OurPlanet-TV

The first SEEDCap grant of several million yen was awarded for the “Torch Project” of OurPlanet-TV, an independent media portal that enables “citizen journalists” to produce programs on the social problems they are working to alleviate. 

OurPlanet-TV was established in 2001 by two former television producers, women who felt it is critically important to cover issues that are being overlooked by the mainstream media. It was also intended to provide a venue for independent media from Japan to distribute their work. The organization maintains a website with web broadcasting capability, conducts workshops on media skills (video production, media relations, webcasting, etc.), and offers consulting on image editing, streaming technology, and other relevant issues. Their work focuses on encouraging nonprofit and social responsibility initiatives.

A SEEDCap grant of several million yen was made to support the “Torch Project,” a nationwide competition to select and produce films that shed light on new issues, that would have a clear focus, that are ideologically balanced, and that would not otherwise be made. Eight projects were selected out of 62 entries.

Documentaries Supported by the Torch Project

The Leprosy that Japan Wants to Forget—The stories of elderly patients in the leper colonies that Japan set up in Taiwan during the wartime occupation who are still feeling the effects of Japanese policy on leprosy.

New Test for Cancer Support Group Trying to Help Children Return to School—Exploration of the issues facing children who leave school for cancer treatment and how they can be reintegrated into the school system.

The Werewolf Returns to Tokyo—The Werewolf, a B-29 bomber, was downed in 1945 in Fujinomiya City during a bombing raid on Tokyo, and the three surviving American aviators were imprisoned and perished four months later in the firebombing of Tokyo. The daughter of the co-pilot visits Japan 60 years after the war to trace her father’s last steps and speak with the citizens of Fujinomiya.

Osaka Puppet Theater for the Homeless—Formerly homeless volunteer workers, with an average age of 72 years old, try to stage a traditional puppet theater performance in Tokyo.

Three Years After the Nagoya Prison Incident—Have Japanese Prisons Changed?—Update on the status of abused prisoners and prison reform in the aftermath of the Nagoya prison abuse scandal.

Haraken—The mother of a son who refused to attend school since he was in second grade deals with the epidemic of children dropping out of school for psychological reasons by opening a “play space” for dropout, bullied, and handicapped children.

Noriko’s Flamenco—A look at the growing popularity of flamenco in Japan and the culture that surrounds it through the eyes of Noriko, a devoted flamenco dancer.

Alarm Bells from the Denture Factory—An investigative report of the economics and self-dealing involved in the production and distribution of dentures and false teeth in an aging nation.

Florence

Florence, a Tokyo-based nonprofit, received a grant of several million yen to scale up its “Children’s Rescue Brigade,” which provides one-on-one home care for sick children of working parents.

OurPlanet-TV

Follow-up funding was provided to OurPlanet-TV to disseminate documentaries on social issues that were produced with SEEDCap funding.

Kotoba no Atelier

A grant of several million yen was provided for a residential training program on manga illustration, the “Tokiwaso” project, to draw hikimokori and other youth classified as “NEETs” (Not in Employment, Education or Training) back into societal contact and help them gain professional skills.

A Dream A Day in Tokyo/Heartful Holiday in Tokyo for Terminally Ill Children

SEEDCap funding supported the launch of the first organization in Japan to offer terminally ill children from Japan and Asia a one-week stay in Tokyo to fulfill lifelong dreams.

In recent years in Japan, there has been an alarming number of youth, primarily teenage boys and young men, who withdraw from society and live as hikikomori, or “shut-ins,” rarely if ever leaving their rooms. Kotoba no Atelier, a Tokyo-based nonprofit works to draw hikimokori and other youth classified as “NEETs” (Not in Employment, Education or Training) back into societal contact and help them gain the skills they need to support themselves before their parents grow elderly. Operating on the philosophy that these young people can be better engaged in work in areas that they enjoy, Kotoba no Atelier offers support and training to hikikomori and NEETs who wish to pursue careers in creative fields as novelists, professional writers, and comic artists. Their activities include operating a training school for young writers, running an internet radio station, and operating a residential program in Tokyo for aspiring illustrators.

