Series of Dialogues for Sharing the Concept of International Grant Program
国際助成プログラム 対話と学びあいの記録

FOREWORD ‒ WHAT YOU WILL FIND IN THE BOOKLETThis booklet provides a deeper explanation of our International Grant Program.
Members from 12 projects were invited to the Philippines, Thailand and Japan. They
participated in dialogues facilitated by program oﬃcers (POs) of the Foundation andshared their lessons learned. By reading the discussions, you will learn how the people
involved are changed through their projects and the new expectations they have gained
for the future. Also, you will see what kind of challenges they faced because of thenature of each project.
The focus of our grantees varies; however, this booklet explains how the Toyota Foundation intends to support their mutual learning exchanges that go beyond many boundaries.
We hope this booklet will help you, too, as you make eﬀorts to understand and build
empathy with others on shared issues in Asia.

02

TABLE OF CONTENTSFOREWORD ‒ WHAT YOU WILL FIND IN THE BOOKLET

p .02

WHERE WERE THE DIALOGUES HELD?

p .04

ABOUT THE DIALOGUES

p .05

vol.1

vol.2

vol.3

PHILIPPINES

p .06

I n t r o du c t i o n

p .07

M e m be r s

p .08

D i al o gu e i n B agu i o

p .10

THAILANDp .14

I n t r o du c t i o n

p .15

M e m be r s

p .16

D i al o gu e i n B an gk o k

p .18

JAPAN

p .22

I n t r o du c t i o n

p .23

M e m be r s

p .24

D i al o gu e i n S e n dai

p .26

MESSAGE FROM THE TOYOTA FOUNDATION

p .30

ABOUT THE TOYOTA FOUNDATION

p .32

INTERNATIONAL GRANT PROGRAM OF THE TOYOTA FOUNDATIONFOR FUTURE APPLICANTS

p .33

03

WHERE WERE THE DIALOGUES HELD?
International Grant Program covers Eastand Southeast Asia. Each project that receives a grant has been implemented in
more than two countries in the region.
We p i c k e d t h r e e d i ﬀ e r e n t p l a c e s f o r t h edialogues from East Asia (Sendai, Japan),the maritime region of Southeast Asia
(Baguio, Philippines) and the mainland(Bangkok, Thailand).

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ABOUT THE DIALOGUESThe Toyota Foundation cites four elements in the International Grant Program: Transnational,
C r o s s S e c t o r, M u t u a l L e a r n i n g a n d Fo r e s i g h t . Re g a r d l e s s o f t h e i s s u e s o f t h e p r o j e c t s , w evalue the methodology and processes of teambuilding and addressing the issues.
This series of dialogues aimed to identify and illustrate the vision of our grant program
through informal, honest and direct conversations.

vol.1

vol.2

vol.3

PHILIPPINESTHAILANDJAPANThe dialogues kicked oﬀ in

Bangkok was chosen as the

The third dialogue was held in

Baguio, Philippines. Dr. Asis

second venue of the dialogues.

Sendai, Japan. In addition tofrom Manila, Mr. Terada, whose

It was joined by four grantees,

Mr. Watanabe, Mr. Kadowaki,ﬁeld is in Negros, and Ms. Yo-

namely Ms. Voraakhom, who is

Ms. Nakagawa, Mr. Mori, Ms.

shikawa from Cambodia gath-based in the city and just start-

Kitagawa and Mr. Uchiyama,ered at Ms. Yamashitaʼ s place

ed her project, Professor Shinwhose projects are currently inin the city. This dialogue literal-

Muramatsu, who is leading anprogress, Mr. Fujimoto, wholy went from early morning until

ongoing project, Mr. Fujisawa,

completed his project a few

midnight, covering a broad

who is preparing for an upcom-

years ago, and Mr. Ogawa, who

range of topics: diﬃculties ofing Design Art exhibition, andhas extensive experience incross-sector team building,

Mr. Koyama, who started a newinternational exchange, alsointernational projects, percep-

project making use of the pastjoined. With the coordination oftion of impact and the impor-

grant. Even though they all

the Art Inclusion Japan Associa-

tance of sharing knowledge withincluded Thailand in their proj-

tion based in Sendai, the partic-

others from diﬀerent projects.

ects , b e c au s e t he ir f o c u s is d if -ipants conducted collaborative

What kind of challenges did

ferent, they mentioned the im-work with disabled people andthey face and how did they

portance of exchange beyond

those aﬀected by the Great East

cope?

their area of focus and back-Japan Earthquake. In the ﬁnal

ground and the value of net-

dialogue, the importance ofworking from a long-term per-c o m m u nic at io n w as e m p has ize dspective. We understand the dif-and suggestions to the Founda-ﬁculties of understandingtion were also frankly raised.

others; however, it was a fresh
reminder of recognizing the importance and value of continued
dialogues.

05

PHILIPPINESv o l .1

January 25-27, 201806

Introduction

Located in Northern Luzon, which isenergy. Everyone enjoys its atmo-

performances and more. In thealso known as the Cordillera region

sphere, which has rich color from

icebreaking session at the beginningof the Philippines, Baguio has a pop-

many kinds of rice, vegetables,of our dialogue, all participants triedulation of around 350,000. The city

fruits, fishes and daily goods. Addi-

to make their own bamboo instru-

is famous as the summer capital,

tionally, you will be delighted thements and played and danced togeth-

because it has the official summer

aroma of roasted coffee beans fromer in a circle.

residence of the president. Recently,

several places in Cordillera.

The head office is only 10 minutes

the city was listed by UNESCO as

Ayaka Yamashita, who kindly helped

from the center of the city. It was

one of the Creative Cities, drawing

the Foundation to arrange this Dia-

built and designed by bamboo artist

more attention from tourists in andlogue Program in the Philippines,

Edgar Banasan, co-founder ofoutside of the Philippines. It takes

started EDAYA project in 2012. As a

E D AYA , a n d h i s f r i e n d s . T h earound four hours to travel from

Baguio-based social enterprise with a

two-story bamboo house contains his

Manila by bus, although it largely

non-profit arm, they produce and sellstudio and its outbuilding, which is adepends on traffic.

handmade accessories with the motif

two-story cottage with circular stairs

Session Road, the main street ofof the cultures and lifestyles of thein the center of the room. Actually,

Baguio, is the busiest place in town.

Cordillera region, as well as original-

they are available as a guest house

It is filled with nice shops andly designed tribal music instruments.

for tourists. We stayed there duringrestaurants on both sides of the

The main material in these works isthis program, which made it possible

street. There is also a big shopping

bamboo. Using instruments andfor us to have an intense discussion

mall at the end of the street, but after

artworks, EDAYA offers a variety offrom early morning to midnight.

you turn into a small alley, you will

experiences, from bamboo work-

find a lively local market filled withshops, art exhibitions, musical07

PHILIPPINES

Members
Redef ining the value of traditions through bamboo

Ayaka Yamashita
2016 , 1 7 g r a n t e e

D i re c t o r , E DA Y AWith Edgar Banasan,
native of Kalinga Indigenous community in thePhilippines and a masterbamboo craftsman,
Ayaka Yamashita

Bamboo Workshop Manual Making Towards Redefining
the Value of Traditional Lifestyle in Rural Japan and the Philippines
The aim of the activity in 2016 was tobamboo as a common material. From 2017,bamboo art project

design workshop that redefines the value ofthe activity adds Myanmar as a field site

called EDAYA in 2012.

vanishing traditional mountainous cultures

and aims to discover solutions to some of

published its first art

in Tosayama, Kochi, Japan and Northern

the problems shared by rural communities

book.

Luzon Philippines, through the use ofin Asia.

co-founded unique

I n 2 0 1 7, E D A Y A

Community-based tourism by the community

Mai Yoshikawa
2 0 1 6 g r a n te eFounder,
Napura-works.Co., Ltd

Few years after her
graduation from Waseda
University, Yoshikawa
moved to Siem Reap,
Cambodia to join therestoration team for

Practice of Co-Learning for Community Based Tourism

08

Angkor heritage as
public relations coordi-

in Sambor Prei Kuk, Cambodia and in Najyo Okinawa Throughnator. Later, she found-an Online Experience Sharing and a Social Platform

Ltd, a unique travel

We implemented the mutual learning

Okinawa, Japan to establish community

exchange project between Sambor Prei Kukbased tourism programs in both communi-in Kampong Thom Province, Cambodia

ties. Both sites are registered as World Her-and Nanjyo city, which has Se-fa Utaki, in

itage in 2017 and in 2000, respectively.

ed Napura-works.Co.,agency, whose key
concept is “connecting
ancient world andmodern society fordesigning our common
future.”Life stories of migrant children

Maruja Asis
201 5 g r a n t e e

Dir e c t o r ,R es e a r c h a n d
P ub lic a t io n s ,S c al ab r in i M ig r a t io n

CenterMaruja M.B. Asis is
Director of Research

Towards an Inclusive Environment for Children of Migrant

and Publications at theand Multicultural Families in The Philippines, Japan and South Korea

Scalabrini Migration
Center in Manila, theOur “Enable Kids Project” aimed to map

tices are shared and disseminated. Also thesociologist who has

out existing policies and programs focusing

project disseminated lessons learned andbeen working on

on children of migrant and multicultural

policy recommendations for promoting thefamilies in the Philippines, Japan and South

inclusion of children of migrant and multi-

Korea. Existing initiatives and good prac-

cultural families.

Philippines. She is ainternational migrationand social change in
Asia.

