Walking Together for Children and Families
- 19 hours ago
- 2 min read
Tokyo Yamathon 2025 Interview with the Japan Children’s Hospice Association
Tokyo Yamathon is more than a physical challenge—it is a place where people connect around causes that matter. During Tokyo Yamathon 2025, the Japan Children’s Hospice Association joined the event to raise awareness of children’s hospice care and to strengthen collaboration among organizations supporting children and families facing life-limiting conditions.
We spoke with the Japan Children’s Hospice Association about what Yamathon 2025 meant to their work and how participant support continues to make a difference.
Q: What did being part of Tokyo Yamathon 2025 mean for your organization?
“Being part of Tokyo Yamathon 2025 meant a great deal to our organization. It provided valuable opportunities to connect with children’s hospice projects (NPOs) from across the country. Working in collaboration to create the PR videos also helped strengthen these connections. The event also gives us tremendous motivation to continue our work. Seeing participants visit our booth and take the time to write heartfelt messages for the children and their families is incredibly moving. Their kindness and encouragement remind us why our mission matters.”
Q: How does support from events like Yamathon help advance your mission?
“The Japan Children’s Hospice Association works to raise awareness of children’s hospices and to support NPOs in establishing new facilities. Events like the Tokyo Yamathon help us reach people we would not normally have the opportunity to connect with. The donations we receive through the event provide essential resources that enable us to continue our advocacy, conduct training seminars, and strengthen support for children and families facing life-limiting conditions.”
Q: Was there a moment or aspect of Yamathon 2025 that stood out to you?
“This year, several families who had lost their children took part in the event. Many of them shared that participating made them feel as though they were doing something meaningful in honor of their children. For some, simply walking seemed to offer a form of bereavement care. Being able to connect with these families is also an important and deeply meaningful aspect of the Yamathon for us.”
Q: How do partnerships like this contribute to your long-term impact?
“This February, we will be hosting a symposium in Aichi Prefecture. We believe that Aichi has a strong potential to be the next region where a children’s hospice can be established, and we hope the symposium will help accelerate local efforts. Partnerships like this enable us to provide concrete support to organizations that are in a position to move toward establishing new hospices. Being able to offer this kind of targeted assistance creates a significant long-term impact and brings us closer to expanding children’s hospice care across Japan.”
Q: Is there anything you’d like participants or fundraisers to know about the difference their support makes?
“All mentioned above.”
Learn More About the Japan Children’s Hospice Association
The Japan Children’s Hospice Association works to raise awareness of children’s hospice care across Japan and to support nonprofit organizations working to establish and sustain hospice facilities for children and their families.
To learn more about their mission, advocacy efforts, and upcoming initiatives—including regional symposiums—visit the Japan Children’s Hospice Association website and follow their work directly.