2016-2020 | The Nippon Foundation

April2016

Strengthens Support of Global Disability Programs

Following the signing of an agreement in late December 2015 with UNESCO for a Disabled Persons Arts Festival, a memorandum of understanding is concluded with the World Bank in April to support persons with disabilities in job training and employment. The BMaps barrier-free information application, being developed in advance of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, is previewed in Tokyo and subsequently introduced at international conferences in Washington, D.C. and New York City in the United States, and in Quito, Ecuador.

Photo of agreements signed by the World Bank and The Nippon Foundation to support job training and employment for persons with disabilities

April2016

Kumamoto Earthquakes

The Nippon Foundation uses the expertise gained in responding to the 1995 Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake and the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, including drawing on the Special Fund for Disaster Preparedness established in 2014, to provide emergency relief and support for reconstruction after Kumamoto Prefecture and adjacent areas suffer major damage from a series of earthquakes that struck over several days in mid-April. This includes identifying the actual needs on the ground, providing special assistance to persons with disabilities and older persons, and coordinating with NGOs and local governments.

September2016

Holds the Nippon Foundation Social Innovation Forum to Find New Ways to Address Domestic Social Issues

The Nippon Foundation Social Innovation Forum 2016 brings together representatives of governments, companies, NGOs, and research institutions, to seek innovative ways to address social issues through activities that transcend traditional organizational frameworks. The forum features presentations by more than 100 specialists and 30 workshops, and is attended by roughly 2,200 people over three days. Specially selected social innovation projects receive support from the Foundation.

July2017

Co-founds and Co-hosts the 1st Coast Guard Global Summit

The first Coast Guard Global Summit, attended by three international organizationas and 35 countries from around the world, is held in Tokyo. Since 2004, the Foundation had organized annual summits of Asian coast guard leaders, but in 2017, the summit is expanded to include coast guard leaders from around the world. Issues addressed include piracy, maritime accidents, and preserving the maritime environment.

Group photo of participants at the 1st Coast Guard Global Summit

October2017

Holds the first "DIVERSITY IN THE ARTS" Exhbition, Highlighting Work by People with Disabilities

The Nippon Foundation DIVERSITY IN THE ARTS Exhibition – Museum of Together is held at the Spiral building in Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo. The exhibition features approximately 500 works by 22 artists, including those with intellectual, mental, and physical disabilities. Shingo Katori, formerly of the vocal group SMAP participates as the 23rd artist. Over 19 days, more than 39,000 people visit the exhibition, which is designed to make the work accessible for as many people as possible.

2018

Seabed 2030

Together with the GEBCO Guiding Committee, The Nippon Foundation launches a new project with the aim of mapping the entire ocean floor by 2030. Understanding the bathymetry of the global ocean is imperative for improving maritime navigation, and also for enhancing our ability to predict climate change and monitor marine biodiversity and resources. A comprehensive map of the seafloor will assist global efforts to combat pollution, aid marine conservation, forecast tsunami, and better understand tides, wave action, and sediment transport.

Photo of Chairman Yohei Sasakawa speaking at a press conference

June2018

Wide-ranging Disaster Relief

The year 2018 in Japan is marked by a series of natural disasters, including earthquakes in Osaka Prefecture and the northern island of Hokkaido, and heavy rains that caused major damage in western Japan. Immediately after each of these events, The Nippon Foundation appeals for donations and begins providing support to meet the needs of people in the affected areas.

February2019

Launches Ocean Debris Project in Cooperation with Ministry of the Environment

The CHANGE FOR THE BLUE project is launched as a joint public-, private-, and academic-sector initiative to raise nationwide awareness of ocean debris and encourage individual commitment to preventing plastic waste from entering the ocean. The Foundation also partners with the Ministry of the Environment’s Plastics Smart campaign to advance these efforts.

Photo of participants at a beach cleanup event

June2019

Imphal Peace Museum

To mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Imphal and preserve records from the battle, and to deepen ties between Japan and India, the Foundation supports the construction of the Imphal Peace Museum, built on a theme of “Peace and Reconciliation.” For the museum’s opening, the Foundation collects items to be displayed and preserved at the museum and monetary donations.

September2019

Typhoons Faxai and Hagibis

Typhoon Faxai struck the Kanto region of central Japan on September 9, with Chiba Prefecture experiencing particular damage, and Typhoon Hagibis, which made landfall on October 12-13, caused severe damage across the Kanto, Koshinetsu, and Tohoku regions. The Foundation provides emergency relief to victims of both typhoons, as well as support for NGO and volunteer activities and for books, musical instruments, and other supplies for schools that were damaged. The Nanani fund is set up specifically to support this work, and receives donations totaling more than 250 million yen from the general public.

Photo of damage caused by Typhoon Hagibis

2020

Volunteer Coordination for Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics

In June 2017, The Nippon Foundation signs a partnership agreement with the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) for cooperation and coordination in the area of volunteer activities for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Under the agreement, the Foundation will use its expertise and experience in managing volunteers to work with Tokyo 2020 in a variety of areas, to recruit and train volunteers, build momentum for the Tokyo 2020 Games, and ensure a successful Olympics and Paralympics.

Photo of Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori (left) and The Nippon Foundation Chairman Yohei Sasakawa (right) with the signed agreements for volunteer partnership

April2020

Expands Disaster Response Work through a Multi-faceted Response to the Corona Pandemic

The Coronavirus pandemic leads to the declaration of a state of emergency. Amid concerns over a potential collapse of the medical system, the Foundation launches four initiatives:

1.Establishment and operation of The Nippon Foundation Disaster Emergency Support Center
2.Transportation support for medical practitioners and infected individuals to help prevent the spread of infection
3.Provision of specially equipped vehicles and medical equipment to facilities designated by the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine
4.Establishment and operation of a PCR testing center

To support the rapid implementation of these measures, the Foundation raises 2.7 billion yen in donations.

Photo of The Nippon Foundation Disaster Emergency Support Center

December2020

Begins Promotion of Equitable Hiring Practices for People with Disability through The Valuable 500

In January, the Foundation agrees to cooperate as a Global Impact Partner with The Valuable 500, a global network launched as a call to action to the CEOs of 500 global companies, encouraging them to promote reforms that enable persons with disabilities to demonstrate their potential social, business, and economic value through access to hiring, products, and services without disadvantage. In May, V500 reaches its target of having the CEOs of 500 companies commit to its program.

History

Strengthens Support of Global Disability Programs