Facilitate experience exchangeof young farmers

Shun Terada

Project for Fostering Youth Farmers' Leaders Toward the Practice
Natural Circularity Agriculture in the Cash Crop Cultivating Areas

2 0 1 6 g r a n te e
Sta ff, APL A

Our activity aimed to facilitate interactions

ect attempted to realize interaction to

Shun Terada is a staff ofby the youth small-holders who are thedeepen mutual understanding on local

APLA in charge of themembers of the agricultural organizations

issues and to reevaluate the diversity ofJapan and joined thewhich are the partners of APLA (Alterna-

their own ecosystem, practice the natural

tive People's Linkage in Asia) in Laos,

circularity agriculture and inherit the prac-

Timor-Leste and the Philippines. This proj-

tice to the next generation.

Philippines and PR in
project funded by the
Toyota Foundation as acoordinator, facilitator
and translator.

09

PHILIPPINES

vol.1 Dialogue in Baguio
The Baguio session of “Dialogue with Asian Neighbors” started
with questions from the Toyota Foundation on difficulties and challenges which all participants shared.

1
Team bui l di ng
We understand that you all have had somedifficulties in team building. Would you
share more on the process of bringing
together people with different backgrounds and producing an effective team?

ent communities and it took almost 3
months to decide the members. It took
longer than I had expected.

2
C o n t ex t a n d In t erp ret a t i o n

Marla, you had 27 children of migrants
participate as interviewees to hear their life
stories. How did you find and select them?

▼MY One of the difficulties faced was
local context or protocol. Some of myproject members are really normal people
in a village. They have a lot of passion but
they just don't know how to show it toothers. There was a language barrier, ofcourse. On the other hand, despite thebarriers, we shared the same vision. The
facilitator and the translator need to think
about the backgrounds of both sides of theteam, but it is quite difficult.
▼AY We had the same challenges. We
would like to avoid them in the secondyear.
▼A Our members can speak English
fluently and the partners were very good attranslation. We also prepared translated
documents and slides for the presentations.
▼MY Maybe we should have invited thetranslators to come to the communities
beforehand and have them help to develop
a basic understanding between the parties.
▼AY It depends on the project. Like
farming, for example, you can see the farm-▼Maruja Asis (A) We had country coordinators and I asked for their suggestions.

We fo c u s ed o n th e ro le o f coordinator.
▼Shun Terada (T) APLA, theJapan-based non-profit organization I
belong to, focused on the role of coordinator with this project.
We chose three to four farmers from eachtargeted country, namely Philippines, Laosand Timor-Leste. Our colleagues are basedin those countries and we discussed how to
select the members at first. We made theprocess fully open, meaning that the farmers themselves would decide the members
to join the exchange project. We had not
decided the members while writing theapplication because the selection process
was included in the project. It lasted
around 6 months. The first few meetings
were only for explaining the purpose of the
project.
▼Mai Yoshikawa (MY) It was the samein our case. Although the core members
were concrete, members to join the field
trips were yet to be decided.
▼Ayaka Yamashita (AY) I think nearly
everyone wanted to go abroad. That was inpart what made it so difficult.
▼T Actually, people began recommending
others, saying, “She is better than me.”
▼MY You gave them ownership of the
project. The process of selecting members
was different and unique for each team. In
my case, I talked with a number of differ-

10

They know who the children are. There
were also some ethical issues we needed toconsider, so we prepared consent forms
and some children used pseudonyms.
Initially, we wanted them to write theirown stories but found that this was difficult for some, so we had to adjust the planand hold interviews.
▼AY Member selection for Philippines
was easy because we have known eachother for some time. Our objective is tomake modules so we decided to include
people who have that experience. One
person is a photographer. We also invitedothers that are well-versed in the arts andculture, as well as young professionals. I
know the key persons in Japan and Myanmar who serve as country coordinators.

We tr ie d to look for indiv iduals w ith the pas s ion
to c ontinue the proje c t e v e n afte r it finis he d,or e v e n if the re is no funding.
▼Edgar Banasan (B) One of the more
important points on finding team members
is the sustainability of the project. We tried
to look for individuals with the passion tocontinue the project even after it finished,or even if there is no funding. We werealso very careful in reviewing their background and character, as well as how theywork for and talk to their communities.

ers are demonstrating their skill. If it is a
project for policy making, the translation
problem is more likely to occur. If there ismore going on to come up with deeper
ideas, miscommunication as a problem
becomes larger.
▼T Even in our farming projects, translators had difficulty because we used very
specific terms. The translators were actually also facilitators in our project developing their own skills.During site visits, themembers had reflection meetings each
evening. After that, the facilitators had adiscussion to reflect on the program of the
day and developed the program for thefollowing day.
In our case, because many farmers were
skeptical about new techniques, andbecause most of our project members from
Laos were female, sharing their experience
with elders of the community without theassistance of Japanese facilitators was
overwhelmingly difficult.
If there are good translators and facilitators in your project, the representative
can focus on the goals and contents ofthe project.
▼A Diversity is a reality of our region
and a real challenge to mutual understanding. We are in a sense forced to communicate in English, but sometimes it fails tocover the nuances of the local languages
and context.
▼T We were quite flexible in the fieldwork to reflect member opinions in themeetings at the end of each day.
Facilitators always consulted with eachcountry team as they were shy at first.
However, they grew confident once theiropinions gained some attention fromamong the other members.

could moderate in a sense, comparing thetwo and considering which position was
more applicable to their own.
That is so-called peer learning. Project
members did not operate in a teacher-student kind of one-way relationship, but in amore equal and two-way mutual learning.

▼T Exactly. It gave them higher motivation.
3
I m p a ct o f t h e p ro j ect s
Could you share your thoughts on theimpact of the project and follow-up
after it ended?
▼MY Regarding the project’s impact,
people in the tourism industry always talkabout two things: one being income andthe other being the number of guests. In

Despite several barriers, it is still possible to work together.
▼A Despite several barriers, it is still
possible to work together. The difficulties
we shared are part of the process of gaining an understanding and clarifying things.
Finding answers cannot be guaranteed.
▼AY There have been tons of fantastic
moments like, “Ahh! I really understandyou!” during the project, which is really
lovely!
▼MY Yes. Through a number of thosemoments, we feel like we are connected
directly beyond boundaries. Cambodians
tend to assume Japan is a kind of perfectplace and always has something to teach.
However, during the project, I met a manfrom Cambodia w h o h a d c r e a t e d a n
impromptu dance when he learned the
local stories. He then invited those fromJapan to dance together. He had become
the teacher. That was a kind of breakthrough, I found.
▼T Our project involved three countries
and we found that one was able to be akind of observer while the other two countries engaged in discussion. The thirdthat sense, we were very lucky to workwith the Toyota Foundation’s program,which focuses on understanding otherparties, something that people working in
the tourism industry often do not pay
much attention to. There are a lot of grants
for NGOs in Cambodia. About 10 years
ago, many NGOs rushed in to develop
community-based tourism and others, but
most of them finished within 3 years; it’s
all gone. Seeds were planted, but there is
nobody to water the seedlings.
▼AY We are actually careful when talking
to someone and make sure if he or she is
the right person and also if it is the righttiming, including for their community.
This is because if we tell them this projectis funded by someone, even though wereally want to collaborate with them, they
may think they will be used. Unfortunately, this has been a common case in thepast.
When we recruit somebody to our project,
we do not talk about incentives like, “Youcan go to Japan,” but instead try to focus

on their passion for culture and skills formaking modules. Money is always difficult as once it is involved the mindsets ofsome people change.
By the way, for the end of this project, on
Cordillera Bamboo Day in September, weplan to involve the tourism section of theBaguio City government.
▼B When you go into a community, thepeople are not naive. They will think, “Youare using us for your own benefit.”
Researchers go there and interview members of the community but will never comeback, for instance. We want to show them
what we are doing in regard to the community by bringing back the fruits of ourefforts after holding an exhibition or
conducting research.
▼AY Initially it was a 1-year project, thenwe put a lot of effort into discovering what
we could do for the local people in
Tosayama and Kalinga, our project sites. I
then applied and was granted funding fromthe Toyota Foundation again. New side
projects have been blooming up outside of
the granted project. One is an elementary
school video letter exchange project andanother is a massage studio in a bamboo
house in Tosayama.
What about long-term impacts?
▼A One cannot measure the long-term
impacts now. By that I mean, the impact of
our initiatives like this program would be
more for the long term. Even for us, project wise, since it was only a 1-year project,
the long-term impacts cannot be seen rightaway.
After some years, I might find, “Oh this isbecause I leaned about the strategies ofyounger farmers at the dialogue.” It is very
difficult to measure the benefits as well as
the negative impacts.
Still, there are other things happening
even after the project has been completed.
One collaborator in South Korea started astudy on Korean-Filipino students in
Korea. I can probably say that the project11

may have contributed in starting that new
research.
The question of impact is important, but
perhaps measurement will require involving different methodologies. We have tothink about which impacts can or shouldbe measured. So-called “objective indicators” cannot be applied to all projects.
Sometimes we need to appreciate what
motivation we have provided. I think it isimportant to consider the difference wemade. It may be not confined to objective
measurements.

