentations by the presenters, the seminar concluded with a lively Q&A session and exchange of opinions with the audience.
The 50th installment of the Awareness Survey of 18-Year-Olds, launched by The Nippon Foundation in October 2018, was carried out from September 22 to 27 on the subject of “Internet Use and Online Abuse.” The survey of 1,000 respondents in Japan aged 17 to 19 was intended to examine young people’s thinking regarding strengthening laws on online abuse and slander.
At a press event held on October 24 at The Nippon Foundation headquarters, the Japan Hydrographic Association (JHA) and The Nippon Foundation announced the joint launch of the Umi-no-Chizu Project (Map of the Sea Project) to use aerial measurement to map 90% of Japan’s shallow coastal waters (up to a depth of 20 meters).
The Nippon Foundation will release “Global Disability and Diversity Fact Sheet for CEOs” as part of the initiatives of a working group that worked with persons with disabilities remotely. This fact sheet summarizes the current situation and actions that companies that engage in disability inclusion, such as hiring persons with disabilities and developing products/services for customers with disabilities, should know at a minimum. We hope you will find this useful.
The Nippon Foundation began supporting Nikkei* communities in various countries in the 1970s as a tribute to the early generations of Japanese emigrants who overcame numerous hardships in other countries under emigration policies and who laid the foundation of today’s Nikkei communities. In addition to supporting the early generation of emigrants, The Nippon Foundation today also provides support for the education and development of the networks for the next generation of the Nikkei communities.
Japanese emigration, for economic reasons or to pursue challenges in a new world, began in full from the 1880s. Many emigrants took up agriculture in North and South America, but developing virgin land for agriculture was by no means easy. These emigrants therefore established mutual aid organizations of Japanese or Nikkei* residents to ensure lifestyles and health, educate children, and pass on Japanese culture. In Brazil, they built meeting halls and sports facilities known as kaikan in communities with large Nikkei populations. Some of these still exist today, hosting festivals and other Japan-themed seasonal events.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, more than 1,700 Ukrainians have evacuated to Japan. In late March, The Nippon Foundation announced that it would provide assistance with travel, daily living, and home furnishing expenses for up to 1,000 of these evacuees, and in late July that number was raised to 2,000.
The 49th installment of the Awareness Survey of 18-Year-Olds, launched by The Nippon Foundation in October 2018, was carried out from August 26 to 31 on the subject of “Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.” The survey of 1,000 respondents in Japan aged 17 to 19 was intended to examine young people’s experiences, thinking, and actions with regard to large-scale natural disasters and disaster prevention and mitigation.
More than 80% of respondents expressed concerns regarding disasters being exacerbated by global warming and forecasts of a large-scale earthquake occurring in the next 10 to 20 years, and view the situation with a sense of crisis. At the same time, however, more than half did not know things like the location of their locally designated evacuation center and less than 20% were familiar with the government’s evacuation information guidelines, showing a need for greater public awareness of disaster-related systems and countermeasures.
Earlier this year, The Nippon Foundation and The Nippon Foundation Volunteer Support Center jointly launched The Volunteer Program for Ukraine, a program that plans to send 105 Japanese university student volunteers (in seven groups of 15 people each) to countries bordering Ukraine to assist evacuees from Ukraine, for two weeks each from May to October.
On September 20, 2022, The Nippon Foundation established and began accepting donations to the No Barriers Fund to support people with disabilities, who are often placed at a disadvantage in education and employment.
This fund will be used to support the activities of NGOs and other organizations that support people with disabilities in Japan and overseas, in areas including employment support, sports, and artistic activities, with the aim of realizing an inclusive society.
A ceremony was held at The Nippon Zaidan Building on May 30 to see off the first two groups see off the first two groups of Japanese university student volunteers who are being dispatched to Poland to assist evacuees from Ukraine as part of a joint project with The Nippon Foundation Volunteer Center. The first group of 15 students will be dispatched from May 31 to June 16, and the second group of 15 will be dispatched from June 13 to 29, and 25 of those students attended the send-off ceremony. From their base in Krakow, the students will assist people who have evacuated from Ukraine by distributing food and other items, managing relief supplies, and assisting with the dissemination of information about activities being carried out by NGOs.
The 48th installment of the Awareness Survey of 18-Year-Olds, launched by The Nippon Foundation in October 2018, was carried out from July 29 to August 2 on the subject of “Energy.” The survey of 1,000 respondents in Japan aged 17 to 19 was intended to examine young people’s thinking and response to energy shortages and energy policy in light of the government’s request for reduced electricity consumption during the summer and policy for the full-fledged restart of nuclear power plants.
The results are as outlined below. While a majority of respondents were taking concrete actions to conserve electricity, less than 20% understood the reward points system the government has introduced to promote electricity conservation. A tendency toward prioritizing stable energy supplies was also seen, with a majority of respondents approving of nuclear power accounting for a larger portion of the country’s electrical power generation.
