Spreading circles of goodwill,
from Oku-Noto.
Founded 2015 ・ Tokyo ・ Oku-Noto ・ Yokohama ・ Toyama
About Kozue no Kai
Kozue no Kai was founded in July 2015 as an organization supporting the Japan Self-Defense Forces.
In 2020, under the banner of “Circles of goodwill, spread through raisins,” we became an international aid organization, donating to roughly 600 municipalities, facilities, and disaster-affected areas in total.
In January 2024, following the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, we shifted our work to disaster-recovery support, which continues today.
Noto Earthquake Recovery Support
January 1, 2024, 4:10 p.m. — the earth moved.
Kozue no Kai shifted its activities to earthquake-recovery support and continues to provide assistance on the ground.
Since January 2024 ・ 50 relief missions in total
* The video above and the photos below document the torrential rains that struck the Noto Peninsula on September 21, 2024.
Noto Peninsula Earthquake — Relief Record
September 2025 ・ 19th relief mission
200,000 bottles
550 ml drinking water ／ Wajima approx. 70,000 ・ Suzu approx. 70,000 ・ Noto Town approx. 30,000 ・ Shika Town approx. 30,000
Major support to date (as of 2024): 4,000 kg of California raisins ／ 9 atmospheric water generators (loaned free of charge) ／ approx. 2.6 million L of drinking water in total ／ 500 packs of fresh vegetables ／ ¥200,000 worth of flowers, and more.
Recipients: evacuation centers and others in Suzu, Wajima, Anamizu, Shika, Nanao, Nakanoto, and Noto Town.
Three Pillars
In 2026, to advance Oku-Noto’s recovery into a regional-revitalization phase, Kozue no Kai is pursuing three pillars.
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1：Generating the flow of people — Revitalizing Oku-Noto’s traditional houses
We acquire traditional houses (kominka) in Oku-Noto and revive them as stay-type guesthouses and share houses, generating a flow of people from within and beyond the region.
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2：Restoring food self-sufficiency — Reviving Oku-Noto’s fallow fields
We revive fallow rice fields to raise Oku-Noto’s food self-sufficiency.
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3：Toward World Heritage for the uplifted earthquake coast
We aim to lead the Sotoura coast, uplifted by the 2024 earthquake, toward World Heritage registration, nurturing it into an appealing tourism region.
International Aid (Raisin Donations)
“Circles of goodwill, spread through raisins.”
Centered on raisins, we provide a wide range of needed support — donations of goods and funds, event hosting, and more.
Since 2020, we have donated 10–20 tonnes of California raisins each year to roughly 600 locations in total.
Main recipients:
We have received many letters of appreciation from recipients. Donations continue today, and we welcome inquiries from organizations and facilities that would like to receive them.
We are also advancing an initiative that puts donated raisins to use as a processing ingredient. A portion of the proceeds from the resulting products goes toward delivery costs for food banks and children’s cafeterias, so that “food that would otherwise be discarded” circulates into “support for households in need.”
We are also looking for processing businesses and organizations to join this cycle.
Chairman: Yasuhiro Nakai
Yasuhiro Nakai
Chairman of NGO International Cooperation Support Group Kozue no Kai.
Based in Yokohama and Oku-Noto, he has built a record of cooperation with the police, the Self-Defense Forces, government agencies, foreign embassies, municipalities and facilities, overseas NGOs, and volunteer groups.
Married, father of eight (seven of whom serve in the Self-Defense Forces).
Contact
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