Yo u ca n n o t m e a s u re th e lo n g -te r m im pac ts now.
We expect there to be something thatfunctioned as a catalyst and propelled
your project into the future, but thatwill come to light later.
What about follow-up plans for after
the project?
▼A I am happy to share with the Foundation what has been happening. In fact, I do
not tend to think, “Oh, this all happened
because of the Toyota Foundation’s project!” But when you followed up with us, itmade me realize and recall what happenedor has not happened since then. You may
ask, “How is the situation now?” 3 or 5
years down the line, and I’ve come here
because I am genuinely interested intalking about it.
4
Network a nd di v e r s i t y
Do you think diversity among projects is
an advantage for the Foundation?
Perhaps we should focus on a specificissue in order to have more significant
impacts?
▼AY When I joined the project presentation after the grant ceremony, I was quite
interested in all of the presentations. I’ve
gotten to know some of the people who
were there last year, 2016, and Professor
Fujisawa (see Bangkok session) suggested
that our project could be a part of theconference he was designing. This year, I
also visited Ms. Kotch (see Bangkok
session) when I went to Thailand. Her
project is about water and she has a background in urban design. I am not sure how
our path will cross, but I am really interested in the pools of people working
through the Toyota Foundation.
▼A The combination of thematic andopen grants is good. It allows for flexibility and it can allow you to have balance
between what you think is important andwhat other people think is important, i.e.,

12emerging from the ground up.
▼MY On Facebook, we post somesuccess stories, which helps to encourage
us. However, we tend to learn more fromthe episodes that we struggle with and findchallenging.
There are many barriers in Cambodia. If I
share the situation with people working in
the Philippines or other places, their experience might introduce to us new
approaches for addressing our own challenge. Sometime I feel very isolated — asif I am the only person struggling with the
topic. If I am alone, I cannot break fromthis kind of assumption, so it is great tohear and learn from one another.
▼A I feel the same way. Our projects aredifferent but I have a sense that they areinter-connected.
5
U n i q u en ess
Let us ask how unique or how different
you found our grant program to be?
Any advice on how we can improve?
▼A One thing we appreciate about the
Toyota Foundation is that you trust the
grantees, especially in the financial aspect.
You trust that people will spend the funds
in a judicious manner.
For example, one foundation has very
strict rules for accounting and auditing.
Actually, I felt bad that we had to allocate
a substantial amount of the budget to theexternal auditor, rather than to the operation of the project. The Toyota Foundation
does not interfere very much with budget
allocation.
▼AY I want to mention one different
thing. I was able to contact some otherprojects by coordinating with the Foundation. Talking with them broadened myhorizon. Their topics were different frommine, but probably the context was similar, so I learned a lot.

▼T Some foundations have very limited
focus on organic farming or community,
but the Toyota Foundation is very open.
Our activities are not limited to one specific field. I think that is why we can makepositive impacts on communities.
Our NGO, APLA, is active in the Philippines and Timor-Leste. Laos is a new
region, so we have been thinking how toconnect the three. We connected them inthis project and it made us very busy!
I would say this project opened a door.
Seeds have been planted for the next
generation of farmers. We will need towater the seeds occasionally and get themto bloom, though. To do that, what is
important is maintaining contact. Otherwise, the communities would stop organic
farming. The grant period is ended, but thefarming activities are still going on.
Other foundations would just say, “Please
send a report on the successes and impacts
as well as all the receipts,” so I was very
surprised that the Foundation staff visited
our field in Timor-Leste and we were very
happy as he observed our activity directly.
It is very unique.
▼MY I had the impression that theywould come with a check list in theirhands and check things one by one! But
actually, they provided advice in a very
casual manner.
We have no limitation on applicants.
Any individual can apply but not as anorganization.
▼AY I find the Foundation unique in that
there is no limitation on applicants.
Although I belong to EDAYA, the project
itself is not one under that organization.
Some other grants are for organizations,and they have more requirements; 5 yearsof performance and track records, etc.
However, applicants to the Toyota Foundation can be awarded grants as individuals
and not under the name of organization.
Various people are already accepted as
grantees. In my case, a freelance journalist
who was accepted as a grantee of a

research grant encouraged me to apply.
She also suggested that I speak with theFoundation prior to application, which
they actually welcome.
Prior consultation is not compulsory,
but we suggest speaking with us before
application so that you can come up
with a better proposal. Even if it is agood idea, we cannot accept a proposal
if the applicant doesn’ t follow ourguidelines. Yoshikawa-san, how did youcome to know of our grant program?
▼MY I have a good friend who has beenworking together with many communities
in Japan. He once told me that the Toyota
Foundation had a very good grant program
and they communicate with the grantcandidates into the future. I established aprivate company in Cambodia. I used towork for an NGO but knowing that there
are some negative aspects of NGOs in
Cambodia, I preferred to go private. I
wanted to place a bit of distance between
myself and the NGOs.
However, I had no idea how to get funding
because those grants are typically for nonprofit organizations. My friend mentionedthat the Toyota Foundation’s grant is open
and not only for non-profits and suggested
I try and apply.
▼ A T h a t ’s v e r y i n t e r e s t i n g . W h i l eprivate-sector organizations are naturally
considered as for-profit companies, it isvastly different in reality. This is a uniquequality of the Toyota Foundation.
▼AY The Toyota Foundation is very open
and they don’t see the organizations, butrather the people more holistically. You
don’ t have to belong to big organizations.
▼MY By the way, how can this network
be passed on to the next generation? Wecannot be the only ones to benefit from it.
▼AY I think younger generations have a
different point of view regarding the
spread of information as a result of their
upbringing in an increasingly globalized
world and their ability to travel abroad

Ex c hange progr am s are diffic ult to m e as ure ,and it is diffic ult to s how s uc c e s s and findings .
with relative ease.
▼MY The members and I experienced
transnational projects and communicate
together with people from other countries.
But I did not design my project as intergenerational.
How can I transfer this kind of information
to communities? Our Cambodian members
can share what they learned in their native
language in their communities. However,it’s difficult to share with the older people,
as well as people in authority. In thatsense, I think if we can create opportunities for teenagers to talk, that could be key
in helping to share their experience inside
the community.
6
Ch a l l en g es o f ex ch a n g e
Do you have any advice for future
grantees?
▼A Visa is a problem! The Embassy ofJapan has many requirements. They also
asked for a profile of the Toyota Foundation. For instance, before it was okay tosubmit documents in a PDF format, butwhen I applied, they asked me to send theoriginal. They changed their requirements
and I had to write to the Foundation to
make an emergency request to send materials.
▼MY Yes. Visa problems might cause you
trouble. In our case, to visit Italy, we had
to send all the applications to the Italian
Embassy, which was in Bangkok, although
I live in Siem Reap. I explained that I
received a grant from the Toyota Foundation. However, we were asked to write that
the Italian residents covered all the costs.
▼AY I used the Toyota Foundation’smemorandum as certification. The project
leaders need to be aware that they shouldmake sure to explain to all the people who

travel in the project to prepare for theirtravel well beforehand.
Could you give us some final words?
▼MY The opportunities provided not onlyby this grant but the follow-up work as
well are very important. I have to becomea window; several factors including the
networks and experience should be passedalong to the communities and partners I
interact with.
▼T Exchange programs are difficult tomeasure, and it is difficult to show successand findings. Even if the faces of theparticipants change, others including thedonors cannot quite understand what took
place. I want to make new value for the
future.
▼A I thank the Toyota Foundation’s
initiative, and also this dialogue. I think
the Toyota Foundation considers grantees
as partners; the relationship doesn’ t end
with the grant. It could lead to new ideas,
new approaches and a new generation ofleaders!
▼AY I’ m very happy that I have come toknow each of you personally. Our friendship will last for many years down theroad. Thank you very much for this opportunity that allows us to try something new.
We want to encourage our grantees totry out new things and pursue thatwhich the world has yet to see. There
are risks, of course, but we venture to
take that risk and support our grantees
in a long-term perspective. We truly
appreciate you all for joining thissession and sharing your deep insight.

13

THAILANDv o l.2

February 8-10, 201814

Introduction

Bangkok is one of the largest cities

create extensive damage including

participants learned about the pro-in Southeast Asia, home to about one

traffic interruptions and the destruc-cess of consensus building among

fourth of the total population (68tion of houses, methods are needed

related parties and the prospective

million) of Thailand. The city centerto address this issue. One of theresidential design for the communi-

features many skyscrapers andgrantees, Ms. Kotchakorn Voraak-ties.

luxury shopping malls. While thehom, focuses on this topic and her

The other is Chulalongkorn Univer-traffic is very heavy during the day,team has been working to solve thesesity Centenary Park, located in thein the evening, the streets are full ofissues by raising awareness ofcentral area of Bangkok, which isyoung locals and overseas tourists,climate challenges among local com-designed by her landscape design

who make this such a lively city.

munities and by creating site-specificfirm. Not only is it a recreational

Enjoy walking not only in the busy

design solutions generated byspot providing greenery to city resi-

shopping areas, but also in the calm

dialogues and co-working with local

dents, it has a retention pond andstreets of the suburbs without using

communities.

underground water drainage system

the trains or tuktuks from the central

The participants in this Dialogue

to make use of rain water.

area.

Program visited two places. First was

Through the dialogue and site visits,

Bangkok has been facing serious

the site of the project, a canal in

the participants gained insights into

problems with flooding, as most of

Bangkok where a few community

the water issues faced by Bangkok

its urban districts are located in thegroups reside along its riverside.

and the actions being carried out inlower part of the downstream area of

They have been asked to move due

response.

the Chao Phraya River. Because theto the construction work to widen thefloods that occurred in large cities

canal and improve water flow. The

15

THAILAND

Members

Designing flood resilient city with local communities
Kotchakorn Voraakhom
201 7 g r a n t e e

CEO and Founder,
Porous City Network

Finding Best Practices for Tackling Climate Change: Increasing
A landscape architecture social
enterprise working to increaseurban resilience in Southeast
Asia cities. She has worked on

Urban Resilience in Southeast Asian Cities
Many cities in Asia are targets for ongoingmunity. We will create a social media plat-

effects of climate change, particularly inform to engage a wider audience as well as

major urban ecological park at

Southeast Asia where major cities lie at sea

the design guidelines and recommendations

the heart of Bangkok. Herlevel. We will select climate-vulnerable

for implementation in Bangkok, Penang,productive public green spacesites in Bangkok, Thailand; Penang, Malay-

Jakarta, and other cities with similar

for climate vulnerable commu-

sia; and Jakarta, Indonesia, and co-create

climate issues. This raise public awarenessdesign solutions to increase local climateof climate challenges and solutions acrossresilience through dialogue with the com-

Southeast Asia.

notable projects including aactions also include thenities along the floodplain andcoastal area.

