ASHINAGA GROUP ASIA: ASHINAGA IN JAPAN

A range of support for orphaned young people

For nearly half a century, the Ashinaga Movement has striven to support orphaned students through education and engender yasashisa (優しさ), or compassion, across Japan. With the generous support of people here, Ashinaga has been able to help almost 100,000 orphaned students continue their education.

Even so, severe economic and educational disparities exist for students in Japan who have lost one or more parents. Some 53% of orphaned students give up on higher education as a result of financial barriers, and over 25% of those affected work part-time jobs to support their families. Too often these challenges dissuade otherwise capable students from continuing their studies, resulting in fewer job prospects and inter-generational socio-economic hardship.

While the love and support of a parent cannot be replaced, Ashinaga provides Japanese students with the financial and emotional support necessary for them to progress academically and realize their life goals. Find out about Ashinaga’s programs by clicking the links below.

Access to Education

-Financial Aid: Interest-free loans for high school, vocational school, and university students

-International Outreach: Opportunities for orphaned students abroad to attend universities in Japan, as well as support for students orphaned in natural disasters

-Research and Advocacy: Understanding and addressing the issues facing orphaned students and their families

Emotional Support

-Rainbow House and Tohoku: Our emotional support facilities for younger children across Kobe, Tokyo, and the Tohoku region

-Tsudoi: Annual summer camps across Japan for high school and university students who have lost parents

Empowerment

-Kokoro-Juku: Educational and residential facilities for university students in the Tokyo and Kobe metropolitan areas, to help support their studies and personal development

-Overseas Training Program: Study abroad and international internship opportunities for Ashinaga students in nine different countries

-Ashinaga Junior English Camp: An intensive English-language and intercultural exchange program in the Philippines, for elementary and middle-school students in Japan

-Student Activism: Leadership opportunities for students through fundraising and awareness campaigns