With planning, oversight, and support from The Nippon Foundation, SPOGOMI World Cup 2023, the first world championship for SPOGOMI, a sport that originated in Japan based on collecting trash (gomi is the Japanese word for trash), was held in Shibuya, Tokyo, on November 22, 2023. Representative teams from 21 countries, selected through preliminary competitions, competed, with the team from Britain declared the winner and the team from Japan placing second.

The Tohoku region of northeastern Japan is a treasure trove of traditional performing arts like kagura Shinto music and dance, tora-mai tiger dances, and shishi-odori deer dances. These arts and festivals suffered major damage when the Great East Japan Earthquake struck the region on March 11, 2011. Along the Pacific coast in particular, there were many cases in which masks and costumes, musical instruments, portable shrines, and floats were lost, and some Shinto shrines were completely washed away, by the large tsunami that followed.

The Nippon Foundation is providing scholarships to Ukrainians who have evacuated to Japan to attend Japanese language schools, to enable them to acquire the Japanese language skills required to find employment that suits their individual aspirations. The Foundation recently held an overnight study and exchange event at its head office in Tokyo, with 81 scholarship recipients from across Japan attending.

The Nippon Foundation and the Japan Coast Guard held the 3rd Coast Guard Global Summit (CGGS) in Tokyo on October 31 and November 1, 2023. The summit is one of the world’s largest platforms for effective coordination and discussion among the world’s coast guard organizations regarding a variety of critical marine issues including the depletion of marine resources and the increasing occurrence of disasters caused by climate change. This was the third time for The Nippon Foundation and the Japan Coast Guard to hold the CGGS, following the initial summit – the world’s first – in 2017 and the second, in 2019.

The 58th installment of the Awareness Survey of 18-Year-Olds, launched by The Nippon Foundation in October 2018, was carried out from October 13 to 15 on the subject of the “Public Pension System,” focusing on their views on how the public pension system should be structured and its future prospects, and differences across generations.

The Nippon Foundation’s International Seminar on Offshore Development was held at the Foundation’s head office in Tokyo on September 28. The seminar used a hybrid in-person and online format and roughly 170 people participated, with presentations by speakers followed by a lively question and answer session.

A ceremony was held at Naha Airport (Okinawa Prefecture) on September 28 to deliver a small airplane to MESH Support, an NGO that uses aircraft to support medical services. The airplane was purchased with a 166 million yen grant provided by The Nippon Foundation, and will go into use from October 1.

September 16 to 24 was designated UMIGOMI Zero Week 2023 (umigomi is a combination of the Japanese words for ocean (umi) and waste or trash (gomi)) as part of a project being carried out by The Nippon Foundation and Japan’s Ministry of the Environment to address the growing problem of ocean debris, and Cosplay de UMIGOMI Zero Challenge 2023 was held as a kickoff event in Yokohama on September 16.

The Nippon Foundation held an event at the Ito-Yokado store in Kiba, Tokyo, on September 30 and October 1 for young people and families with children to convey the appeal of the ocean and raise awareness of issues related to the ocean environment that are becoming increasingly serious at a global level.

The Nippon Foundation has released “A Report on Asia Pacific Projects: Deaf education, sign language linguistics and teaching projects supported by The Nippon Foundation.”

The Nippon Foundation’s Umi-to-Nippon Project (The Ocean and Japan Project) conducts events throughout the year to raise awareness across Japan of ocean-related issues and encourage people to feel closer to the ocean. Two of the events being held in October 2023 are a fish preparation workshop for parents and children in Yamanashi Prefecture, and a buri (yellowtail or Japanese amberjack) promotional campaign being held in Hokkaido.

Coinciding with the International Day of Sign Languages*1 on September 23, The Nippon Foundation released the SignTown Handbook sign language learning app on September 10. The app is a simple dictionary that makes it easy to search for and learn signs. SignTown Handbook was released as the second stage of The Nippon Foundation’s Project Shuwa,*2 which in September 2021 released the SignTown sign language learning game, jointly developed with the Chinese University of Hong Kong and in collaboration with Google and Kwansei Gakuin University.
The SignTown Handbook also ties in with the theme for International Day of Sign Languages 2023, “A World Where Deaf People Everywhere Can Sign Anywhere!” It can be used as a tool to enable many people to learn sign language and for people to have simple conversations in sign language. The project aims to increase the number of people engaged in sign language interpretation and to support the active participation of deaf people in a wide range of activities in the future.