The first year SEEDCap grant was utilized as seed money to scale up the “Tokiwaso” housing and training program and for hikikomori and NEETs who wish to become manga (comic) illustrators. In 2007, the Tokiwaso project expanded to the current six homes and participation has grown from three young people to 33. This initiative is unique in Japan and it is being closely watched as a promising model by leaders from different sectors of society who have been grappling with this growing problem. Since the residents of the home are required to pay discounted rents, the program has the capacity to eventually become financially self-sustaining.

A Dream A Day in Tokyo/Heartful Holiday offers terminally ill children a one-week stay in Tokyo along with their parents to visit amusement parks and tourist sites in order to fulfill their dreams and allow the families to have happy memories of their time together.  Participants are not limited solely to Japanese nationals, and underprivileged children from throughout Asia are also invited as part of an effort to develop friendships with neighboring countries and to enrich the lives of the sick children.

Although numerous organizations in Europe and the United States support terminally ill children at the final stages of intractable diseases, no other comparable organization exists in Japan.  There is high social demand for these services, but they are not covered by welfare agencies and existing nonprofit organizations.  The first year grant was provided to allow the organization, which was launched in September 2006, to build up its organizational foundation and develop a fundraising base.

Total Health Care for Artists Japan (THCA Japan)

Funding was awarded to expand access to affordable healthcare for dancers and other artists, who often fall through the gaps of Japan’s healthcare system.

KOMPOSITION

Support was provided for the innovative “Legal Wall Project” which battles illegal graffiti by providing youth with legal spaces to paint at the request of building owners.

Kotoba no Atelier

Second-year funding was provided for a residential training program to draw youth who are out of the workforce back into societal contact and help them gain professional skills.

A Dream A Day in Tokyo/Heartful Holiday in Tokyo for Terminally Ill Children

Second year funding was awarded for a program that offers terminally ill children from Japan and Asia a one-week stay in Tokyo to fulfill lifelong dreams.

In comparison to Europe and the United States, Japan has a weak support system for working artists. In particular, it lags in addressing the healthcare needs of dancers and others artists whose bodies are pushed to the limits much like athletes’ bodies. THCA Japan is the first nonprofit organization to tackle the issue of providing health care support for artists, and its objective is to help the development and spread of the arts by improving access to healthcare for artists and by consolidating the health care support system for artistic efforts. THCA Japan holds healthcare seminars that bring together artists and healthcare experts such as doctors and trainers, and it also offers “healthcare grants” to help pay for the costs of recovery from an injury. The SEEDCap grant was provided to enable THCA Japan to conduct a survey in order to develop high-quality programs that match the needs of artists, and will strengthen the organization’s publicity activities. By expanding and improving the seminars, which are an income-producing activity, THCA aims to increase its membership and increase the demand for its services. In addition, the organization will open an office in an area where artists gather, anticipating that this will help to strengthen its organizational base.

KOMPOSITION is a Tokyo-based nonprofit organization that offers opportunities for young people to find ways to express themselves and develop their potential through art and sports in ways that will be appreciated by society. With corporate sponsorship and governmental commissions and funding, KOMPOSITION supports youth activities in the fields of art, basketball, and track and field. The organization began its efforts with an innovative “Legal Wall Project” that provides graffiti artists with a wall of a building on which they can legally display their work. The Legal Wall Project has had a temporary or limited timeframe for artwork because it has been done as part of corporate PR campaigns or government art events, but SEEDCap funding was provided to enable KOMPOSTION to turn the project into an advertising program. The owners of wall space on buildings that are damaged by graffiti can enter into a contract with KOMPOSITION, which administers the wall as a “legal wall” and serves as an intermediary for advertisers who want to use the wall. KOMPOSITION will be able to earn revenue from the advertising, clean up unwanted graffiti, and channel youth’s energies and creativity by offering spaces where they can paint legally. This is designed to allow the Legal Wall Project to become a source of revenue for the organization and help KOMPOSITION expand its programming.