Sharing values of modern architecturewith citizen and youth

Shin Muramatsu
2 0 1 6 g r a n te e

The Improvement of Literacy Towards the Conservation ofProfessor, The Instituteof Industrial Science,
The University of Tokyo

Urban Heritage in the ASEAN 5 Countries
Affected by the development due to chang-eration with the members and of Japan andHe specializes in architectural

es of economic growth and political situa-

the ASEAN countries, we will target litera-

history, urban history, andtion in the recent years, a lot of valuable

cy improvement of on the conservation oflaunched mAAN（modern

modern and contemporary architectural andurban heritage by recognizing the city of

Asian Architectural Network）

urban heritage is in danger of demolition incurrent situation, envisioning the future ofArchitecture and Urban areas,

the ASEAN countries. However, the impor-the cities, and participation in the cities

conservation activities, educa-tance of urban heritage is not necessarily

with responsibility.

tions activities on Architecture,recognized in the field. Therefore, in coop-16

conservation. In 2001, heand carried out the research on

and held international conferences.

Promote Asian network through transnationaland cross sectoral approach

Tadamori Fujisawa
2016 g r a n t e e

Associate Professor
at Showa women’ s
University

Design and Art Exhibition Consortium of a New Style
Architect, Designer andProducer. Worked at FOM
architectural office, Dublin

in Asia Using the Various Cultural Climate of Country and Landscape

Ireland and London. Taught at

Although there is a lot of exhibitions of

new style in Asia. Through symposium andthe Nagaoka Institute of Design

various kind of designs and art in Asia, it isworkshop, various fieldworks, we would

hard to get the entire picture. The design,

find the new type of design, art and its

Engaged in several projects

art and its exhibitions using the various

exhibitions. Consortium would plan 1st

including the Great Wall pavil-

cultural climate of country and landscape

Design and Art Triennial in Phnom Penh,

are also rare. We would like to establish

Cambodia. Activation of design and art, its

Design and art exhibition consortium of a

exhibition in Asia is a target.

University as an Associate
Professor from 2003-2009.

ion design and architecturalplanning, Beijing, etc.

Living together for peaceful death

Hiroki Koyama

Placemaking of Spiritually Rich Death for Home Based End of Life Care:
Various Japanese and Thailand Home Based Care Practitioners Exchange
Knowledge and Experience About End of Life Care at Nishinomiya,
Amagasaki City and Ubon Rat District Khon Kaen Province

2 0 1 5 g r a n te e

Organizer of tour
“Creating your own way oflife from your own way todeath through visiting North
east Thailand” .

Thai and Japanese end of life practitioner,life and death. Thai side learned need of

Based in Udonthani, Thailand

exchanged experiences and knowledge by

updating function of their temple. Moreand from 2017, organizer ofvisiting both fields. Japanese side learned

and more care of end of life will be needed.

Tour “Creating the way of lifethat Thai people have view of life andA Thai monk in our member is starting new

death” . He has Bachelor ofdeath in root of their daily life and starts

program requires cooperation of people

Nursing Science in KhonKaen

making place where various generations

from various generations and job catego-of cultural anthropology in Kyoto

learn together and discuss about view ofries.

from the way to peaceful

University Thailand, and Master
Bunkyo University.

17

THAILAND

vol.2 Dialogue in Bangkok
The second session was held in Bangkok with participants from diverse backgrounds.
We have started with the question of how we can build empathy.

1
How can w e bui l d e m pa t hy ?
What are the advantages of involving awider range of people?
Can you share any particular methods
or guidelines that you use?

me to do so. I asked my friends so that I
could expand my projects and expertise,
which only had to do with Bangkok, toSoutheast Asia level. Without this project,
I could not have involved my students or
people in the community.
▼K At the end of my project, I asked one

F ir s t, h a v e g o o d te x t b o o k s . Se c ond,
h o l d w o r k s h o p s to in vo lve p e o p le from a r ange of s e c tor s
a n d g e n er a tio n s . D irec t co m m unic ations .
▼Shin Muramatsu (M) We have shared
our ideas through the internet and workshops. In Japan, we hold a lot of programsfor children in elementary schools, and I
bring my students every year. In Hanoi, wecall on students from universities, and wedo this in Jakarta and in Yangon as well.
Upon asking them to help discuss theimportance of modern architecture, we
discover that the meaning of “modern” isvery different in their cultures.
▼Hiroki Koyama (K) Looking back on
my project after two years, I became awareof the lack of empathy among my teammembers. It was only after the project
period that I managed to talk about mypersonal motivation for the project. It was
based on my experience of my mother’s
death and her terminal care. It was toughand embarrassing to speak out about how I
felt, including my negative reaction to mymother’s aging. As a result of my confession, however, I received feedback with
empathy for the first time.
In our project, we tried to share our experiences and findings beyond sectors. However, we were unable to free ourselvesfrom our social positions and status; adoctor was a doctor, and a monk was amonk. Although I wanted to build up communications beyond affiliations, I could
not drive them at that stage.
▼Kotch Voraakhom (V) Involving various people in the project can be a great
advantage. I even learn from my students.
For instance, when teaching climatechange to design students, there is no textbook because what we are doing involves
new knowledge.
▼M Kotch, how did you find the local
partners in Jakarta and Penang?
▼V Actually, the grant program pushed

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18
10

woman who has good facilitation skills tocoordinate the concluding workshop. Even
though it was first time that she had been
involved in the topic of peaceful death, she
continued to hold workshops in her local
area after the project period. In her workshop, everybody talks about peaceful death
freely and equally. This is one of the unexpected outputs of my project, and it
brought me a feeling of achievement.
Before conducting my project, I thoughtthat there was “good” quality and “bad”
quality death. Now, I no longer adhere to
this perspective. We cannot choose where,
when and how we die. There is no good orbad. The most important thing is to think
and talk together about death while we arealive.

2
W h a t i s s u c c e s s i n y o u r p ro j e c t ?

Unexpected things happening after the
project may mean that the Foundation-funded project was a trigger. In thisregard, how do you think we can evaluate the long-term impact of the project?
▼Tadamori Fujisawa (F) I will hold an
exhibition in September 2018 in Phnom
Pen, Cambodia. The next venue might beEast Timor. The exhibition is planned to bea triennale, and to adopt an Olympic-likevoting system. This year’s exhibition is
only the first one, so the funded project isa clear trigger for us.
As a quantitative figure, I can show thenumber of visits to our project website. By
the end of the project, it will be over
20,000.
▼M In terms of impact, in my case, I say
that I was raised by the Toyota Foundation.
My boss received funding in the 1980s,
and we surveyed Japan. I think that theJapanese people have understood theimportance of modern heritage.
I am now representing a project that has a
lot of younger scholars and students. I
would say that we have continuity – my

professor, me, and my students. I thank the
Toyota Foundation sincerely. Although its
support is not a very large fund, it has beenvery important.
How do you think we can measure thiskind of long term impact?
In your field, it is important to haveacademic outputs. Accordingly, you also
have an academic aspect and educational aspects in your project.
▼M Maybe counting the number ofprofessionals we nurtured in different
countries is one way to measure theimpacts of our projects. This can be recognized as both qualitative and quantitative.
We wrote histories of modern architecturesand contributed to laws and regulations on
their conservation in each country. I hope
we will be able to continue our project andobtain further funds; not for me, but for
my younger successors.
If I have finished an event and enjoyed it,
it is just a result. It is difficult to measure
the educational impact. Still, it is not so
difficult to follow their demands, because
it is a kind of technique or skill.
▼V We need to understand that there
should not only be a direct impact. For
instance, after a workshop, the participants
go back and affect their communities insome way.
▼M One tip is to have an interview sheet,and to hold interviews to ask their opinions before and after the project.
As you say, it is very important to evaluate what happened, but maybe we cando something within the project period.
Maybe in the longer term, such as after
three years or five years, we can carryout some follow-ups on the past grantees
by holding interviews.
▼ V I think that is very necessary. Our
project occurs like a journey, and the proj-

ect on the canal might finish in two years’
time, or it may take five years to see any
impact.But it started from the funding, so I
think you should be able to claim it as partof your success as well.
▼ M Sin ce I h av e b een w o r k in g on
modern architecture for a long time, I
already have good networks and partners
in Asia. The local general public does nothave any idea what it is, but they have
gradually begun to understand the importance of modern architecture in the courseof these 30 years.
We started our project in around 1988 or
so. It was before the rapid economic
growth in East Asia, and although there
were a lot of good buildings, their importance was neglected. We selected thebuildings in Shanghai, for instance, which
we considered to be important, and madean inventory of those buildings. They are
now part of the national heritage.
▼ V The role of the architecture is important for understanding the values. Perhaps
simple guidelines for walking tours would
be useful for educating people.
▼ M I used to work for a research institute that promotes transdisciplinary projects, which involve connecting experts andthe general public and initiating local communities to adopt a global environment.
The institute covers Asia. Let me ask the
Toyota Foundation, how do you differentiate yourself to this institute?
Because your funding is not so large, I
assume that you might need to somehow
collaborate with the institute.

