About Us

About Us

The members of Non-Profit Organization Little Creators recognized and stood up to support the needy children (under 18 years old), especially those who have to live in foster homes, in Japan in 2006. There are over 30,000 children are living in the homes all over Japan because of neglect, domestic violence, poverty, parents' divorce and other reasons. Moreover, about 70,000 children are in unsatisfactory situation to grow up even if they live at their own home. To become even a small help for them, NPO Little Creators was founded in 2009.

We believe that arts can be one of the most important tools for them. Through arts, they learn how to express themselves, gain confidence and overcome any difficulties of their life in the future. We, therefore, have held many art workshops, organized concerts, provided chances for them to enjoy musicals and theaters.

Another element we think important is international relationship. Although Japan is an island country, nowadays we cannot live without knowing about oversea countries, cultures and people. So we have organized camps or concert tours into Asian countries, and international cultural exchange events in Japan.

All the children, despite disadvantaged backgrounds, should have the opportunity to learn arts and to obtain the wider view of their world. NPO Little Creators is a small and not so powerful organization, yet at least we can be on their side all their life.



OUR WORK

 NPO Little Creators operates art workshops through the year at some foster homes regularly: visual art workshops, music workshops, dance workshops and theater workshops. For some very talented yet needy children and young people, we offer a special experience such as an oversea home stay with art lessons.

Once a year, NPO Little Creators organizes a charity concert as a platform to showcase their talents. Young talents from all over Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and other Asian countries, not only children in need, get together, collaborate and share the stage. Without discrimination and language barrier, they realize that they are not alone in the world and that there are full of possibilities for them outside the world they are now. The proceeds of the concert are used to support needy children through art workshops and international cultural events. In addition, those who appeared the above-mentioned concert have a chance to perform at similar concerts in other Asian countries.

In the occasion of the Tokyo Olympic games, in 2020, we planned to invite children from 5 continents. This is certainly a chance for the Japanese children to learn how big the world is and how big they have to think of the world for the future. Unfortunately, we had to cancel it due to COVID-19; however, we launched a virtual concert in which musically talented children from Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Korea, Sri Lanka, Mexico and South Africa participated and raise the fund for the needy children in Asia.

The current aim of NPO Little Creators is to create the system to make the needy children and young people to be self-sustainable. In 2014, we opened the branch office in Singapore to run a café, Happy Pancakes Café, together with the RICE Limited, Singapore. As of 2019, the café is called Café One O, which is introducing Asian entrepreneurs in the food and beverage field. The proceeds of this café is, however, still go to the needy children in both Japan and Singapore for them to participate in exchange programs in both countries.

Eventually, we would like to have such a base in Tokyo, where all the beneficiaries can spend time when they want, and were they can rely on. We have been struggling for that for long, and this is a reason that we keep organizing the above-mentioned concert. Many beneficiaries come back to the concert as backstage hands and as audience, and they share with us their struggle, their needs and their dreams.

The only thing NPO Little Creators do and can do is to stand by needy children.

DATA (as of September 2020)

Number of Children

Reached out through art workshops: 1,916

Reached out through concerts: Performance 658 Visual art 98

Reached out through virtual concerts: Performance 100 Visual art 93

Invited from abroad*: 208

Invited to abroad*: 83+12(virtual)

*Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Korea, Sri Lanka, Mexico, South Africa

