829 young people in Japan took their own lives in 2025. Japan is the only G7 nation where suicide is the leading cause of death for ages 10–19.
I have spent 15 years sitting with the young people behind that number.
Today, I published my first long-form article in English — on why youth isolation in Japan is not just a Japanese problem, but an early signal for every post-growth society navigating population decline.
A few things I explore in the piece:
1. Why Japan's 18% welfare uptake rate (vs. 64% in Germany, 91% in France) is not a coincidence — it is a structural failure built into how the system was designed.
2. What 15 years on the ground taught me about the real barrier to help-seeking: not logistics, but fear and trust.
3. Why the demographic trajectory Japan is on — growth, peak, decline — is one that South Korea, Germany, Italy, Spain, China and many others are now beginning to follow.
4. What international foundations, corporate philanthropy leads, and individual philanthropists can do to help close the gap that domestic funding alone cannot.
At DxP, we have supported 20,000+ young people through Yukisaki Chat, distributed 471,450+ meals, and provided ¥113M+ in direct cash assistance. But 3 million young people in Japan still need help — and systemic change takes more than one organisation.
If you work in international philanthropy, CSR, or simply care about equitable futures in post-growth societies, I would be grateful if you read and shared this piece.
📷 https://t.co/F82pVNWmrn
With gratitude to Motoi Kawabata (@motoik , innovate with Co., Ltd.) for the planning and editorial work that made this possible.
#IVS2026 前夜交流会 Social & Zebra Friends Night終了!!合計55名の方に集まっていただきました!!
私はひたすらご飯をつくり、酒を飲むことを生き甲斐にし、パスタに肉に盛り盛りと作らせてもらいました🍝
無事、出会いも含めて大満足!!!
本日から本番よろしくお願いします🔥
社会課題を解決する事業に取り組む創業2年未満の方、あるいは取り組みたい起業準備中などの方、ぜひ!
今年も、Theory of Change(社会を変える事業の戦略)づくりの講師・メンターとしてCOM-PJさんに関わらせていただきます。
一緒に少しでも社会をよくする切り口を見いだせたら。お待ちしてます!