on funding.If the Foundation focuses moreon projects than people, it’s easier toexplain. But if the fund is for “this person”
instead, it could be more sophisticated.
We appreciate the fact that the Foundation
has many networks in Southeast Asia. The
topics are diverse, but can be combined tocreate more dynamics.
Even when our projects are finished, I cangain inspiration by seeing others. I mightreach you ten years later, since I knowyou. Hopefully you will keep investing inpeople and the network so that it caninspire others in it.
3
H o w ca n w e p ro m o t e
t h e a p p ro a ch - f o cu s p ro g ra m ?
We accept proposals not only because
they are skillful, but because we believethat they have good foresight or potential. If we continue with the approach-focus program, we may need more skills
and knowledge on the approach.
▼M I would suggest that before every
project starts, you should undertake a
training course by hiring professionals.
▼V Maybe a leadership training program?
It could be training on moderating andfacilitation skills in diverse cultures. Thatis very general knowledge. In addition, we
should all have specific skills. For example, Mr. Koyama’s issue is very sensitiveand very spiritual. It needs to be undertakewith extreme caution.
▼ F Do you have some effective methods

It c ould be tr aining on m ode r ating
and fac ilitation s k ills in div e r s e c ulture s …
▼ V Let me ask, does the Toyota Foundation invest in people or projects? What I
am asking is the Foundation’s philosophy

or techniques for doing that? Because it isdifficult to be touched by others.
▼K After I finished my project, I thought

11
19
10

it might be better if I had a chance todiscuss it with the other grantees in the
middle of the project period. Because it
was my first experience of receiving funding, I wanted to talk to the other grantees
about how they made progress. But there
was no opportunity for discussions withthe other teams. So this dialogue is very
important for me.
When and at what stage/phase in yourproject did you realize the importanceof such skills?
▼V Since they are only one- or two-year
projects, the training can be undertaken at
the beginning. In the middle, we check our
projects again through this type of session.
If we consider that it looks perfect at thatstage, that is great, but we can make itbetter by reflecting on the process andlooking back at what has been done.
I learned the importance of involving
others in the very beginning, which iscollaboration, and it is the key to thesuccess of the project and its impact. We
also want to give back what we havelearned. I am learning from the otherparticipants, although the topics are different. Your skills can be helpful for my project workshop.
4
I mportan ce o f “ O pe n Fi e l d”
One of the answers is setting Open Fieldin our grant program, as we want tofind new aspects. We want to learn fromour grantees.

nary people. Celebrating diversity is the
Toyota Foundation’s identity. I checked
the different types of foundations in Japan.
Some foundations focus on specific topics
such as the environment or engineering.
But you cover a very broad area and havea long history. I think that this is unique.
Your identity is potentially supporting
different types of grantees.
▼ V I really admire the “Open Field” andwide range covered by the Foundation,
because I learn from the other grantees.
▼ F I agree. In fact, I invited one of grantees from the same year to my exhibition.
That only happened because we had theopportunity to get to know each other at
the grant giving ceremony and grantees
workshop. This kind of horizontal relationship is one of the advantages.
▼ V For those who have a very particular
topic such as aging (covered in thematicarea A) or art and culture (B), the importance of promoting the network is veryclear. It is not possible to say that it is clear
with regard to “Open Field (C),” however.
Still, this should be the most interesting
aspect for the Toyota Foundation, because
it involves opening the gate to other topics
such as climate change, historical aspects,
etc.
I would like to suggest that instead ofarranging conferences focusing on topics,
we simply hold the Toyota Foundation
annual gathering or something similar.
Climate change can be involved in immigration, and aging can be combined witharts and culture. Everyone can learn fromC e l e b ra tin g d ive r s ity is th e To yo ta Foundation’ s ide ntity.
▼M I would like to say that 20 years ago,
the Toyota Foundation was unique. You
funded small projects carried out by ordi-

12
20
10

each other.
▼M It depends on your vision.
▼ V When I was reading the guidelines, I

understood this to some extent. But when I
joined the presentation session and saw theother grantees’ topics there, what you arelooking for became much clearer.
The Foundation should argue that yourconcern is not just one topic.
In addition, mutual leaning is somethingthat really can lead to solutions, so its
impact, as well as the impact assessment,
is extremely important.
▼M I think that Mr. Koyama’s project is
unique and has significant meaning for theFoundation. In 20 years’ time, his projectmight make a lot of changes.
▼ K I strongly feel that this is my lifetime
project. I believe that it will bring aboutchanges to our society in future.
We fear that we are only enjoying thelegacy of our past programs and predecessors who were in the Foundation 20 years
ago. There was no impact at that time, atleast from the point of view of the program
officers.
Twenty years later, however, we are finding that there are a lot of professors andother professionals who used to be our
grantees and appreciate our support in
Asia. They kindly introduce us young andprominent researchers or active players in
non-profit sectors as possible grantees.

▼ V In three or four years, I will be very
happy to come back and share what I havedone with others through your network. I
could even do it 15 years later.
I think it is very important to invest not inmoney but in networks of people. That is
one of the reasons why I applied as aninternational project, rather than finding a
grant in Thailand. It makes a difference.
So now we are getting to know each other,and we are building strong relationships,
and this is one of the communities I canconsult if I have problems.
It can be seen as just a friendship among
the grantees, but I think it is very important.
We do welcome networks and collaborations among the grantees.
▼ V The initiative of the Toyota Foundation is extremely important. If you dependon us, you will lose the connections. If you
maintain the networks, they will comeback after many years.
▼ M If the grantees want to be part of the
network of the Toyota Foundation, theymust be open and not focus too much on
their project alone.

The re is no e nd in ‘U nde r s tanding e ac h othe r,’
but it c aus e s us to k e e p hav ing dialogue s .

5Common i s s ue s i n As i a
While our International Grant Program
targets Asia, you might have some ideas
or assumptions for an Asian perspective.
Shall we wrap up the dialogue by sharing what we have in common as Asian
Neighbors?

regrettably they are not well recognized. I
would like to collect and disseminate
information on how, where and whenpeople showcase their products in Asia.
I anticipate that it may lead us to the Asianvalue of design and art. I love Asia, andI l o v e A s ia , a n d m y tea m m e m b e r s lo v e As ia. We lov e As ia!
▼ F The main purpose of my project is toestablish a Design Art Consortium in
Asian countries. The first Design Art Exhibition will be held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia this coming September.
I have no intention of comparing Europe
and Asia, but I must say that Westerncountries have controlled the mainstreamof design art.
Why are bags made in Europe so much
more expensive than those from Asia? I
have found plenty of good designs andcreative, quality products in Asia, but

my team members love Asia. We loveAsia!
▼ M When I mention “Asian,” I do notmean to counterpose it to “European.”Globally, we also have Africa, North
America and South America. It is merelypart of diversity.
I think that Japan also sacrifices the other
Asian countries. Why do the Japanese
need to take the leadership position?
▼ V I feel a little uncomfortable with theidea that “art is something exhibited in a
museum.” In Asia - or at least here in

Bangkok - art can be everywhere in ourlives. Maybe we even need to start talking
about the definition of design and art!
▼ M Actually, even at the end of the
dialogue, I cannot say “I understand you!”to any of the participants. But I do notmean that it is unfruitful. Having dialogues
with people from different fields, culturesand generations stimulates me, and I think
it is important to be interested and keep
learning.
Let us now return to the main question ofthis dialogue, “What brings us beyond
understanding to empathy?” At least weare now aware of the differences and havethe passion to understand what creates
these differences.
Thank you all very much for your commitment, and I hope that we can keep thischannel open for further communications.

13
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10

JAPANv o l .3

March 23-25,201822

Introduction

Sendai is the capital of Miyagi Pre-heavily damaged by the tsunami that

Great East Japan Earthquake, and thefecture, the largest city in the Tohoku

followed the earthquake.

Sendai 3/11 Memorial Community

region of Japan. It is known as “MoriEven seven years later, the damage

Center.

no Miyako, which means the “Cityfrom the tsunami remains in two ofAt the Art Inclusion Japan Associa-

of Trees.” At Sendai train station, thethe five wards along the coast.

tion, the participants joined with staff

flow of trains, cars and people seems

The following participants of pastmembers who are physically or men-endless. Many office buildings,

and present grantees took part in thetally challenged to try some art. At

restaurants, shops, hotels and more

final round of the Dialogue sessions

Oshiruko Café, they helped cook a

are located around the station, which

hosted by Yuichi Watanabe and Atsu-

traditional Sendai dish and a popular

is characteristic of the busy but

shi Kadowaki. Three participantsSoutheast Asian dish. Additionally,

fun-filled city.

from Aceh, Indonesia, who arethey visited the exhibitions andSendai has well-known traditional

involved in the project represented

listened to the storytellers and city

festivals such as Sendai Tanabata,by Yuichi Watanabe, also took part.

officials at Sendai Arahama Elemen-

the annual star festival where the

The participants, including the pro-tary School and the Sendai 3/11

streets are brightly decorated withgram officers of the Toyota Founda-

Memorial Community Center.

flowing cloth, and it is also famoustion, visited the project’ s fields,

During the dialogue sessions, theas the origin of figure skating in

where Atsushi Kadowaki bases his

participants discussed the character-

Japan and the home of a professional

activities as a Modern Artist. They

istics of the International Grant Pro-

baseball team.

also visited the office of the Artgram and considered requests to the

On March 11, 2011, the Great East

Inclusion Japan Association, Oshiru-

program.