The Nippon Foundation held a study tour on September 9 to raise awareness of ocean debris among athletes as part of the Setouchi Oceans X project, which is being jointly carried out by four of the prefectures bordering the Seto Inland Sea and The Nippon Foundation. The event was held on Kitagi-shima, an island in the Okayama Prefecture section of the Seto Inland Sea.

D-SHiPS32 is an NGO working to create new frameworks to promote a donation culture in Japan. The group is led by Daisuke Uehara, who was a member of Japan’s para ice hockey team at the Winter Paralympics in 2006, 2010, and 2018. The group is using the proceeds from the sale of non-fungible tokens (NFTs)^*1 to create an interactive metaverse^*2 for children with disabilities. 

The 57th installment of the Awareness Survey of 18-Year-Olds, launched by The Nippon Foundation in October 2018, was carried out from August 19 to 20 on the subject of “Generative AI.” The survey found that, of 1,000 young people aged 17 to 19, close to 90% “Knew of” generative artificial intelligence and close to 40% had used it, primarily to create text, while roughly 60% of those who had not used it “Would like to try” using generative AI.

MetLife Foundation Home Hospice Anma-no-Ie

MetLife Insurance K.K. (“MetLife Japan”) and The Nippon Foundation held a ceremony on July 26 to mark the opening of MetLife Foundation Home Hospice Anma-no-Ie in Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture. This is the second home hospice to open as part of the “MetLife Foundation and The Nippon Foundation: ‘Better Life Better Place’ for the Elderly and Children” program.^*1 Amid the accelerated aging of Japanese society, there is a need for places where people can feel at ease at the end of their lives.^*2 This program offers people a final home where they can live out their days securely in a familiar, home-like atmosphere.

The Nippon Foundation Ocean Acidification Adaptation Project was launched in April 2020 to identify the situation regarding the increasing acidification of the ocean in Japan’s coastal areas and its effect on the fishing industry. A survey conducted by the project showed, as of March 2022, multiple instances of acidification levels in oyster farms that could affect the Pacific oyster (Magallana gigas, also known as the Japanese oyster or Miyagi oyster). At the same time, there was no confirmation of direct damage including abnormal development or death of floating larvae, and it was determined that acidification had not reached a level that will damage the fishing industry at that time.

A seminar to provide the latest information related to fully autonomous shipping was held at The Nippon Foundation’s head office in Tokyo on July 20. The seminar included a keynote address by an expert in autonomous shipping, a panel discussion on the potential for its implementation, and the announcement of the second stage of the MEGURI2040 Fully Autonomous Ship Program being carried out by The Nippon Foundation. Participants included representatives of companies and research institutions who are developing automation technologies for autonomous ships and shipping, and university students who intend to enter maritime fields. They expressed their high hopes for the implementation of fully autonomous shipping, noting that the diverse panel gave updates on the latest trends and that the seminar generated new interest.

The Tooth Fairy project is being carried out jointly by the Japan Dental Association and The Nippon Foundation, using discarded gold and silver used in dental procedures and collected by dentists across Japan, and converting it into cash that is used for various activities that contribute to society. The project was launched in 2009, and as of April 27, 2023, it had close to 7,000 participating dental clinics and had raised more than 2.2 billion yen.

The Nippon Foundation launched the Working Group on Remote Work by Persons with Disabilities in June 2020. The Working Group includes members with a variety of disabilities including visual, hearing, mental, and locomotor dysfunction, and met online because of the coronavirus pandemic.

