CURRENT REALITY
The current state of society we must confront (the situation of people with severe disabilities).
２２,０００
Number of people
Number of people waiting at facilities nationwide (total number of days) *Based on NHK survey in July 2024
Over 7,700 people
People who are forced to enter facilities outside the prefecture.
More than 1,200 people
A desperate plea for a place to belong.
Currently, there is a severe shortage of facilities that can accommodate people with severe disabilities living in their communities. Many are forced to enter facilities outside the prefecture, or have to stay for years at short-term respite care facilities that serve as emergency shelters.
There are users, their families, and supporters who face this reality every day and are desperately trying to support their lives.
The Yotsuba Group aims to build a future beyond mere support, based on this noble endeavor.
A society where each individual’s unique personality can live in a place that suits them, and where it is naturally nurtured in their daily lives.
We have encapsulated this future in the phrase, “Beyond Welfare.”
Our Mission: Creating a New Community – A Society where everyone can shine in their own place –
A new form of society beyond support
In the field of social welfare, daily activities that support people’s lives are built up over time. Eating, sleeping, feeling safe, interacting with others—each of these is a vital foundation for people to live in their communities. What Yotsuba is looking at is the potential that lies beyond that support. Although there is a relationship between the supporter and the supported, the relationship is not one-way. People are supported by others, and at the same time, they become an indispensable presence for others.
We want to cherish this cycle.
The ideal company to create a new society
What Yotsuba aims to do is not be a company that tries to fit people into the same mold. Instead of dividing people into those who “can” and those who “cannot,” we look at each person’s strengths, experiences, limitations, and sensibilities. Then, we break down work and increase the places in their lives and businesses where their individuality can thrive.
For young people, we offer a path to approach management while learning on the job. For those with experience, we offer a path to pass on their wisdom to the next generation.
We are still on our journey. That is why we are transforming this company itself into a place where individuality can flourish.
Yotsuba Economic Zone
Yotsuba Economic Zone – A system where support expands the future.
The more places people can live, the clearer their needs become. We transform those needs into new jobs, cultivate on-the-ground knowledge and people, and connect them to the next level of support. Through this cycle, Yotsuba steadily increases the number of “positions for individuality.”
Concrete Challenges for the Future 01
Food-growing businesses
Vegetables and other ingredients support our daily meals. Yotsuba aims to create a food supply chain by growing some of these ingredients ourselves in the future.
We divide the process from cultivation and harvesting to sorting and shipping into various tasks, connecting each individual to a position where they can utilize their skills.
Concrete Challenges for the Future 02
A business that delivers the food we grow to people’s daily lives.
We don’t want daily meals to be just a matter of providing them.
We’re transforming the process—from procurement, cooking, and delivery to staff meals and community provision—into a system that supports people’s lives and employment.
Concrete Challenges for the Future 03
A business that brings individuality to society.
We don’t want the sensibilities that arise in daily life to end within the confines of support services.
We give them form as expression and work, connect them with the community and businesses, and create a cycle in which the individual gains pride and a sense of accomplishment.
Concrete Challenges for the Future 04
A business that welcomes colleagues from around the world and grows together.
We don’t simply accept outsiders as workers.
We provide them with housing, Japanese language training, welfare education, and on-the-job training, welcoming them as partners who will help create a supportive culture together.
Concrete Challenges for the Future 05
Businesses that develop management talent
Our role at Yotsuba is not simply to provide support on the ground.
We aim to cultivate the next generation of leaders—those who understand the field, develop people, drive improvements, and create businesses.
Concrete Challenges for the Future 06
A business that builds a DX/AI platform to connect the field and headquarters.
Yasuaki Mizugai, Representative Director, Yachiyo Yotsuba Holdings Co., Ltd.
Message from the Representative
To create “that person’s place.”
Having worked in the field of social welfare, there’s something I’ve always thought about. Supporting those who are unable to do things themselves is a crucial foundation of social welfare. But beyond that, I think we need to take it one step further. I believe we can create a space where each individual can showcase their strengths, be relied upon by others, and shine.
In 2018, I started Yotsuba based on that idea. When one person’s passion becomes their work, and another person’s talents become a source of support for someone else, people begin to shine with incredible vitality when they are in a position where their individuality can flourish. I truly believe that this cycle can be created within the realm of social welfare.
Welfare cannot survive on kindness alone. It must be needed by society, be a viable business, and allow its employees to take pride in their work. Only when all three of these are present can individuality truly flourish.
Our challenge has only just begun. Your place is within this cycle.
We still don’t have enough individual talent.
That’s why we want you to come.
By increasing the number of places to live, transforming daily needs into work, cultivating on-the-ground knowledge and personnel, and connecting them to the next level of support,the Yotsuba environment is just beginning to function. Your place is within this cycle.
Your individuality can empower others and give them a place in the world.
Yotsuba’s Challenge | Beyond Welfare