Japan Earthquake hit this lively city.

ko Café, Sendai Arahama Elementa-

The coastal areas of Sendai werery School, which is a ruin of the23

J AP A
AN
N

Members
Sharing memories of the disasters through arts

Community art project between afflicted areas of Japan and Aceh
It's a common issue for Aceh and Japanese people how to take over the experiences of being got
damages by huge earthquake disaster to the next generation in order to avoid repeating the tragedies. Solving this issue, we will apply "community art", which can promote regional revitalization, intergenerational exchange, cross-cultural understanding, and show new aspect of disastertourism. Japanese can learn know-how on the disaster tourism from Aceh, and Aceh people canfind a new form of tradition for taking over experiences in current changed society that declining
disaster prevention consciousness through community art.

Yuichi Watanabe
2017 grantee

Secretary General, The
Laboratory for Global Dialogue

Makiko Nakagawa
Director,
The Laboratory
for Global Dialogue

Atsushi Kadowaki
Modern artist,
Atsushi Kadowaki
Art Office2017 Toyota Foundation IGP grantee
In 2016, she joined the Laboratory for
Global Dialogue as well as started to workat a local travel agency in Cebu, thePhilippines to coordinate study tours.
From 2013 to 2016, she worked for
Thai-Japanese Association school Sriracha as a primary school teacher andissued social-study guidebook for students“Our living town, Sriracha”.

Tadashi Ogawa

Professor,
Atomi University
Faculty of Letters24

Freelance movie director.
In 2002, he established“The Laboratory for
Global Dialogue” to makecommunication opportunity for people in far
distance and pursue thepossibility to use movie
as interactive media.

2017 Toyota Foundation IGP grantee
He pursues the possibility of the art as acommunication tool. Managing a community
art project to keep memory of disaster in
Tohoku area since The Great East Japan
earthquake occurred in 2011. He has beenpart of community art projects held in various
parts of Japan such as Shiogama (Miyagi),
Kabuki-cho (Tokyo), Shiga prefecture, etc.

Toru Mori
Director,
The Laboratory
for Global Dialogue

2017 Toyota Foundation IGP grantee
While working as a copywriter since1991, he joined The Laboratory for
Global Dialogue in 2002. He has
been involving with many projects
such as Japan NGO Network for
Education, ODA watcher group by
MURAI Yoshinori from 1989, Association Sending to Picture Books for
Lao Children from 1992.

He earned his Ph.D. in International Relations from Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan. He had worked
with the Japan Foundation for 35 years from 1982 to 2017, in management positions that included
Managing Director of the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership, Department of JapaneseStudies and Intellectual Exchange, New Delhi Office, and Regional Director of Southeast Asia.

Advancing sustainable organic farming in Asia:
A focus on Japan, Philippines and Vietnam
Countries in Asia have seen a rise in the awareness for organic farming inrecent years. Yet, it has not spread enough compared to other regions such as
Europe and North America to address the issues of environmental and healthissues. With the aim to accelerate the solving of the common issue or organic
farming in the region, we promote both diverse interaction of stakeholders

For the futureof Asian organic farming
Tomoko Kitagawa
2017 grantee

Project Manager, NPO
Cross Fields

involved in organic farming, and collective learnings of good practices between
various countries in Asia, beginning with Philippines, Vietnam and Japan.

She joined Cross Fields in 2016, working as a Project Manager for the “Corporate Volunteering Program (CVP),” in which Japanese employees are dispatched to NGOs and social enterprises in South East and South Asian countries. Previously worked at Japan Broadcasting
Corporation (NHK) from 2011 to 2016 as a program producer.

Developing East Asian model for utilization of genetic resources and related traditional
knowledge in Japan, China, and Korea: Practices on traditional vegetables and beekeeping
Benefits from genetic resources are utilized for developing medicines,
foods and cosmetics. It is necessary that related traditional knowledge
to be acknowledged when relevant resources are utilized. There are
distrust between provider and user countries and Access and Benefit

Conservation and utilizationof generic resources through foodand agriculture

Sharing arising from utilization of genetic resources (ABS) became anurgent global issue. This time we focused on traditional vegetables andbeekeeping as genetic resources. By doing so, mutual culture understandings in Japan, China, and Korea is facilitated by learning andpractices on producing and cooking the resources.
Yuta Uchiyama 2017 grantee

His major interests are urban-regional planning and geographical information science.
After obtaining his doctorate, he worked for the Research Institute for Humanity andNature and Kanazawa University College of Human and Social Sciences. He is currently engaged in evaluating the biodiversity and ecosystem service in Asia Pacific Region.

Assistant Professor, Tohoku
University Graduate school ofEnvironmental Studies

Socio-Technological approach for building sustainable community through the corporative
action installng Small-Scale-Hydropower in Japanese and Indonesian rural area

Sustainability of local communities
enhanced by renewable energy

When we implement renewable energy in the local level, we
should overcome lots of challenges. From the experience of learning making process of “Kincir” (handmade wooden micro hydroelectric generator from Indonesia), we saw great potential in its
traditional know-how. Therefore, we held Kincir workshop to
install the traditional know-how into Gokase village. Local people
and foreign students from several countries joined the workshop. It
inspired them to leverage renewable energy derived from the natural environment. They also could share the local challenges forcommunity life.

Tokihiko Fujimoto2014 grantee

Associate Professor, Shizuoka
University Faculty of Agriculture

He earned his doctoral degree of Engineering at Kyushu University, Japan. He got
the current academic post of Shizuoka University in 2014. He is the technical standard committee member of International Center on Small Hydro Power (ICSHP)
and the co-author of World Small Hydropower Development Report 2016.

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JAPANvol.3 Dialogue in Sendai
Following the dialogues held in Baguio and Bangkok,
another dialogue was held in the atelier of a general incorporated association,
Art Inclusion, based in Sendai. We invited grantees of new and old grant programs and experts.
1
Workin g i n ha r m o ny
with cultu re , a r t a nd o t he r s
The themes of your Foundation-funded
projects differ, from community art,organic farming to traditional vegetables and natural energy. Nevertheless,they are issues of equal importance inAsia, where we live.

but it is actually based on the sense ofvalues and ideas of the local area. The new
way that it encourages Japan to learn andcollaborate to achieve something together
is intriguing, because it is different fromthe old stereotype, in which Japan provided support unilaterally.
▼Tokihiko Fujimoto (F) I received a grantin 2014, and the framework of the International Grant Program at the time was

Te c h n o l o g ies d o n o t en ter o th er co u ntr ie s inde pe nde ntly.
I n s te a d , th ey es ta b lis h th em s elv e s in har m ony
w ith th e lo c a l v a lu e s a n d c ulture .
▼Tadashi Ogawa (O) The key word that iscommon to all projects of those participating today is culture. Mr.Watanabe focusesparticularly on interactivity in an attempt
to overcome differences through community art.The organic farming that
Ms.Kitagawa is working on has the possibility to develop a link with culture. I think
it is necessary to fully understand thecultural background of each society,because culture can lead to a breakthroughwhen taking future development into
account.
It is important to nurture affection andempathy in the China-Japan-Korea traditional vegetable project worked on by
Mr.Uchiyama.
The small hydraulic power project worked
on by Mr. Fujimoto may sound technical,

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slightly different from today. The aim ofour project was to interact with the people
in Bandung and to emulate their small
hydraulic power initiative in Gokasecho,
Miyazaki Prefecture.
The transfer of technology to Bandung was
initiated by the Germans in the 1990s.
However, only one type remained in thearea, and there must have been manyreasons for this. The one thing I can say isthat technologies do not enter other countries independently. Instead, they establish
themselves in harmony with the needs,
ideas, culture and climate of the local area.
▼Atsushi Kadowaki (AK) I carry out art
activities with people from all walks oflife. The advantage of creative activities is
to be able to shape something interesting
into a form and to show it to people in a

way that is not easily consumed by the
media. Although it might be difficult toname, it is art as long as it has been formed
creatively. People become energized byexpressing themselves. I thought thatcreating a place where people can express
themselves and welcoming people to join
was art.
I organize Oshiruko Café (sweet red-beansoup) once a month at the Asuto Nagamachi Temporary Housing Complex, which isultimately a place to gather, cook and eat.
However, I consider this to be an art activity. This place inspires creativity, allowing
mothers to put their heads together.
▼Tomoko Kitagawa (TK) While awareness of organic farming differs by country,common issues exist. Providing the necessary support to share processes throughdialogues and interactions with a view todevelop communities that can think
together is the aim of the Toyota Foundation International Grant Program. Some
may think that it is faster to solve eachissue individually. However, it is beneficial
for communities to think together toacquire different perspectives.
▼O When it comes to interaction, some
say that it is possible to interact via Skype,
instead of going back and forth physically.
Do you have an opinion on this?
▼Yuichi Watanabe (W) Of course directinteraction is better. However, it may bedifficult for small children, although juniorhigh school and high school students
should be able to visit other countries
physically. Funding may also be an issueor there might be places where an actual
visit is not an option, such as in regions ofconflict. The best way forward is to combine them. For example, it is possible tovisit once, then continue to interact via
Skype later.
▼Toru Mori (M) Some people are afraidof facing others directly. Children mightfind it easier to talk to people on a screen,
because they can do so as a group withother classmates. They often say that theywant to know more about each other ’ s
countries after communicating via Skype.
Once they interact with people who live ina country far away, they feel close despitethe distance. I hope that the young people
who experienced such interactions will beable to visit Japan physically in the future.
2
Projects whe re une x pe c t e dincid ent s m i g ht o c c ur
Have you come across any difficulties or
unexpected incidents that you did not
anticipate before starting your project?

