The YUI MIRAI Project is committed to creating a gender-equal society in Japan by empowering women, transforming social norms, and advocating for policy changes.
ABOUT US
The YUI MIRAI Project is a strategic partnership between Fondation CHANEL and the Mirai RITA Foundation that aims to generate collective impact throughout Japan in order to create a gender equal future where the human rights of all individuals are respected.
Gender equality is progressing globally, but as of 2024, Japan's Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) ranks 118th out of 146 countries. While its gender gap score has been improving, other countries are advancing at a much faster pace. Unlike others that promote gender equality by addressing structural inequalities and encouraging women's meaningful participation in the economy and politics, Japan has instead relied on "women's hard work” to “advance herself (katsuyaku)”, an approach that has proved ineffective in reducing gender disparities.
In order to achieve gender equality and empower women, it is crucial to transform structural inequalities and social norms. This requires implementing effective policy changes and utilizing multi-stakeholder approaches.
The YUI Mirai Project has developed a unique grant program with a goal of building a 'gender equality ecosystem' that fosters collaboration among stakeholders from various sectors, enabling better access to the policy-making process.
Gender Equality Ecosystem for Collective Impact
The YUI MIRAI Project is designed to help transform women’s lives and communities, as well as policies and social norms across Japan. It aims to build a solid gender equality ecosystem that involves multi-stakeholders working to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Message from the Program Director, Ayako SONODA
How old will you be in 2040? Where do you think you will be living and spending your life? We are so busy with our day to day lives that we have very little time to think about the future. The future, which is an extension of the present, seems full of uncertainty. However, by visualizing an ideal future through a “backcasting” approach and taking actions with people in various roles and responsibilities, I am confident that we can create a better tomorrow. The Mirai RITA Foundation is dedicated to building a future where children are happy. Let us work together to advance gender equality and create a world of wellbeing!
YUI MIRAI Project Team
The YUI MIRAI Project offers comprehensive consultation and capacity building support to its sub-grant partners through a team of experts.
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Empowering Women
OrganizationsTailored Expert Support
Tailored consulting and capacity building support to strengthen program and organization
01 -
Creating Synergies
Co-creation
SupportCoordinating network building and bringing sub-grant organizations together
02 -
Advancing Policies
Direct Policy Inputs
Policy advocacy by
gender experts03
Ayako SONODA
Program Director
Founder and Representative Director, Mirai RITA Foundation, and Founder and Chairperson of Japan’s leading independent boutique sustainability consulting firm, Cre-en, specializing in CSR planning, management and reporting. In charge of overall project direction of the YUI MIRAI Project.
Expertise: promotion of SDGs to businesses and municipalities; sustainability management, well-being management.
Kiyoko TAKAHASHI
Program Strategist
Has a long-standing career in the NGO sector, including 14 years of service with Oxfam International and Japan. In charge of project management of the YUI MIRAI Project.
Expertise: project management, project evaluation, gender and disaster risk reduction
Saeko FUKAGAWA
Administration & Finance
Has a long-standing career in the NGO sector in Japan. In charge of supporting the sub-grant partners in strengthening finance and administration.
Expertise: accounting and business management
Hanako IGUCHI
Program Support & Creative
Past career include graphic designer and coordinator in the US and Japan. In charge of program support and creative work of the YUI MIRAI Project.
Expertise: graphic design and business coordination
Asako OSAKI
Gender Expert
Representative of Japan to the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW); Member of the Experts’ Meeting on the Implementation and Monitoring of the National Action Plan for Gender Equality at the Gender Equality Bureau, Cabinet Office; Gender Advisor for Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture, and various other roles in public and private sectors.
Dedicated and recognized gender and human development specialist with over 20 years of progressive professional experience in developing countries and Japan. As an advisor to numerous government committees, Asako is in a unique position to connect grass-roots women’s organizations and upstream policies.
In charge of strategic planning and policy advocacy of the YUI MIRAI Project.
Mariko SAITO
Gender Expert
Gender Consultant with over 20 years of experience working with UN organizations and NGOs globally, including in Japan.
Comes with a diverse skill set that includes training and capacity building, project management, organizational and program evaluation, and gender responsive business practice
In charge of advocacy, training and donor relations of the YUI MIRAI Project.
The YUI MIRAI Project is supported by an Expert Panel composed of members from Fondation CHANEL, CHANEL Japan, and an independent gender expert, Ms. Mari Kogiso.
Mari KOGISO
Co-founder and CEO, SDG Impact Japan
Independent Director, Mitsubishi Corp.
A renowned gender and finance expert in Japan and globally. Co-founded SDG Impact Japan in 2021 and developed the ESG engagement fund for Japanese medium and small-sized public companies. Led the establishment of the Asia Women Impact Fund ($100 million) at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation in 2017, the first gender lens investment fund in Japan. Has held several senior positions at the World Bank Group in Washington DC and Tokyo, as well as at Fast Retailing Group, Ltd.. Serves as an Expert Panel Member of the YUI MIRAI Project.
Expertise: Gender and finance, gender responsive business management and investment.