The coronavirus that first appeared in Wuhan, China, began spreading in January 2020 and quickly became a worldwide pandemic. The spread of infections in Japan created an unprecedented situation, with a state of emergency initially being declared in April 2020. In response, The Nippon Foundation began accepting donations on April 7 to support medical practitioners, children, and others affected by the pandemic.
As part of its support for Ukrainians who have evacuated to Japan, The Nippon Foundation provided an opportunity for 12 young people from a Ukrainian youth judo team to practice under the instruction of judoka and HEROs Ambassador Kosei Inoue (gold medalist in the 100kg event at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Japan national team coach for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics). The Foundation has already been providing Ukrainian children with support for travel and living expenses in Japan, and this event was part of The Nippon Foundation’s HEROs program, through which athletes use their sport to promote activities that contribute to society. The event was organized with the cooperation of the city of Yokohama, a sister city of Odesa, Ukraine, and the team members are short-term evacuees from that city. The event was held on August 24, Ukraine’s Independence Day, at the Asano Junior and Senior High School. Roughly 60 young people including members of the school’s judo club participated, and were joined by judoka Ryunosuke Haga (bronze medalist in the 100kg event at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics). The participants received instruction in judo’s uchi-mata (inner thigh wraparound throw) and o-uchi-gari (large inner reap) techniques, and this was followed by randori freestyle training.
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The 47th installment of the Awareness Survey of 18-Year-Olds, launched by The Nippon Foundation in October 2018, was carried out from July 12 to 14 on the subject of the “Situation in Ukraine.” The survey of 1,000 respondents in Japan was intended to survey young people’s attitudes and actions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and their evaluation of the Japanese government’s response.
The results are as outlined below. Respondents showed a high degree of interest in the situation in Ukraine, with some having participated in relief activities in neighboring countries and fundraising activities. Respondents had a positive view of the role that Japan is playing, with more than half approving of Japan’s acceptance of the more than 1,600 evacuees from Ukraine who have already come to Japan.
At a press conference held on July 29, 2022, at The Nippon Foundation headquarters in Tokyo, The Nippon Foundation announced that it has decided to increase the number of evacuees from Ukraine that it will support with daily living and other expenses to 2,000. This is double the initial figure announced on March 28, prior to the program’s commencement in April, and will bring the total amount of assistance budgeted to 8.58 billion yen.
pon Foundation’s THE TOKYO TOILET project is recreating public toilets in 17 locations in Shibuya, Tokyo, to make them accessible to everyone. The 13th toilet, in Hiroo East Park (Hiroo 4-2-27, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Tomohito Ushiro, creator) opened to the public on July 22.
Ahead of Japan’s Marine Day holiday, observed this year on July 18, The Nippon Foundation carried out an awareness survey regarding the ocean.
The first two 15-member groups of Japanese university student volunteers participating in The Volunteer Program for Ukraine, a joint project being operated by The Nippon Foundation and The Nippon Foundation Volunteer Center, have returned to Japan after spending two weeks each in Poland assisting evacuees from Ukraine (Group 1: May 31 – June 16; Group 2: June 13 – 29). At a briefing at The Nippon Zaidan Building on July 7, representatives of the two groups reported on their activities, which included interacting with children, cleaning facilities, and managing supplies and equipment, mainly at a temporary evacuation center in the city of Przemyśl.
The next two groups are scheduled to be dispatched from August 1-17 (Group 3) and August 15 – 31 (Group 4), with Poland, Slovakia, Austria and other countries being considered as bases for their activities. Applications for Groups 5 and 6 are currently being accepted via The Nippon Foundation Volunteer Center’s Vokatsu! website (in Japanese only) (external link). The program plans to dispatch up to 105 volunteers in seven groups of 15 members each by October.
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The Nippon Foundation launched The Nippon Foundation MEGURI2040 Fully Autonomous Ship Program in February 2020 through the formation of five consortia –comprising more than 60 companies from various fields including shipping, shipbuilding and related areas, telecommunications, weather information, marine insurance, and information technology startups – to pursue the development and verification of fully autonomous ship navigation. The project seeks to address two major issues facing Japan’s coastal shipping industry: shortages of human resources, with more than half of coastal shipping crew members being over the age of 50, and the fact that human error is said to be involved in 70-80% of maritime accidents. The project is aiming for the practical implementation of fully autonomous navigation by 2025, and to have fully autonomous navigation account for 50% of coastal shipping by 2040. Each of the consortia carried out their first demonstration tests during January – March 2022.
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The Nippon Foundation, together with U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel and Ukrainian Ambassador to Japan Sergiy Korsunsky, today announced the establishment of the Ukrainian Evacuees Assistance Fund, which has begun accepting donations to assist people who have evacuated to Japan from Ukraine.
A press conference was held on May 23 at New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) in Wellington to announce the findings of the first part of a joint research project being carried out by The Nippon Foundation and NIWA to survey the area around the Hunga Tonga-Hunga-Haʻapai underwater volcano, which erupted in January 2022, and surrounding regions off the coast of Tonga.
The Nippon Foundation Support for Evacuees from Ukraine 