in the proposal or cases that involved
unexpected incidents. In order to positively evaluate such experiences, theToyota Foundation International Grant
Program now asks each member tosubmit a free descriptive document
every six months to record changes, inaddition to the overall project report.
▼W Issues other than funds include a lossof human resources. We focus on people
who are likely to remain in Aceh for a long

It is im p o r ta n t to fin d a n d n u r ture pe ople
w h o c a n fo rg e re la tio ns hips .
▼F Unexpected incidents occurred in the
project funded by the Toyota Foundation. I
asked woodworkers and construction
workers from Gokasecho to actually visit
Indonesia. Working together with the local
workers, they cut down trees and produced
hydraulic turbines to generate electricity.
They described the experience as thrilling.
This project was stimulating and allowed
them to discover something new.
Technologies do not develop in a single
step. In this case, the workers needed tostart by doing something that they could
accomplish, and after trial and error, thethings best suited to their needs remainedand developed. The most important thing
was to make the first attempt by themselves.
After returning to Japan, the workers from
Gokasecho made the most of what they
had learned in Indonesia and produced themachinery necessary for small hydraulicpower using what was available in theirhometown. They successfully generated
power and are currently visiting schools
throughout Kyushu to pass on these skills.
It is more interesting and rewarding for
us to hear cases that did not go according to the schedule originally describedperiod of time with a view of transforming
them into people who can shoulder responsibility. However, some talented young
people who have learned a lot after occasionally being invited to Japan choose to
relocate to other countries to move on to
the next step. When this happens, we lose
someone who can shoulder responsibility,
albeit temporary.
Having said that, the people of Aceh love
their hometown dearly, and the majority
wishes to return someday, even if they
spend time overseas. I am hopeful that we
can work with such people again in the
future.
▼TK The leaders from each country arevery committed to our project and fortunately we have not come across cases ofmismatched expectations, althoughsub-members do change from time to time.
▼F We appointed a young member towork for the representative to run theexecutive office. He returned to his hometown Gokasecho when we were setting up
the project. He spoke English fluently,
besides, he was the only Japanese member
who smoked. He was valuable because he
was able to become acquainted withvillagers in Indonesia through smoking. In

Indonesia, men open their heart quickly tothose who smoke. For this reason, they
remembered his name instantly.
▼O Those stories make me realize therole of people who can forge relationships
and the importance of finding and nurturing people who will potentially shoulderthat responsibility. On the other hand, a
relationship with such potential key workers is not without risks. A relationship withspecific individuals may fall into a routine
or change with other relationships in society. It is crucial to consider how to involve
them as well as to maintain a healthy
distance.
▼AK The outflow of talented humanresources is related to issues that can befound across Japan, such as the aging population and depopulation. What we do here
(Art Inclusion) is part of the earthquake
disaster reconstruction initiatives. Nevertheless, I think it is important that ourknowledge can be applied to such issues,or can be shared to resolve different types
of issues.
We used to hold regular meetings threetimes a year with people across Japan who
had received a grant from a different foundation designed for those in the art community. While each art project was run
independently, we used each meeting as aplace to share experiences. This grant
program is no longer available, but wemaintain the relationships developed
through the meetings.
▼O People in each project are working indifferent areas and fields, however, eachproject has a common concept and similar
aims.One of the roles of the Foundation is
to connect people.
While there are many foundations that ask
for quantification and short-time
outcomes, we want the Toyota Foundation

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to continue to provide grants to long-term
initiatives that cannot be realized quickly,
as Japan’ s leading corporate foundation.
▼Makiko Nakagawa (N) Empathy gained
beyond differences is important. The Laboratory for Global Dialogue, where I serve
as Director, focuses on how to communicate with people who live in a distant location.
When it comes to art, the number of exhibition visitors can be expressed using
numerals, while real experiences, such as
dialogues and interactions with others, arenot. I would like each of us to think about
how to connect, how to learn from one
another and what to take from the lesson
beyond sectors and borders, as well as its
value.
▼TK We are grateful that the Foundation
provided a grant to a community that was
unable to foresee its future. The Foundation offered an opportunity for them to try
what they had in mind before deciding
whether to move forward with it as a business.
On the other hand, it is true that programs
commence only when a grant is received.
It is important to plan projects from along-term perspective, while also taking
into account how to persuade those who
would rather provide funds to projects thatyield outcomes in a short span of time.
From time to time, funding issues prevent
us from inviting people, while our intention is to involve more people.
▼Yuta Uchiyama (U) People often focus
on how to resolve issues through projects.
At the same time, it is equally important tofind or create some kind of value. The
importance of finding or creating value is
not recognized, which is an issue we stillneed to address.

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Our project is designed to resolve issues
and to create value. I think the Toyota
Foundation provides grants and support tothose who are unable to foresee their
future clearly and those in an uncertain
situation as long as they have a long-term
vision. As for support for research, such as
Grants-in-aid for Scientific Research, yourcontribution to a certain academic field isquestioned. Funds are made available tothose who have produced specificoutcomes.
On the other hand, there is an interesting framework for Grants-in-aid for
Scientific Research, such as Challenging
Exploratory Research, which appears toprovide flexible support similar to thatof private institutions.
▼U Nevertheless, Grants-in-aid for Scientific Research may not allow us to look atthings that we looked away from or did noteven think about previously.
3
Com m u n i ca t i o n w i t h P O
The applicant guidelines for the Toyota
Foundation International Grant Program
clearly states that preliminary consultation
prior to application is recommended.
Those who participated in this dialogue
program had a preliminary consultation
and received some suggestions.

▼W In our case, after reading the applicant guidelines, we agreed to have aconsultation with the Foundation first, andwe received more specific suggestions
from them than any other foundation. We
are grateful that they frankly told us thegood and bad points, although it was aslightly scary experience. (laughs)
On the other hand, we are not certain, evento this day, why our proposal was accepted. We would be grateful if you would let
us know what you look for during theselection process, or points if there wereany, for us to refer to when applying toanother foundation in the future.
The aspects looked for differ greatly
from one foundation to another. The
character and ideas of committee members also have a significant influence on
the selection processes. A proposal thatthe committee members of the Toyota
Foundation think it is outstanding will
not necessarily be highly evaluated byother foundations. I can only say thatyour proposal best reflected the purpose
outlined in the applicant guidelines thatyear, as it was accepted.
▼O Based on my experience, selection
processes are highly subjective, although
they may appear objective. Points given
differ from one committee member toanother; even their subjective perceptions
can be influenced by mutual discussion.
There are cases where some proposals,
which were highly recommended by justone committee member and no one else,
have turned out to be great projects in theend.
▼F The most important thing is tosincerely answer the questions andrequests asked by the Foundation. All
items that the Foundation wants to know
are already written in the question sectionof the proposal. It is also important tocontinue to communicate with the Foundation after your proposal was accepted andmaintain a good relationship, allowing
both to enjoy the exchange of feedback.
Incidentally, we did not attach importanceto short-term outcomes, such as results
after 1 or 2 years, when outlining the
proposal for the project for which we
received a grant at a later stage. We highlighted our intention to develop a systemthat would lead toward the future. Nevertheless, we included outcomes that werelikely to materialize in a short time in theapplication form, although the project was
designed for the long-term (20 to 30
years). I think proposals that do notinclude a short-term vision will not lookattractive.
Program Officers (POs) of the Foundation carry out surveys every year tol e a r n w h a t i s re q u i re d w i t h i n t h ecurrent framework of the International
Grant Program and amend the Program accordingly. It even undergoes acomplete change once every few years.
We urge those who are considering toapply not to hesitate, but to get in touchwith POs to initiate communication.
4
Toward the de v e l o pm e ntof places th a t nur t ure e m pa t hy
We intentionally invited people fromd ifferen t s ector s t o p a r t i c i pa t e i ntoday’s dialogue.

dialogue program, the experience of sharing with people of different backgrounds
has allowed me to look at things fromwhich I previously looked away. As for myproject, I feel as though I have acquired
fresh perspectives or lenses. I would liketo share this experience with others.
▼F When I participated in the art activity
organized by Mr.Kadowaki for people
with disabilities, I felt that the environ-I f e e l a s t h o u g h I h a v e a c q u ired fres h pe r s pe c tiv e s or le ns e s .
▼N I felt empathy during the site visitsarranged through this dialogue program. I
also agree with the stories of some ofthose who are implementing different projects. On the other hand, there were times
where the discovery of different views
shifted my perspective or allowed me toacquire fresh ones.
▼TK My previous media job brought me
to Sendai in the wake of the earthquake.
This time, I could objectively see howmuch things had changed since then. I
talked about earthquakes, tsunamis andreconstruction with people in Aceh, aswell as differences and commonalities
between us. What impressed me was theempathy that I felt this time. You are all
implementing different projects thanks to
the grants provided by the Toyota Foundation. I feel as though I can visualize theoutlook of our project, after hearing thestories of those who have already completed their projects.
▼U While I could not imagine what
would happen before participating in thisment developed for group members whotrust each other was very welcoming andenriching. Dialogues tend to become
discussions to pursue justice if done rigidly. People are diverse and some may not
be able to participate in such dialogues. I
was moved because it was such an enriching place developed not only throughdialogues, but also by nurturing and sharing creativity.
▼O I realized once again that communities can connect via a network of empathy.
It was very good that three members fromIndonesia, where Sharia law is being
adopted, attended and engaged in today ’s
dialogue.
Global nations are not in sync and we arewitnessing protectionism. This is a criticalera to discuss what kind of role Japan
should play in international cooperation. I
hope that at this time, the Toyota Foundation, as a major organization that
represents Japan, sends a clear message
not to let international cooperation regress.
I also feel that those who have received a

grant find the Toyota Foundation accessible. This must be the result of their communication with POs. I think this mutual
relationship can be utilized more fromboth sides.
We communicate with grantees whenever necessary and make efforts to participate in the field works and symposiums
related to their projects.
We also organize workshops for all
grantees the day after the grant giving
ceremony, and have set up a grantee-only Facebook group each year. Interactions among grantees from different
years are something we need to look into
in the future.
▼F Grantees of any foundation are hopingthat grant providers will keep an eye on
their progress even after their projects
have been completed. They want to let
grant providers know that changes haveoccurred thanks to the grants theyreceived. In that sense, I am extremely
happy to have been invited back many
years after my project. It is good to simply
share a meal together. By bringing people
together who are working toward a goal,
they might come up with new ideas orsupport each other to start new projects.
We received excellent feedback on the
To y o t a F o u n d a t i o n t h r o u g h t h i s
dialogue. We are hoping to develop
initiatives that continuously support therelationships among grantees. Thank
you.