Related foster homes

Tokyo Metropolitan Shakuji Gakuen

Misono Kodomo-no-Ie

Futaba-en

HISTORY

Dec. 2006 Through the event for the 40th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and Singapore called "Spotlight Singapore in Tokyo", the current directors joined the cause of Business Times Budding Artists Fund in Singapore and started to seek what we can do for the needy children in our own society.
Apr. 2007 Establishing Budding Artists Fund Japan and setting up the web site "Kodomo Chikyu Channel" as its engine, which was given up about one year later
Jan. 2008 The 1st visual art workshop for children in public
Sept. 2008 The 1st visual art workshop at a foster home
Dec. 2008 The 1st International Children's Art Festival in Singapore
Apr. 2009 Changing the name of organization to NPO Little Creators
(authorized by Tokyo Metropolitan government on Oct.16 and by Legal Affairs Bureau on Nov.16)
Dec. 2009 The 2nd International Children's Art Festival in Singapore.
Jan. 2011 The 3rd International Children's Art Festival in Singapore
Oct. 2011 The 1st Theater Visit Program for Shakujii Gakuen foster home
Dec. 2011 Asami Wada (violinist, 13 years old) was invited to ChildAid in Singapore. The children from Shakujii Gakuen foster home also joined the concert via VTR.
Dec. 2012 Hidekazu Nakajima (pianist, 17 years old) was invited to ChildAid in Singapore.
Jan. 2013 ChildAid Asia 2013 at Ginza Blossom, Tokyo
May 2013 Hidekazu Nakajima and Yuji Suzuki (Tsugaru Shamisen performer, 17 years old) were invited to Child Aid Asia@KL, Malaysia.
July 2013 Asami Wada went to study English and music in Singapore for 40 days supported by NPO Little Creators and IYAE in Singapore.
Aug. 2013 The 2nd Theater Visit Program for Shakujii Gakuen foster home
Dec. 2013 Ryuhi Arai (pianist, 12 years old) was invited to ChildAid in Singapore.
Jan.2014 ChildAid Asia 2014 at Suntory Hall, Tokyo (GOH: H.I.H. Princess Akishino)
Mar. 2014 Establishing Little Creators Ltd. in Singapore
Apr. 2014 Visual Art Workshops at the Misono Kodomo-no-Ie foster home became a regular program. (The 3rd Sunday every month)
July 2014 The 3rd Theater Visit Program for Shakujii Gakuen foster home
Aug. 2014 Rei Nakajima (Shakuhachi performer, 18 years old), Momoko Yaguchi (vocalist, 16 years old), and Asuto Kitamura (pianist, 18 years old) were invited to Child Aid Asia@KL, Malaysia.
Nov. 2014 Opening Happy Pancakes Café at 10 Sq @ Orchard Central in Singapore co-owned and run by The RICE. Yuji Suzuki was invited to the opening reception. (GOH: H.E.Ambassador Mr & Mrs Haruhisa Takeuchi)
Dec. 2014 Asami Wada was once again invited to ChildAid in Singapore.
Jan. 2015 ChildAid Asia Incubation Programme ~ Friendship Concert 2015 at Iino Hall, Tokyo (GOH: H.I.H. Princess Akishino)
Apr. 2015 Alumni of Little Creators performed at Cherry Blossom Charity Ball at Hotel Okura, Tokyo. (GOH: T.I.H. Prince & Princess Hitachi)
June 2015 Alumni of Little Creators performed at a special diner at Singapore Embassy, Tokyo. (GOH: T.I.H. Prince & Princess Hitachi)
Aug. 2015 Mayu Azuma (vocalist, 12 years old), Asami Wada and Asuto Kitamura were invited to ChildAid Asia@KL, Malaysia. Yuji Suzuki and Rei Nakajima joined as volunteer backstage hands.
Oct. 2015 The 4th Theater Visit Program for Shakujii Gakuen and Futabaen foster homes
Mrs Chin, the wife of Singapore Ambassador, organized the fund raising concert at the Singapore Embassy, Tokyo.
Dec. 2015 Kanon Honda (flutist, 12 years old) was invited to ChildAid in Singapore.
Jan. 2016 ChildAid Asia 2016 at Suntory Hall, Tokyo (GOH: H.I.H. Princess Akishino)
Symposium "Future Ready Asia" at International Forum, Tokyo
Apr. 2016 Alumni of Little Creators performed at Asia-Pacific Festival & Charity Bazaar at ANA Intercontinental Hotel, Tokyo.
May 2016 Momoko Yaguchi was invited to Japan Night - Side Event of Asian Festival of Children's Contents Conference, Singapore.
July 2017 Asami Wada went to Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore for 4 years by support and guidance of Little Creators.
Shuei Ito (clarinetist, 13 years old) and Emiko Suzuki (vocalist, 17 years old) were invited to ChildAid Asia@KL, Malaysia, but due to the series of terroristic events in Malaysia, the trip was canceled.
