Table Speech


How to Eradicate Poverty of Japanese Children

April 21, 2021

Mr. Koyama Kunihisa
Representative Director of Little Ones, Specified Nonprofit Corporation


¡¡One in seven children are said to live in poverty here in Japan, one of the largest and most developed economies in the world. Children are our future. Yet, they suffer from lack of adequate food, education and medical services caused by multiple factors that intricately intertwine and threaten one¡Çs economic, social and cultural wellbeing. Today, let me share the activities of Little Ones, an organization which I launched 12 years ago to save children from poverty and think together what we adults can do.

I started my career at a TV production company. Back then, the issues faced by single mothers were hardly known. There were no data compiled by related ministries regarding ¡Èchildren and poverty¡É. I was shocked to learn the plight of single mothers as we interviewed them for our news program. I also realized there was little support provided by local authorities and if any, it didn¡Çt meet the needs of recipients.

¡¡During my studies in the U.S.A., I had done volunteer work at a non-profit organization (NPO) to support victims of domestic violence. There, not only companies but organizations and individuals in the locality, including Rotarians, engaged in charitable activities and provided assistance with speed and flexibility. There seems to be a stereotype in Japan, or in Asian countries for that matter, that assistance for single-mother households should be managed by female family support workers and not by males like myself. When I was interviewed by a newspaper in Singapore, I was introduced as a rare case.

I established a NPO to support single-mother households that builds on the best practices from around the world. We provide living and housing support, career coaching as well as organize social gatherings and events for mothers and children. We have also set up a donation program to support after-school activities because we believe such extracurricular activities help in the overall development of a child. We also believe every child should be given an equal opportunity to maximize his/her potential, regardless of one¡Çs socioeconomic status.

¡¡Our housing assistance program won the World Habitat Awards in 2018. We have worked with property owners, estate agents and local governments to acquire empty or abandoned houses, renovated them using government subsidies and rented out to single mothers at discounted rates. This nation¡Çs first project succeeded in providing safe and affordable places to live in, targeted for women. Since the Award, we have been requested to give advice on housing support from different countries.

¡¡Our initiatives are implemented in collaboration with Ministries and agencies. We currently collaborate with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourisms as well as the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. We try to localize the content so that each initiative can address issues and needs specific to a region or area.

¡¡Today, a smartphone has become our essential lifeline. We have created a web portal where mothers can get information to find the right support and assistance to get through difficult times. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government found this resource effective and useful and established its own site ¡ÈLife Support Navi for Single Parents¡É which builds on our experiences and knowhow. I believe such exchange and sharing of knowledge and expertise will reinforce public-private collaboration and achieve a positive synergy.

¡¡When I say ¡Èassistance¡É, I don¡Çt mean to do everything for mothers and children. I would rather assist them, on an equal footing, and address their real needs through empowerment and inclusion. For example, we received much needed shoes for children by Kioicho Rotary Club as we joined forces to grasp what was most needed by the recipients.

¡¡The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has unprecedented repercussions on our lives, with even greater impact on single parents and their children. During the lockdown, the majority of schools closed and switched to remote learning. Learning loss has been observed especially among students from disadvantaged families who do not always have access to a PC nor to the Internet at home. COVID-19 induced stay-at-home measures have also taken a serious toll on marriages. We received over 300 calls from mothers falling victim to domestic abuse in 2020, which is three times more than in ordinary times. Not a few of them have been forced to flee their homes, finding shelter in their friend¡Çs or relative¡Çs places or shabby storage spaces. This is the reality of Japan.

¡¡The majority of the Japanese workforce is working in non-regular positions who face higher risk of being laid off during the economic slump caused by the pandemic. An increasing number of single mothers have lost their jobs and their children are often the hardest hit. We have been working with local farmers to formulate a scheme of delivering fresh agricultural and dairy products to single mother households to meet their nutritional needs, using Governmental subsidies. There is still a lot to be done to ensure no one is left behind because support groups are limited especially in rural areas.

¡¡Here in Japan, we have a splendid and respectable culture where seniors render assistance to juniors. For adults, children are juniors in our lives. I sincerely hope grown-ups can try to help our little juniors in whatever form, as an individual or as a business. Today, companies and local communities are expected to take proactive moves to promote SDGs, ESG or IR. Companies can do so much through their business activities, shown by the dedicated support our activities receive from the private sector. I strongly believe we can eradicate child poverty once we can create a positive cycle in this country.