In recent years in Japan, there has been an alarming number of youth, primarily teenage boys and young men, who withdraw from society and live as hikikomori, or “shut-ins,” rarely if ever leaving their rooms. Kotoba no Atelier, a Tokyo-based nonprofit works to draw hikimokori and other youth classified as “NEETs” (Not in Employment, Education or Training) back into societal contact and help them gain the skills they need to support themselves before their parents grow elderly. Operating on the philosophy that these young people can be better engaged in work in areas that they enjoy, Kotoba no Atelier offers support and training to hikikomori and NEETs who wish to pursue careers in creative fields as novelists, professional writers, and comic artists. Their activities include operating a training school for young writers, running an internet radio station, and operating a residential program in Tokyo for aspiring illlustrators. The second year SEEDCap grant was utilized as seed money to scale up the “Tokiwaso” housing and training program and for hikikomori and NEETs who wish to become manga (comic) illustrators. In 2007, the Tokiwaso project expanded to the current six homes and participation has grown from three young people to 33. This initiative is unique in Japan and it is being closely watched as a promising model by leaders from different sectors of society who have been grappling with this growing problem. Since the residents of the home are required to pay discounted rents, the program has the capacity to eventually become financially self-sustaining.

A Dream A Day in Tokyo/Heartful Holiday offers terminally ill children and their parents a one-week stay in Tokyo to visit amusement parks and tourist sites in order to fulfill their dreams and allow the families to have happy memories of their time together.  Participants are not limited solely to Japanese nationals, and underprivileged children from throughout Asia are also invited as part of an effort to develop friendships with neighboring countries and to enrich the lives of the sick children. Although numerous organizations in Europe and the United States support terminally ill children at the final stages of intractable diseases, no other comparable organization exists in Japan.  There is high social demand for these services, but they are not covered by welfare agencies and existing nonprofit organizations.  The second year grant was provided to allow the organization to strengthen its institutional capacity and to scale up its operations.

Pangaea

Pangaea operates programs for children from around the world to communicate nonverbally through online games and activities. The funding for Pangaea’s first year will allow them to provide online training for facilitators and to add more sites around the world.

Total Health Care for Artists Japan (THCA Japan)

A second year of funding was provided to THCA Japan to expand access to affordable healthcare for Japanese dancers and other artists and to broaden its ties with arts organizations and healthcare providers.

KOMPOSITION

Second-year funding was awarded for a “wall art” competition. The organization is working to assist wall art artists by introducing their art to the general art world, and to incorporate wall art into local revitalization efforts.

Kotoba no Atelier

A third and final year of funding was provided for a residential training program to draw youth who are out of the workforce back into societal contact and help them gain professional skills.

A Dream A Day in Tokyo/Heartful Holiday in Tokyo for Terminally Ill Children

The final year of funding was awarded to Heartful Holiday, which offers terminally ill children from Japan and Asia a one-week stay in Tokyo to fulfill lifelong dreams.

Pangaea was founded in the wake of the 9/11 attacks by two Japanese who were initially scheduled to fly on United Flight 93 on the morning of September 11, 2001. Their close call inspired them to take action to bridge national, cultural, and religious differences by founding a nonprofit organization that would encourage young children around the world to communicate with one another and develop personal ties. The ultimate goal is to promote cross-cultural understanding when these children are in their formative years. Pangaea operates programs that allow children to communicate online with one another in a nonverbal manner through various games and activities. Pangaea sites are currently located in Japan, Korea, Austria, and Kenya, and 2,800 children from 3rd to 9th grade participate in them. Pangaea is currently working to reach more children and to expand their activities internationally, in part through the creation of a franchise model that will make the program self-sustaining. The funding for Pangaea’s first year will allow them to provide online training for facilitators and to add more sites around the world. They are also exploring partnerships with various institutions globally, including UN agencies.

Second-year funding was awarded to THCA Japan to expand access to affordable healthcare for dancers and other artists who often fall through the gaps of the Japanese healthcare system. In comparison to Europe and the United States, Japan has a weak support system for working artists. THCA Japan holds healthcare seminars that bring together artists and healthcare experts such as doctors and trainers, and also offers “healthcare grants” to help pay for the costs of recovery for injured artists. The first year of SEEDCap funding enabled it to strengthen its organizational base by conducting a survey to assess the needs of its clients, strengthen its publicity activities, open an office in an area where artists gather, and grow its membership. With the second-year funding, THCA Japan will focus on strengthening its institutional base by expanding its activities and broadening its ties with arts organizations and healthcare providers.

