Annual Report2017From Our President
I want to sincerely thank all of you who continue to provide your heartfelt support
for Caritas Japan. I am enclosing the Caritas Japan Annual Report so that you mightknow the various activities your generosity makes possible.
In response to the call of Pope Francis for a world in which no one is excluded,
Caritas Internationalis is developing a worldwide campaign to support refugees and migrants. Each person who must leave his or her homeland has a unique background andstory. By listening to the stories that each one has instead of simply categorizing themas “refugees” or “migrants,” we will support their dignity as individuals beloved byGod. This international campaign calling us to nurture a “culture of encounter” where
no one is excluded is called “Share the Journey” in English. In Japan, we are promoting
it as the “Zero Exclusion Campaign” (haijo zero campaign).
Reconstruction of the various places that suffered from the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011, remains Caritas Japan’s priority. But we also remain committed to continuing our support activities in natural disasters and the seemingly neverending regional conflicts in various parts of the world. Many people must journey
through places of disaster, conflict and reconstruction.
The activities of Caritas Japan are not merely limited to providing economic support
to people facing such difficulties. Caritas Japan will continue encouraging encountersboth in Japan and abroad so that many people can meet and support one another andcreate a world without exclusion.
I believe that God, the giver of life, desires a world where all people respect andsupport each other.
Let’s continue to journey together so that we can build the world that God wants, aworld in which none of us will be excluded.
Archbishop Isao Kikuchi
President, Caritas Japan

─1─Lenten Campaign
Each year the Pope issues a Lenten message to deepen Christians’ understanding of thespirit of the season and to encourage them to conversion works of love. In answer to thiscall, the Catholic Church in Japan calls for Catholics to respond to the “Ai no Bokin” (lovecollection) in fellowship with those who face oppression, discrimination and abandonment
as well as those whose lives are in crisis. (Catholic Information Handbook 2018)

Message of Pope Francis for Lent 2017
“The Word is a gift. Other persons are a gift”■ Lenten Booklet 2017
Circulation: 58,000
Contents: Pope Frances, Lenten message, donations and assistances■ Collection box for children
Circulation: 25,000■ Contribution envelopes
Circulation: 63,000■

Our Funds
Caritas Japan depends solely on donations from individual donors in Japan and does not receive any public funds or government subsidies. These donations are made either by directcontribution from individual donors or through special collections organized by dioceses, parishes and other institutions.

Amount of total donation 2017

¥357,282,521

Lenten Collection
For Domestic Assistance
For Overseas Assistance
For Domestic Emergencies
For Overseas Emergencies
Christmas Donation
Support for Caritas Japan
Donation from monthly supporters
For the Great East Japan Earthquake¥61,102,411¥9,741,086¥32,267,052¥24,793,924¥8,488,453¥26,196,399¥6,917,500¥794,466¥186,981,230

Domestic donation¥15,793,288（ Donation from abroad
─2─¥171,187,942）

Aid Activities
In collaboration with Caritas throughout the world, Caritas Japan supports the independence ofpeople who must face harsh conditions in various places. Priority support is given to people
recovering from disaster or war, and to support for human rights, education, health care and theeradication of poverty, especially where the need is most urgent.

Funding for Emergency Appeals (EA) by Caritas Internationalis - 41 projects
Human development projects with Caritas Member organizations - 31 projects■ Support for grass-roots activities in Japan (incl. Kumamoto earthquake) - 16 projects■■

ASSISTANCES (January to December 2017)

JPY 369,085,562
JPY by the thousand

The Great East Japan Earthquake147,074

Within Japan (incl. Kumamoto earthquake)
Asia/Oceania

45,912
98,886

Asia Partnership
Bangladesh
Cambodia
India

5,287
16,921
4,545
6,701

Kyrgyzstan
Mongolia
Myanmar
Nepal

1,779
8,171
6,872
36,522

Pakistan
Philippines
Sri Lanka

5,266
1,169
1,302
2,238
3,286
1,202

Malawi
Niger
Nigeria
RwandaSenegalSierra Leone

1,153
1,232
1,220
1,781
1,318
1,337

SomaliaSouth Sudan
Sudan
Uganda

1,122
1,113
1,128

Dominican Republic
Haiti
Mexico

1,138
2,306
2,256

Peru
Venezuela

3,396
4,556

Lebanon
Palestine

1,1172,280

Syria

4,907
1,290

SerbiaUkraine

1,213
1,329

7,367
1,302
3,419

Africa39,634Africa Partnership
BurundiCentral Africa
DR Congo
Kenya
Madagascar

17.9%
1,209
1,209
3,393
11,319Latin America/Caribbean
AntillesChile
Colombia

20.7%
44.5%

12,460

5.6%
1,113
2,284

Middle East

16,362

Iraq
Jordan5,013

EuropeCI Partnership
GreeceTotal Fund (Except the Great East Japan Earthquake)

