Ahead of its 50th anniversary in 2029, the international NGO Association for Aid and Relief, Japan (AAR Japan; 難民を助ける会) has launched the “One Yen per Person Campaign.” As cashless payment spreads, the initiative collects coins from 1 yen to 500 yen lying around in households as donations, to be used for refugee support, landmine action, and support for people with disabilities in Japan and abroad. The target amount is said to be 100 million yen.
The campaign's name comes from the organization's origins. In 1979, when Japan was reluctant to accept Indochinese refugees, its founder appealed that “if every Japanese person gave one yen, it would exceed 100 million yen,” and donations poured in from across the country, reportedly reaching more than 100 million yen in about four months.
The funds raised are slated to be used for medical supplies for children and adults with disabilities in Ukraine, where Russia's invasion continues; for prosthetic limbs in Sudan, which is in civil war; and for education support for children in refugee settlements in Zambia. It is also noted that paying in the designated way at a Japan Post Bank counter incurs no coin handling fee.
Key points
- A fundraiser anyone can join, collecting 1-yen to 500-yen coins lying around at home
- A project that revives the 1979 founding appeal of “one yen per person” ahead of the 50th anniversary
- Paying in via Japan Post Bank incurs no coin handling fee
Why this campaign deserves attention
Now that banks charge fees to deposit coins, many households and shops struggle with what to do with small change. This campaign links that familiar everyday problem to social contribution by turning “coins with no use” into donations.
Because people can take part regardless of the amount, it could also spread through collection boxes placed in schools and shops so that everyone gathers coins together. Pairing it with the founding story, which lends weight to the message that “even one yen matters,” is also a useful example of a fundraising approach.
Editor's comment
Coins in drawers and piggy banks go straight to refugee support around the world. It is simple, and the kind of campaign that makes you want to join right away. What we find interesting is that the “one yen per person” appeal from more than 45 years ago has come back in the cashless era with a new meaning, as a destination for coins.
It might be fun to gather 1-yen coins together in a school class, at work, or at local shops. For details such as how to pay in, please check AAR Japan's campaign website.