A second year of funding was also provided to KOMPOSITION, a Tokyo-based nonprofit organization that offers opportunities for young people to express themselves and to develop their potential through art and sports in ways that will be appreciated by society. The organization began its efforts with an innovative “Legal Wall Project” that provides youth with a wall of a building on which they can legally display their work. This has proven to discourage illegal graffiti and has enabled KOMPOSITION to build up its network of ties with other institutions. SEEDCap funding was provided to enable KOMPOSTION to turn the Legal Wall Project into a sustainable program. In the second year of SEEDCap support, KOMPOSITION is planning a “wall art” competition and is working to incorporate wall art into local revitalization efforts. It will also support the artists by introducing wall art to the broader art world and exploring how wall art might be bought and sold.

An alarming number of Japanese youth—primarily teenage boys and young men—withdraw from society and live as hikikomori, or “shut-ins.” A third and final year of funding has been given to the organization Kotoba no Atelier, which works to draw unemployed young people back into societal contact by helping them to gain the skills needed to support themselves. Since 2007, the organization has used SEEDCap funds to expand its “Tokiwaso” housing and training program for young people who wish to become professional manga (comic) illustrators. This initiative is unprecedented in Japan and is being closely watched as a promising model. It has expanded from 1 home and 3 young participants prior to receiving SEEDCap funding to 10 homes for 53 youths. In the last year, 8 young participants have debuted as manga artists and several others have found success in other creative careers. The project has received extensive media coverage and was featured on two documentaries by major television networks that covered the lives of the Tokiwaso residents. Its 30-year-old founder, Shigeru Yamamoto, has become widely recognized as an example of a successful Japanese social entrepreneur. At the end of the final year of funding, Kotabano Atelier will have 80-100 rooms under management at its homes.

Also in its third year of funding, A Dream A Day in Tokyo/Heartful Holiday offers terminally ill children and their parents a one-week stay in Tokyo to go to amusement parks and tourist sites that they have dreamed of visiting. Although numerous organizations in Europe and the United States support terminally ill children at the final stages of incurable diseases, no other comparable organization exists in Japan. With its first-year grant, Heartful Holiday produced promotional materials and built a network of volunteers and supporters, and its second-year grant allowed it to strengthen its institutional capacity and to scale up its operations. In December 2007, Heartful Holiday hosted its first family. They stayed for six days in Tokyo, visiting Tokyo Disneyland and other sites. This first visit gained wide publicity among patient support organizations, and since then, a total of eight families have been hosted. The positive impact on the children and their families has been noticeable. In the third year of funding, Heartful Holiday is working to raise awareness of its activities and to further expand its fundraising base and consolidate the organization’s support.

In 2010, there was a high level of interest in the program, with 86 grants applications coming in from around the country. Ecotwaza was ultimately chosen as SEEDCap’s new grant recipient, and renewed funding was provided for Pangaea and Total Health Care for Artists Japan.

Ecotwaza

SEEDCap awarded first year funding to Ecotwaza, a socially oriented company that is working to enable Japanese producers of ecofriendly goods to reach markets outside of Japan. Their ultimate goal is to promote environmentally responsible practices while helping to maintain Japan’s traditional handiworks and craftsmanship and strengthen the economic viability of the local communities where the crafts are made.

Pangaea

Second year funding was awarded to Pangaea, which operates programs for children from around the world to communicate nonverbally through online games and activities. Pangaea is currently working to reach more children and to expand their activities internationally, in part through the creation of a franchise model that will make the program self-sustaining.

 Total Health Care for Artists Japan (THCA Japan)

A third and final year year of funding was provided to THCA Japan to expand access to affordable healthcare for Japanese dancers and other artists.

Ecotwaza is an innovative socially oriented company that is working to enable Japanese producers of ecofriendly goods to reach markets outside of Japan. Ecotwaza’s goal is to reduce the environmental impact of human society and to promote environmentally responsible practices, while at the same time helping to maintain Japan’s traditional handiworks and craftsmanship and strengthening the economic viability of the local communities where the crafts are made. With its first year of SEEDCap grant funding, Ecotwaza plans to make IT infrastructure improvements necessary to expand its business model, such as making its English website more user friendly in response to increased overseas demand for its products.