A ceremony was held on June 23 at the Shibuya City Hall to hand over the public toilets renovated by The Nippon Foundation’s THE TOKYO TOILET project to the Shibuya City government. With the aim of realizing a society that embraces diversity, the project renovated public toilets at 17 locations in Shibuya, so that they can be used by anyone regardless of gender, age, or disability. The project was carried out with the participation of 16 creators who endorsed this goal and used the power of design and creativity to offer proposals for a new society. The project was launched in 2018 and will conclude at the end of fiscal 2023, with Shibuya City taking over the toilets’ maintenance and upkeep.
At the ceremony, The Nippon Foundation Executive Director Jumpei Sasakawa, Shibuya Mayor Ken Hasebe, and Koji Yanai, Director of retailer Fast Retailing, which provided funding for the project, spoke about the project’s objectives and issues related to the maintenance and upkeep of public toilets.
To ensure a smooth handover of operations, The Nippon Foundation will continue to participate in the project’s management committee and provide funding support until the end of fiscal 2023 (ending March 31, 2024). The Foundation will also summarize and make use of the survey data and expertise gained through the project as reference for other local governments.

As part of its efforts to reduce plastic ocean debris, The Nippon Foundation, in cooperation with Utazu Town, Marugame City, and Sakide City in Kagawa Prefecture, carried out a verification project on June 4 for the efficient collection of debris from the riverbanks along a section of the Daisoku River that is difficult for people to access to collect trash.
Uneven terrain and fences make the riverbanks difficult to access, and large amounts of debris accumulate in areas that are overgrown with weeds. This large cleanup activity was held prior to the start of rainy season, when rain washes large amounts of debris into the ocean. After lowering the water level by diverting the river’s upstream water to agricultural channels and letting the remainder flow directly into the ocean, volunteers entered the riverbed and collected roughly two tons of plastic debris that had been scattered along roughly two kilometers of the river. This verification project demonstrated that debris that had been scattered by a river could be collected efficiently, even in an area that is difficult to access.
Roughly 350 people participated in the event, including members of local fishery cooperatives, people involved in agricultural channel management, members of local fire brigades and local governments, motorboat racers, and students, who were joined by Kagawa Governor Toyohito Ikeda and The Nippon Foundation Executive Director Mitsuyuki Unno. The Nippon Foundation will use the knowledge gained from the event to continue to build models for efficient trash collection activities in areas like rivers and remote islands that are difficult to access.

The Nippon Foundation launched the “Project to Study Possibilities for Collaboration with the Next Generation of Nikkei” in April 2023. The project aims to use the Foundation’s experience and networks from its support of Nikkei communities to date, to provide a platform for discussion among next-generation Nikkei^* leaders who face similar challenges without being constrained by position, affiliation, or interests.

A press conference was held at The Nippon Foundation’s head office in Tokyo on May 30 to announce the resumption of two private-sector exchange programs between Japan and China. This year marks the 45th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Japan and China, and in July the Japan–China Field Officer Exchange program for officers of the Japan Self Defense Forces and the People’s Liberation Army, which had been suspended for four years because of the coronavirus pandemic, is scheduled to resume.

[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 Nippon Foundation is carrying out the following support measures while closely following the situation with regard to infections.

With the declining birthrate having become a major issue for Japan, in March 2023 The Nippon Foundation conducted its 4th Awareness Survey of 10,000 Women, on the topic of “Declining Birthrate and Raising Children,” to gauge Japanese women’s attitudes toward raising children against a backdrop of a declining birthrate.

Providing emotional support to children with serious illnesses

Facility dogs are service dogs specifically trained to be close to children hospitalized with serious illnesses. They are part of the hospital staff and provide emotional support to children and their families. The dogs accompany children when doing things like going to the operating room or when having blood samples taken, and their presence helps to relieve the children’s stress, approach their treatment with a positive attitude, and promote a healthy appetite and rehabilitation.

The Nippon Foundation’s THE TOKYO TOILET project is recreating public toilets in 17 locations in Shibuya, Tokyo, to make them accessible to everyone. The 15th facility, in Hatagaya (3-37-8 Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; UTokyo DLX Design Lab / Miles Pennington, creator) opened to the public on February 22; the 16th facility, in Sasazuka Greenway (1-29 Sasazuka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Junko Kobayashi / Gondola Architects, creator), opened on March 10; and the 17th facility, in Nishisando (3-27-1 Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Sou Fujimoto, creator), opened on March 24.

The Nippon Foundation – Nekton Ocean Census is a global initiative to discover unknown marine life, jointly launched by The Nippon Foundation and Nekton Foundation as an open network based on cooperation among the scientific world, the media, academia, business, and the private sector.