Overseas assistanceby sector

7.4%

8,739

3.9%

221,993

100%

Education 11%

CaritasInternationalis
Development
Emergency
projects
Appeal45％
55%

Migrant workers and refugees 10%
Community empowerment 8%
Caritas capacity building 5%
Health 3%
Peace-building 2%
Disaster risk management 2%
Others 4%

─3─Aid Activities
Development assistance
Safe migration and anti-human trafficking
program in the Greater Mekong sab-region
Caritas
Especially in the Asian region, the human rightsof migrant workers are not protected and theproblem of trafficking in persons is getting
worse. To deal with this problem, the Caritas organizations of the Mekong River basin countries
are cooperating, and in both the sending and receiving countries they support a program to cooperate on case work and make use of it in providing policy advice in each country.

Caritas Internationalis Emergency Appeal
Assistance to herder households and effective
reduction of risks in the areas affected byDzud
Nomads in Mongolia are losing much of theirlivestock to increasingly severe winter conditions linked to global climate change. Caritas Japan has supported emergency assistance such as
the distribution of food and daily necessities andcapacity building implemented by Caritas Mongolia to respond to emergencies.

Domestic assistance
Support for refugee status certification applicants
The refugee recognition rate in Japan is very
low, and those who have escaped to Japan insearch of asylum are in a vulnerable position insociety. Caritas Japan supported organizations
that provide living support to refugee applicants.

Study Sessions
July 3 (Mon.)
Sacred Heart School (Tokyo) 10th grade
Theme: Knowing yourself, knowing the world

November 9 (Thur.)
Seibi Gakuen (Tokyo) 12th grade
Theme: Current situation of women in developing
countries and Caritas women’s support activities
─4─

Social AwarenessIn the world today, people face threats to human rights and life itself. In order topromote awareness of these situations, Caritas Japan sponsors training sessions andseminars as well as publishing booklets that deepen understanding of these challenges.
Activity Theme (2017-2019): Aiming for a diverse society without exclusion
In the decade since 2007, we have focused on how
the church can respond to the problems of self-deathand isolation. Themes we have explored are “TheTragedy of Isolation Ending in Self-Death andSuicide,” “Society’s Role in Isolation, Self-Death andSuicide,” “How Might the Church Respond to thisSocial Reality?”
Based on that effort, we have set the theme foreducation committee activities from 2017 as “Aimingfor a diverse society without exclusion.” We willconsider opportunities for diversity in the face of
intolerance, and how individuals, churches and local
communities can build a society that accepts all
without exclusion.
Seminar (September - November 2017)
Film, lecture and discussion
September 16 (Sat.): Sacra Famiglia Catholic Center (Osaka)
October 21 (Sat.): Fuji Women’s University (Sapporo)
November 11 (Sat.): YMCA Youth Center (Tokyo)
Fifth Korea-Japan Catholic Suicide Prevention Symposium (Seoul)
Date: November 3, 2017 (Friday)
Place: Archdiocese of Seoul Myeong Cathedral Coste Hall
Participants: About 200 people
Japanese lecturers:
Hiroki Kamatsu (Formerly of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan)
Ryogo Takemoto (Jōdoshū Honganji-ha Research Institute)─5─

Share the Journey Campaign

Caritas Internationalis has conducted a “Share the Journey” migration campaign with afocus on migrants and refugees since September 27, 2017. This campaign aims to foster a“culture of encounter” with migrants and refugees in all the communities related to them(countries of origin, transit countries, host countries). The 165 Caritas organizations that aremembers of Caritas Internationalis are taking part in this effort in ways that suit their local
circumstances.
In Japan, we are promoting the ZERO Exclusion Campaign: Meeting people beyond
nationality, a collaboration of Caritas Japan and the Catholic Commission of Japan for
Migrants, Refugees and People on the Move (J-CaRM).
■

Activities in 2017:
Oct. 15 Campaign introduction at Kichijoji Church bazaar (Tokyo)
Oct. 22 Campaign introduction at Ichikawa Church (Chiba) after international Mass
Nov. 23 J-CaRM National Workshop 2017 (Osaka Sacra Famiglia)
Nov. 26 Campaign introduction at Azabu Church bazaar (Tokyo)
Dec. 17 Campaign introduction at Ashikaga Church (Tochigi)■Campaign goods･ “Encounter” roll-sheet ballpoint pen.
Unrolling the sheet provides space to write prayers and messages.
･ Prayer card in Chinese, English, French, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog,Vietnamese and Japanese.

─6─Catholic Bishops’ Conference of JapanCARITAS JAPANJapan Catholic Center 10-10 Shiomi 2-Chomoe Koto-ku, Tokyo
135-8585
Phone: 81-3-5632-4439 Fax: 81-3-5632-4464
E-mail: secretariat@caritas.jp

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Photo: Community based primary school in Chittagong, Bangladesh
2018.5