About
Us
Who We Are
Youth For Future is a non-profit organization that was founded by Emre Caglar in 2021 as a high school project, now registered as an official NPO since 2025. Our management members and volunteers are primarily made up of university students across Japan from various ages and passions.
Our History
2021 - Founding Year as a High School Project
Youth For Future (YFF) was founded in 2021 as a youth-led organization. In its early stages, our primary objective was to connect service clubs across international schools in Japan, raising awareness and taking action on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
2023 - Focus on Education in Developing Regions
As the organization grew, the leadership team recognized the need for a clearer and more focused mission. Attempting to address all 17 SDGs proved too broad and diluted our impact. After extensive planning sessions and increased involvement from university students, YFF transitioned in late 2023 into a nonprofit organization with a more defined focus: improving the quality of education in both developing and developed countries.
Through initiatives such as donating school stationery to public primary schools in Kenya, we quickly realized that creating sustainable impact internationally required significant financial resources. This prompted us to reassess where we could create the most meaningful and long-term change.
2024 - Enrichment Programs for Children's Homes in Japan
We therefore made the strategic decision to focus on children in Japan, leveraging our passionate and capable team. Recognizing that children living in care homes (orphanages) are a largely underrepresented group in Japan, we committed to becoming both a voice and a source of strength for them.
Beginning with curriculum design and piloting our programs in partnership with YouMeWeNPO at a care home in Tokyo, YFF has since expanded its reach. Today, NPO Youth For Future delivers programs across multiple care homes in the Tokyo–Kanto region.
Our initiatives include:
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Weekly project-based learning sessions through care home visits
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Adventure-based learning through camps
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Special experiential and leadership programs
2025 - Official registration as a NPO法人
Youth For Future was officially registered as a Non-Profit Organization (NPO法人) under the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. This milestone represents a significant step forward in strengthening our credibility, expanding our impact, and deepening our recognition across Japan.
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Message from Founder
Emre Caglar│Founder and Executive Director of Youth For Future
Japan is one of the most developed nations globally. However, attending the One Young World summit, sponsored by One Young World Japan, highlighted for me the duality of Japan’s progress: while Japan is ahead in many respects, it also faces significant challenges.
Japan is home to over 600 care homes, with more than 23,000 children. Tragically, many of these children end up in care due to experiences of violence, with over 200,000 cases of child abuse reported last year alone. Despite the declining population of children under 18 in Japan.
At NPO Youth For Future, our mission is to empower children in orphanages to realize their fullest potential. While their basic needs are met within care homes, we asked ourselves a deeper question: How can we ensure these children are prepared for independence once they turn 18 and must leave?
Through consultations with care workers, educators, and various other stakeholders, we found that many of these children have limited opportunities for new experiences and growth. This restricts their ability to develop essential life skills necessary to become successful, independent adults at the age of 18.
Thus, we identified five core life skills that we believe not only these children need, but that everyone needs: social, self-management, thinking, emotional, and inquiry skills. To address this, alongside promoting our core focus on self-discovery and independence, we created the Global Identity Program (GIP), which uses project-based and adventure-based learning to cultivate these five core life skills among children in care homes.
Our goal is clear: to help children in care homes discover their identity, build resilience, and step into adulthood with the confidence to pursue the life and career they truly want.
Meet the Board of Directors
Arika Okubo
Director, Head of Spring and Summer Camp & Kodomo-shokudo Project
Hear From Some of Our Volunteers
Mei Kanada│Volunteer for 1+ Year
I started my journey with YFF by joining the curriculum development team but soon became curious as to how the lessons operate in person. Once I began volunteering, it helped me gain a better understanding of the students that we design our curriculum for. I look forward to volunteering at the orphanage every week. I think it’s truly an irreplaceable experience that allows volunteers to not only teach students skills like global citizenship and digital literacy, but volunteers also get to learn alongside the students, forming genuine connections in diverse environments.
As a volunteer and curriculum designer, I strive to foster an environment where mistakes are embraced as part of the learning process and pivoting is encouraged. These students have so much passion and curiosity; it’s truly a joy to see them grow throughout the lessons.
Ryuta Wijers│Volunteer for 2+ Year
I believe that Youth For Future provides the children with experiences and opportunities that they wouldn’t ordinarily be exposed to. I believe Youth For Future’s impact goes past just international exposure, however. It is wonderful to see the kids growing comfortable opening up to people from different cultures and ethnicities. I believe the close bond we are able to create with the kids is a testament to our work.
Departments and Teams
Global Identity Program
The Global Identity Program is at the core of Youth For Future, driving curriculum development, coordinating with children’s homes, and organizing engaging camps and fundays.
Curriculum Development Team
Ayse Bayram - Project Coordinator
Megumi Wurz - Project Coordinator
Emi Tanimoto - Project Coordinator
Mei Kanada - Project Coordinator
Fun Day Organization Team
Miyu Sugiyama - Project Manager
Reach Out Team
Kaoru Takashima - Project Manager
Spring and Summer Camp Team
Sarah Mastunaga - Project Coordinator
Shiho Iwasaki - Project Coordinator
Minseo Lee - Project Coordinator
Public Relations and Government Affairs
The Department of Public Relations and Government Affairs plays a crucial role expanding our reach and developing strong support towards our action.
Social Media Team
Maya Morikuni - Project Coordinator
Shiho Iwasaki - Project Coordinator
Miho Kim - Project Coordinator
Toru Hiiragi - Photographer and Videographer
Sponsorship and Fundraising Team
Hirokatsu Tao - Project Manager
Aina Hayakawa - Senior Project Coordinator
Hiro Hobson - Project Coordinator
Koichiro Komoto - Project Coordinator
Government Affairs Team
Soo Ho - Project Coordinator
Taiju Ishimi - Project Coordinator
Website Development Team
Yui Nogami - Project Manager
Human Resource and Communications
The Department of Human Resource and Communications plays a crucial role as the backbone of the organization through building and fostering a passionate YFF community.
External and Internal Human Resource Team
Enoch Cohen - Project Coordinator
Ethan Lee - Project Coordinator
Event Team
Hiro Hobson - Event Manager