Pangaea is a nonprofit organization that encourages young children around the world to communicate with one another and develop cross-cultural understanding when they are in their formative years. The organization has developed unique web-based programs that allow children with different language and cultural backgrounds to communicate online with one another through various nonverbal games and activities and through face-to-face interaction by web camera. Pangaea sites are currently located in Japan, Korea, Austria, Kenya, and Malaysia, and 3,900 children from 3rd to 9th grade participate in their programs. Pangaea is currently working to reach more children and to expand their activities internationally, in part through the creation of a franchise model that will make the program self-sustaining. With its first-year funding, Pangaea developed a “visual manual” booklet on their web camera activities for their workshop facilitators. In addition, Pangaea created a multi-language online bulletin board and post-workshop evaluation materials. By promoting nonverbal communication tools and IT platforms, Pangaea was able to significantly cut its administrative costs. With its second year of SEEDCap grant funding, Pangaea plans to scale up its e-training activities by further improving its training programs and technology systems. They hope to continue expansion in the third year of funding with the development of a system for training local Pangaea facilitators around the world.

Third year funding was awarded to THCA Japan to expand access to affordable healthcare for dancers and other artists, who often do not receive coverage under the traditional Japanese healthcare system. THCA Japan holds health seminars for artists that feature healthcare experts such as doctors and trainers, and also offers grants for injured artists to help pay for the costs of recovery. In its second year of funding, THCA Japan refurbished its website, including a new members-only page, with the goal of heightening its members a sense of belonging to the organization and providing a streamlined portal for the information and services that THCA provides to its membership. It also continued to conduct research activities, such as a survey on hand injuries sustained by musicians completed as a possible stepping stone to extend its services to address this issue. With its third year funding, THCA Japan plans to take advantage of the network it has built over the past two years to focus on increasing its membership and expanding its benefits and seminar programs.

Ecotwaza

A second year of funding was awarded to Ecotwaza, a socially oriented company that is working to enable Japanese producers of ecofriendly goods to reach markets outside of Japan.

Pangaea

A third and final year of funding was provided for Pangaea, a program for children from around the world to communicate nonverbally through online games and activities.

Ecotwaza is an innovative socially oriented company that is working to enable Japanese producers of ecofriendly goods to reach markets outside of Japan. Ecotwaza’s goal is to reduce the environmental impact of human society and to promote environmentally responsible practices, while at the same time helping to maintain Japan’s traditional handiworks and craftsmanship and strengthening the economic viability of the local communities where the crafts are made. The company aims to focus on enhancing its business model over the next three years. With first year funding, Ecotwaza improved its English language website in order to increase its international customer base, and it also improved its IT infrastructure. Over the course of the first year, Ecotwaza doubled the number of its Japanese small business suppliers and significantly increased the number of products available on its website. With its second year of SEEDCap grant funding, Ecotwaza plans to on work on customer relations and improvement of its content to increase its international presence.

Pangaea is a nonprofit organization that encourages young children around the world to communicate with one another and develop cross-cultural understanding when they are in their formative years. The organization has developed unique web-based programs that allow children with different language and cultural backgrounds to communicate online with one another through various nonverbal games and activities and through face-to-face interaction by web camera. Pangaea sites are currently located in Japan, Korea, Austria, Kenya, and Malaysia. Pangaea is currently working to reach more children and to expand their activities internationally, in part through the creation of a franchise model that will make the program self-sustaining. With its first-year funding, Pangaea developed a “visual manual” booklet on their web camera activities for their workshop facilitators. In addition, Pangaea created a multi-language online bulletin board and post-workshop evaluation materials. By promoting nonverbal communication tools and IT platforms, Pangaea was able to significantly cut its administrative costs. With its second year of SEEDCap grant funding, Pangaea was able to scale up its e-training activities through improvement of its training programs and technological platforms, and it also launched three new locations. With its third and final year of SEEDCap grant funding, Pangaea is developing a program to teach the Pangaea system and curriculum to master trainers, who will go on to train locally based facilitators at Pangaea sites around the world.