Asuto Kitamura and Kanon Honda were invited to ChildAid Asia@Jakarta, Indonesia. Emili Samejima, one of the alumni of Little Creators participated as an attendant.
Sept. 2017 The 5th Theater Visit Program for Shakujii Gakuen
Nov. 2017 Yuka Kato (pianist, 14 years old) was invited to ChildAid in Singapore.
Attending "ChildAid Asia Symposium: Friendship without Borders"
Mar. 2017 ChildAid Asia Incubation Programme ~ Friendship Concert 2017 at Ushigome Tansu City Hall, Tokyo
June 2017 Alumni of Little Creators performed at the farewell party of Singapore Embassy for H.E.Ambassador Mr & Mrs Chin.
Aug. 2017 Making a presentation "Fostering Strengths for Living" on visual art workshops at Misono Kodomo-no-Ie. Yuna Nakayama, one of the alumni of Little Creators participated as an attendant.
Shuei Ito (clarinetist, 14 years old) and Hitomi Fujita (vocalist, 13 years old) were invited to ChildAid Asia@KL, Malysia. Emili Samejima, one of the alumni of Little Creators participated as an attendant.
Sept. 2017 Kiho Shinomiya (pianist, 14 years old) was invited to ChildAid Asia@Jakarta, Indonesia.
Nov. 2017 Cerebrating the 3rd Anniversary of Happy Pancakes Café in Singapore
Dec. 2017 The 6th Theater Visit Program for Shakujii Gakuen
Feb. 2018 Alumni of Little Creators performed at Singapore Tourism Board & JTB's cerebration on "Singapore Destination Campaign".
May 2018 ChildAid Asia 2018 at Suntory Hall, Tokyo (GOH: H.I.H. Princess Akishino)
July 2018 Alumni of Little Creators performed at Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Welcome Reception of Indonesia High School Students.
Youth from Futabaen and Kanon Nishimura (tuba player, 17 years old) participated in "International Friendship Youth Camp" in Singapore.
Shuto Chiba (Taiko drummer) and Juri Yamamoto (pianist, 15 years old) were invited to Imagine Asia concert in Singapore.
Aug. 2018 Myua Horiuchi (Flutist, 8 years old) and Kazutomo Harada (cellist, 15 years old) were invited to ChildAid Asia@KL.
Oct. 2018 Little Creators participated in Misono Kodomo Matsuri (festival at one of the foster homes) giving a visual art workshop.
Jan. 2019 Little Creators received "Nippon Foundation Club Award" from The Soroptimist Japan Foundation Tokyo Shinjuku.
Feb. 2019 Little Creators co-organized a study tour on social businesses to Singapore with the Japan Association for the Advancement of an Inclusive Society.
Mar. 2019 The 7th Theater Visit Program for Misono Kodomo-no-Ie.
May 2019 Introduction of Little Creators' activities at the 1st National Meeting of he Japan Association for the Advancement of an Inclusive Society.
July 2019 Maasa Uchida (Electone player, 17 years old) were invited to Imagine Asia Concert in Singapore.
Aug. 2019 Reina Ishihara (Flutist, 21 years old) and Sonoko Yamamura (Clarinetist, 20 years old) were invited to ChildAid Asia@KL.
Alumni (Asuto Kitamura, Kanon Honda) performed at "Asa Cla" in front of the Suntory Hall, Tokyo.
As the Little Creators' 10th Aniversary event, Alumni recorded the theme song "Bridge across the Sea". English parts were done by CHIJ Kellock Choir in Singapore.
Sept. 2019 Creating the wall painting with children from Misono Kodomo-no-Ie.
Oct. 2019 Little Creators purchased digital cameras for workshops at foster homes with the fund by Daido Life Welfare Foundation.
Alumni (Saki Shinomiya, Kiho Shinomiya, Shuei Ito, Myua Horiuchi, Momoko Yaguchi, Hitomi Fujita) participated in "Chillin' Vibes 2019" in Osaka.
Little Creators participated in Misono Kodomo Matsuri (festival at one of the foster homes) giving a visual art workshop.
Jan. 2020 Shuei Ito (Clarinetist, 16 years old) was invited to ChildAid Asia@ Indonesia.
May 2020 ChildAid International 2020 was planed on May 5 at the Suntory Hall, Tokyo; however, due to COVID-19, it was canceled. Instead, ChildAid International 2020-Virtual was launched on May 9 at YouTube to raise fund to provide IT environment for children in foster homes.
July 2020 Mayu Azuma, Anna Kawada, Saori Osumi, Mio Negishi, Yurina Fukagawa, Yukiko Okabe, Rio Shindo, Sakurako Kitagawa, Himari Taguchi, Kotoko Tokikuni, Nami Oike (chorus) were invited to perform for ChildAid - Virtually Yours in Singapore.
August 2020 Hikaru Morita (Oboist, 15 years old) was invited to perform for ChildAid Asia@KL Virtual Concert.