We hope to make the world a better place by supporting individuals
grow with society, and society grows with individuals, in harmony.
Our activities aim to create and stimulate this virtuous cycle and in the process will enhance impact beyond traditional boundaries and create new values to support the positive evolution of our world.
-
A three-day camp in Japan from November 22 to 24, 2024, was held for 14 Vietnamese scholars, 5 students from the 1st batch and 9 students from the 2nd batch, who are currently studying at Japanese universities (English degree programs). On the first day, the first meeting between President Yanai and the 2nd batch students was held at the headquarter of Fast Retailing at Ariake. During the meeting, the President Yanai and students talked about the university and life in Japan. On the second day, we visited Hakone with all the scholars who participated in the camp. In Hakone, the program provided an opportunity to experience Japanese culture and history by experiencing “Hakone marquetry,” one of Japan's traditional handicrafts, and walking along “Hakone Hachiri,” a 400-year-old cedar tree-lined street on the old highway of Hakone. On the third day, a workshop for strengthening the scholarship community was held in Atami. The workshop provided an opportunity for students to actively exchange opinions with each other. It was a valuable opportunity for Vietnamese scholarship students, who left Vietnam to live at various universities in Japan, to learn about Japanese culture and history, and for the students to further strengthen their bonds.
-
For ten days, from July 29 to August 8, twelve AUW students from six countries - including Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Timor-Leste and Pakistan - were welcomed to the University of Tokyo to learn about the global issue of public health in the global south.
In addition to lectures by experts and researchers, sessions were held in which students could hear from organizations that are actively working on these issues, such as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
On August 1, the students were invited to UNIQLO City Tokyo in Ariake for a group discussion on public health with not only the two university students, but also Vietnamese students supported by the FR Foundation and overseas bachelor scholars supported by the Yanai Tadashi Foundation. President Tadashi Yanai spoke about his expectations for the next generation of young people, giving the students an opportunity to get to know and inspire each other.
On August 8, a symposium was held at the University of Tokyo to disseminate what the students had learned through this program both inside and outside the university. Teruo Fujii, President of the University of Tokyo, attended the symposium and expressed his great expectations for the program.
-
For eight days, from 25 February to 3 March 2024, 15 students from the University of Tokyo (UTokyo) were welcomed to the Asian University for Women (AUW) in Bangladesh to explore with 16 AUW students on a variety of issues related to migration, immigration and refugees. In August 2023, 10 AUW students (from six countries: Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan) were welcomed to UTokyo and built on what they had learned about 'Migration, Immigration and Refugees' with 11 UTokyo students, this time they all gathered in Bangladesh, a place where these issues are close at hand, and deepened their learning together.
In addition to lectures and discussions by professors from inside and outside the university, sessions were held by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and other organizations actually working on the ground to help refugees and migrants on the ground around the world, and through dialogue with AUW students who had been refugees themselves, the students deepened their understanding in concrete terms and discussed how to translate what they had learned into concrete action. The students also deepened their understanding of Bangladesh through visits to garment factories, a major industry in Bangladesh, and temples of different religions, showing the diversity of cultures.
The program was also attended by Dr Kaori Hayashi, Executive Vice President of UTokyo and Dr Yujin Yaguchi, Vice President of UTokyo and Director of the Center for Global Education, and on the final day, a signing ceremony was held for a MoU on student exchange between the two universities to further develop the relationship. The signing ceremony was attended by officials from both universities and students from the program to celebrate the development of their relationship. The event was covered by the local media and further exchanges between the two universities are expected in the future.
-
The Fast Retailing Foundation has joined the Philanthropy Asia Alliance (PAA), which was launched in September 2023.
The PAA brings together philanthropic organizations active in Asia with a proven track record of global and quality impact, to leverage their funds, networks, and knowledge to address environmental, educational, and public health challenges in Asia.
The PAA was initiated by Singapore's Temasek Trust, an organization dedicated to promoting social contribution activities under Temasek Holdings, a Singaporean government-affiliated investment company.
As of September 2023, more than 80 organizations have pledged a total of approximately US$800 million (equivalent to 110 billion yen) to the PAA.
The FR Foundation will participate in the PAA as a core member for the next 10 years. In addition to carrying out projects under the PAA, the FR Foundation will also serve as a member of the Impact Action Council to maximize the impact of the activities of PAA as a whole.
Related Links -
Over ten days from August 1 to 10, ten AUW students from six countries—including Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka—were welcomed to the University of Tokyo, where they learned about the global issue of refugees and displaced peoples. Joining the AUW students to join in the opportunity for educational exchange were 11 students from the University of Tokyo.
In addition to lectures from experts and researchers, sessions were held in which students could hear from organizations who are actively working to support refugees on the ground, such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and social welfare corporation Support21.
On August 8, the students were invited to UNIQLO City Tokyo in Ariake, where they heard about the refugee support initiatives of Fast Retailing and the FR Foundation, as well as other social contribution activities. The students also heard from Fast Retailing Foundation President Tadashi Yanai, about his expectations for the young people of the next generation.
Additionally, on August 10, a symposium was held at the University of Tokyo in order to communicate what the students learned during the program, both within the university and beyond. At the symposium, an AUW student from Afghanistan who had the experience of being a refugee spoke about her experiences. This was followed by a lively question and answer session with Teruo Fujii, President of the University of Tokyo.
-
Fast Retailing Foundation Website Launched