On April 27 (London time), The Nippon Foundation and Nekton Foundation of Britain announced the launch of The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census, an international project to explore unknown marine life.

Marking the 34th anniversary of Peruvian-Japanese Friendship Day, a certificate of commendation jointly signed by María del Pilar Cordero Jon Tay, Chairperson of the Peru-Japan Friendship League of Congress, and José Daniel Williams Zapata, President of the Congress of Peru, was presented to The Nippon Foundation on April 3, 2023. The presentation was in recognition of the Foundation’s contributions to Peru, and to Peru’s Nikkei^* society in particular, in areas including support for medical and welfare facilities in Peru and human resource development for young Nikkei.

MetLife Insurance K.K. (“MetLife Japan”) and The Nippon Foundation held a ceremony on March 21 to mark the opening of MetLife Foundation Ratan in the city of Unzen in Nagasaki Prefecture. This is the first Children’s 3rd Place^*1 to open in Unzen, as well as the first to open as part of the “MetLife Foundation and The Nippon Foundation: ‘Better Life Better Place’ for the Elderly and Children” program.^*2

With local elections to take place across Japan in April, the 55th installment of the Awareness Survey of 18-Year-Olds, launched by The Nippon Foundation in October 2018, was carried out from February 22 to 27 on the subject of “Local Legislative Assemblies.” The survey found that, of young people aged 18 and older who are residents of prefectures or municipalities where elections are scheduled, roughly 15% were aware of the upcoming elections. Of those respondents, more than 80% intend to vote, but that still means that only roughly 12% of all young people will vote.

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 54th installment of the Awareness Survey of 18-Year-Olds, launched by The Nippon Foundation in October 2018, was carried out from January 27 to February 1 on the subject of the “National Diet and Politicians.” The survey of 1,000 respondents in Japan aged 17 to 19 was intended to examine young people’s interest in politics and their impression and opinions regarding the Diet (national legislature) and Diet members.
The results showed that while a majority of respondents expressed interest in politics for reasons including “Politics will be relevant to my life now or in the future,” negative views including “Responses to unforeseen events,” “Reflecting the people’s will,” and “Lack of integrity / transparency” were expressed, with a majority saying that the Diet is “Not a place for meaningful policy deliberation” and more than 60% feeling that the “Opinions of young people are not incorporated.” In addition, when asked if they had “High hopes” for today’s politics, only one in five replied affirmatively, with the remaining 80% saying they did not. With regard to measures to improve the functioning of the Diet, the top replies for how to increase interest in politics were the “Election of younger Diet members” and “Online activities.”

Ahead of the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, four of the 1,921 Ukrainian evacuees to Japan receiving support for travel and living expenses from The Nippon Foundation gathered on February 20 to discuss the issues they currently face in Japan and their thoughts regarding their home country.

The 53^rd installment of the Awareness Survey of 18-Year-Olds, launched by The Nippon Foundation in October 2018, was carried out from January 11-16 on the subject of “National Security.” The survey of 1,000 respondents in Japan aged 17 to 19 was intended to examine young people’s attitudes and opinions regarding peace and Japan’s national security policies, and increasing the defense budget.
When asked what they saw as the biggest threat to Japan over the next five years, the top response among both men and women was “war or the effects from conflict among countries neighboring Japan,” followed by an “armed attack by another country against Japan.” More than 30% of respondents also rated the likelihood of Japan becoming involved in an armed conflict with another country within the next five years as “50% or higher.”
Opinion was divided with regard to the increase in defense spending currently being deliberated in the Diet, with 38% approving and 32% disapproving.

Supporting Nikkei communities around the world for 50 years

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.

Developing specialist knowledge and cultivating leaders for next generation of Nikkei society through training and social contribution activities while studying in Japan
The Nippon Foundation Nikkei Scholarship, administered by the Association of Nikkei & Japanese Abroad, has supported 148 young Nikkei from 11 countries (as of September 2022) from Latin America and Asia.
The scholarship program has three unique features: (1) A wide range of choices for the institusion and subject; (2) A robust program that includes training opportunities; and (3) A network of other scholars after completing the program.