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General Incorporated Association
Urahoro GakushaUrahoro Town, Tokachi District, Hokkaido
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General Incorporated Association
Kesennuma Tsubaki-kaiKesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture
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Public Interest Incorporated Foundation
Hokuriku Mirai FoundationKanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture
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Specified Nonprofit Corporation
Gender Equality Promotion Association IYOU Omi Omihachiman City, Shiga Prefecture
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Specified Nonprofit Corporation
Work Life CollaboMatsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture
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General Incorporated Association
‘WE-Next’Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture
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Public Interest Incorporated Foundation
Sapporo Association for Youth and Women's ActivitiesSapporo City, Hokkaido
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General Incorporated Association
Broken Rainbow - Japan
National -
Specified Nonprofit Corporation
Happy Woman ProjectToyama City, Toyama Prefecture
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General Incorporated Association
NewSceneNational
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Specified Nonprofit Corporation
WaffleNational
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General Incorporated Association
GENCOURAGENational
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Specified Nonprofit Corporation
LivEQuality HUBNagoya City, Aichi Prefecture
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Specified Nonprofit Corporation
Women and Children Support Center
Women's Net KOBEKobe City, Hyogo Prefecture
OUR STRATEGIES
The YUI MIRAI Project is the largest private grant program in Japan dedicated to promoting gender equality, providing support to fourteen civil society organizations from Hokkaido to Kyushu (as of January 2024).*
It was developed after a comprehensive analysis of the country, drawing on the expertise of the YMP Team. It not only handles fund disbursement, management, and monitoring but also provides customized consulting services and capacity building support to its sub-grant partners. Additionally, it includes a strong policy advocacy component aimed at creating sustainable systemic change.
* Excluding publicly offered projects for distribution of funds based on the “Law for Utilization of Dormant Deposits,” etc..
Two Sub-grant Categories
Supports organizations across Japan that are dedicated to challenging rigid systems and practices at the local level through multi-stakeholder cooperation among the public, private, and civil society sectors.
Supports organizations with innovative project designs that have the potential to generate social impact.
MIRAI Workshops
Envisioning a Desired “MIRAI (Future)”
To tackle challenges like population decline and lack of labor force at local levels, a method called “backcasting” is proving more effective than traditional forecasting. Backcasting involves envisioning a desired future state by working backward from the future. It entails creating an ideal future vision in collaboration with individuals from various backgrounds and viewpoints. This shared vision acts as a guiding map for the future. The YUI MIRAI Project conducts MIRAI workshops with the goal of promoting gender equality.
Two-day MIRAI Workshops were held with the Gender Transformative Local Development sub-grant partners to kick start their actions as a convener in building local level gender eco-systems.
The workshops took a two-step approach:
- (DAY 1): Engage local youth and capture their vision of a desired future for the community from a gender perspective
- (DAY 2): Local multi-stakeholders (government, businesses, community organizations, media, and schools) discuss and identify necessary actions to realize the desired future for both youth and adults, and advance gender equality
Gaps and Challenges →→ Actions
The number of common gaps and challenges identified during the MIRAI Workshops reflects the reality of gender inequality in local and rural areas in Japan, including:
- Women’s economic empowerment: lack of opportunities, enabling environment, and support systems
- Uneven burden of unpaid care work on women
- Lack of women in decision-making and leadership positions in both public and private sectors
- Conservative cultural norms and generation gaps that hinder progress
- Youth, particularly young women, leaving the community and not returning, leading to a shrinking labor population
The sub-grant partners have identified specific actions tailored to their local contexts to address the gaps and challenges.
Gender Responsive
Business Practices
（Organize “Boss-talks”, conduct gender trainings for senior managers of key businesses, etc.）
Gender x DX x Aquafarm
（Establish a new fishery job sector to provide sustainable income source for women and the community）
Youth x Business
（Empower youth to engage in dialogues with companies on gender responsive business practices, enhance mentorship program for young businesswomen, etc.）
Gender and Politics
（Empower women political leaders, establish a system to monitor the political processes of political parties by citizens, etc.）
Policy Advocacy
The YUI MIRAI Project engages strategically in policy advocacy. It collaborates with policy makers at both the central and local levels, including the Gender Equality Bureau, Cabinet Office, Children and Families Agency, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Inputs from the YUI MIRAI Project, facilitated by Gender Expert Asako Osaki, are integrated into various parts of the government’s annual basic policies. These include the “Intensive Policy for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women 2024” and the “Basic Policies for Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform 2024 (Honebuto-Policy).” Asako Osaki is also a member of the Committee for Monitoring and Implementation of the National Gender Action Plan.
Sub-grant partners have their own communication channels to advocate for policy change, as well. For instance, Ayano Sakurai, the Representative of GENCOURAGE, serves as a Special Member of the National Tax Committee, a prestigious expert committee that advises the prime minister (as of June 2024). Sayaka Tanaka, the Founder and President of Waffle, is consulted by the central government on advancing gender equality in the digital sector.
For more details, please see PROJECT UPDATES (coming soon).
PARTNERS
Multi-stakeholder Partnerships
The YUI MIRAI Project collaborates with a wide range of stakeholders including experts from the public and private sectors, civil society and academia, to create a strong gender equality ecosystem. The project’s Community Support Base comprises key stakeholders from diverse backgrounds who endorse its mission. Monthly newsletters are distributed to over 240 subscribers (as of October 2024).
See monthly newsletters for more details:
・YUI MIRAI Project Newsletter #1 (Jan. 26, 2024)
Media Exposure
The YUI MIRAI Project collaborates with the media to raise awareness about promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment. It works closely with journalists from key national news agencies including the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) and Kyodo News. The MIRAI Workshops were covered by local newspapers in Kesennuma and Urahoro, and an article by Kyodo News reached 120 local newspapers across Japan. One of the project’s sub-grant partners from Kesennuma was featured in the national TV series, “Today’s Close Up” by NHK, in June 2024 (link). The project will continue to engage with the media to create a larger impact.
CONTACT US
The YUI MIRAI Project is open to forming new partnerships with companies, trusts, and foundations that are aligned with our mission to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in Japan. To begin, we encourage you to get to know us better by reaching out and visiting our sub-grant partners.
Newsletter
【YUI MIRAI PROJECT NEWS】Newsletter #1