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MESSAGE FROM THE TOYOTA FOUNDATION

Selection Committee Chair
Professor, Faculty of International
Social Sciences, Gakushuin
University

Aki ra Sue hi ro

has allocated program oﬃcers

we often hear from groups con-from its inception who have been

ducting excellent projects thatcreating grant programs andthe catalyst was, in fact, abuilding bridges between proj-

To y o t a Fo u n d a t i o n p r o j e c t f r o me c t s a n d s o c i e t y. T h i s t h r e e - s e -10 years ago. How can we sup-ries dialogue is also arranged byport activities that do not

the program oﬃcers. They haveinstantly produce outcomes?

met with grantees in person andThat is where the capability ofcommitted to share the achieve-

the foundation is required.

ments of projects, unique characteristics of participants andIn the International Grant Pro-

their frank opinions, regardlessgram, since ﬁscal year 2016, weof the diﬀerences in countries,

have set an “Open Field” toﬁelds and status.

accept projects from a wider
range. Also, since ﬁscal year

Since its establishment in 1974,

In the ﬁeld of academics, the2018, we have stated thet h e To y o t a Fo u n d a t i o n h a s f o s -goal is perhaps to present con-required aspects of projects intered grant activities in Asia forclusions or make recommenda-

the key words “transnational,”

more than 40 years. Its prospec-

tions based on research and“cross sector,” “mutual learning”

tus claims the Foundation viewss t u d y. H o w e v e r, t h e g r a n t p r o j -and “foresight” and deepened

events from a global perspective

e c t s o f t h e To y o t a F o u n d a t i o nthe emphasis on structures ofas it works to support activities

have an additional component̶

members and approaches tothat bring broad, long-term ben-

the grantees further realize theirissues. As the scheme for skills

e ﬁ t s t o s o c i e t y. I t i d e n t i ﬁ e sideas, address issues throughand knowledge is complicatedissues in a wide range of ﬁelds

interactions with society and aim

and the specialization of ﬁelds

in line with the needs of theto produce new value. In thishas accelerated, we believe it istimes, including human and natu-

process, failures might be theimportant for grant-making foun-ral environments, social welfare,result of boldly tackling diﬃcult

dations to embrace free-thinking

and education and culture, andissues, and we can probably

and unique ideas that transcend,provides grants for research andstate that one important aspectcross and bend the borders ofprojects that address theseof private foundations is foster-

specialties. By centrally setting

issues.

ing second chances.

“interactions” and “mutual learning,” continuously expanding

A grant-making foundation is

M o r e o v e r, a s s t a t e d i n t h e d i a -ﬁelds for grants, and accumulat-

principally expected to demon-

logue, we believe that it is nec-

ing speciﬁc cases, we are hoping

strate its ideas and philosophiese s s a r y n o t o n l y t o s e e k c o s t - e f-t o s e e “ t h e To y o t a F o u n d a t i o nthrough its grant programs andfective performance, but also toWay.”by doing so contribute to themeasure project outcomes using

establishment of an aﬄuent

two criteria: social contributionsociety. The Toyota Foundation

and a longer timeline. Because

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The International Grant Program Team

M ic h iru Sa s a ga w a
When documenting the concept of a grant program, we
mainly use abstract and general expressions like “cross sectoral cooperation,” “sharing experience” and “direct

Ke nta Kusud a

exchange of knowledge.” In this dialogue series, we believe

As stated in the guidelines, ourat the site of each project. I hope that this will help you toInternational Grant Program

share the approaches and changes in values that include

anticipates projects that canfailures and accidents.

that we have successfully highlighted what actually happens

form a cooperative and creative
alliance by fostering a process ofmutual learning, instead of conventional linear relationships
such as supporter and supportee
or instructor and trainee. This

Hideo T on e

can be applied to the relationship between the Foundation andthe project members. That is to

To address any issue, we need to collabo-say, we hope to be involved withr a t e w i t h o t h e r s . H o w e v e r, i t m i g h t b e

grantees as equal partners in

impossible to completely understandtackling common issues beyond

them due to a variety of barriers, such as

such a superﬁcial relationship as

languages, diﬀerent values and also sec-g r a n t o r a n d g r a n t e e . Fr o m t h a t

tors and organizations. Still, through theperspective, we believe that this

dialogue, I have learned that we weredialogue is one of the outputs

able to support our grantees to create

produced by the ideas of the pro-space and continue their eﬀorts to under-g r a m . We a p p r e c i a t e a l l p a r t i c i -stand each other and to build empathy

pants who addressed our relent-among the region for a better futureless requests and provided pro-through our grant program.

ductive moments!

I felt that I could be part of the actual involvement in granteesʼ projects thatessentially could only be experienced by joining the project as a participant.
These experiences seem to have a variety of elements, such as a spirit to
face challenges, a sense of achievement and uncertainty. I deeply appreciate the warm cooperation of all participants and local individuals and organizations that kindly helped us with the dialogue series. It was a wonderfultime for me to learn that there is great potential in ﬁeld-based mutual
learning. Through this dialogue series, it was indicated that this ﬁeld-based

T o mo mi Ma e ka wa

mutual learning can be a method for bringing about many more new perspectives and developments when it is carried out beyond the boundary ofeach project.

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ABOUT THE TOYOTA FOUNDATIONThe Toyota Foundation is a grant-making foundation established in 1974 by the Toyota Motor Corporation.
The Foundation views events from a global perspective as it works to support activities that bring broad,long-term beneﬁts to society. It identiﬁes issues in a wide range of areas in line with the needs of thetimes, including human and natural environments, social welfare, and education and culture, and provides
grants for research and projects that address these issues.

INTERNATIONAL GRANT PROGRAM
OF THE TOYOTA FOUNDATIONS i n c e 2 0 1 3 , t h e To y o t a Fo u n d a t i o n h a v e b e e napplicable to other eﬀorts.

setting our main focus on “common issues inIn this regard, we redesigned our International

A s i a” o n i t s I n t e r n a t i o n a l G r a n t Pr o g r a m . T h r e eGrant Program. In addition to include cultural

themes, namely Aging, multiculturalism by inter-dimensions and make no conditions on its target

national migration, and environment-related

issues, we put more focus on supporting local

issues with particular focus on consensus build-players on the ground to go beyond sectors anding and renewable energy in local communities intheir collaboration.

Asia are our target issues in the beginning.

Current and coming challenges in the world are

During the ﬁrst few years, we have found that

too complexed and cross border and multi-sec-

cultural and philosophical dimensions are also

toral cooperation are essential to ﬁnd signs ofcritically important to understand the back-solutions.

grounds of challenges in local communities. Also,

We h o p e o u r I n t e r n a t i o n a l G r a n t P r o g r a m s u p -the approach we had supported, which wereports to connect leaders in all sectors from themutual learning through exchanges and sharing

ground up in our neighboring East and Southeast

experience beyond sectors as well as interna-Asia.

tional boundaries, can be integral portion and

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FOR FUTURE APPLICANTS
In 2018, the International Grant Program of the Toyota Foundation provides grants to the projects which
address the common issues in Asia.
With multinational teams comprised of participants from diverse backgrounds, projects can avoid conventional linear relationships, such as “supporter and supported” or “instructor and trainee,” and instead
form cooperative and creative alliances that consider, act on, and construct solutions to shared issues.
The grant program anticipates that these partnerships, which extend beyond such factors as nationality,
age, and organizational aﬃliation, will produce signiﬁcant social change through fostering a process ofmutual learning.

Transnational
Equal participation of members from 2 or more countries in target area.

Foresight

Cross Sector

Expansion of the potential of
future generation throughthe innovative approach.

Common Issues
in Asia

Collaboration between sectors such as academia, government, social, non-proﬁt,etc.

Mutual Learning
Exchanging knowledge and experience through directinteraction.

CONTACT

Group f o r I nt e r na t io na l G r a nt s
T h e To y o t a F o unda t io n

Tel : + 81 (0)3- 3344- 1701
Ema il : a s ia n n eigh bor s @t oyot a f ound .or .j p

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International Grant Program
The Toyota Foundation
Shinjuku Mitsui Building 37F,
2-1-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku,
Tokyo 163-0437, Japan
TEL: +81 (0)3-3344-1701
URL: http://www.toyotafound.or.jp/

Published in May, 2018
Designed by Co.to.hana

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