Philanthropist Yoshiomi Tamai dies at 90

Japan Times

16 hours ago

Yoshiomi Tamai, the founder and longtime president of the Ashinaga Foundation, which has supported over 110,000 orphaned students, died Saturday in Tokyo. He was 90 years old.
Tamai died from septic shock at 1:46 a.m. on Saturday at the Japanese Red Cross Medical Center in Shibuya Ward, according to the Ashinaga Foundation. His funeral will be held privately, in accordance with his family's wishes.
'He passed peacefully, surrounded by his family and colleagues from the foundation,' said Ashinaga spokesperson Hokuto Shimada. 'He looked calm, as if simply falling asleep.'
Born in 1935 in the city of Ikeda in Osaka Prefecture, Tamai began his life's work after his mother was killed in a traffic accident in 1964. His grief turned into activism as he began advocating for families of traffic accident victims and became the country's first 'traffic critic.'
Yoshiomi Tamai |
The Ashinaga Foundation
In 1969, he co-founded a scholarship foundation for children who had lost their parents as a result of traffic accidents. Recognizing the need to go beyond traffic-related tragedies, Tamai went on to establish the Ashinaga Foundation in 1993, expanding assistance to children who lost their parents to illness, suicide or natural disasters, assuming the role of its vice-chairman. He became its president in 1998.
The name of Tamai's charity, Ashinaga, comes from the Japanese translation of 'Daddy-Long-Legs,' a 1912 novel by American author Jean Webster. In the story, an orphaned girl is financially supported and sent to university by a tall stranger whom she sees only once. Inspired by this idea of invisible generosity, the foundation models its work on the principle of helping others without seeking recognition, relying on anonymous benefactors.
Over the decades, Ashinaga grew into one of Japan's most prominent nonprofit organizations, known for its scholarship programs and its grassroots fundraising model. The foundation's iconic bokin (fundraising) campaigns, in which student beneficiaries stand on city streets holding donation boxes and calling out to passersby, has become a familiar sight in urban areas, such as at train stations.
Through a combination of private donations and corporate support, Tamai led the foundation in raising more than ¥110 billion ($760 million). The funds have enabled over 110,000 orphaned students to attend high school and university.
Ashinaga's work also expanded internationally in 2014 with the launch of the Ashinaga Africa Initiative, a long-term education program that selects gifted students from 49 sub-Saharan African countries to study at universities in Japan and elsewhere, with the goal of shaping a generation of leaders equipped to contribute to their home countries' futures.
Tamai's contributions to helping orphaned students were also recognized globally. In 2012, he received the Global Fundraising Award for the organization's swift efforts following the Great East Japan Earthquake, and in 2015, he received the Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Medal for his human rights advocacy and efforts to break the cycle of poverty.
Tamai remained closely involved with students supported by the foundation, often referring to them as part of an extended family, with scholars and colleagues alike calling him 'Tama-chan.'
"When I first heard his story, I was extremely impressed by his dedication to helping children who had lost one or both parents have brighter futures,' said former Ashinaga intern Zuheily Quinones.
'It's incredibly difficult to stand on your own two feet, let alone pursue higher education, under such severe circumstances. I know he can now rest well knowing he made such a positive impact on thousands of lives through his activism."
The foundation said it would continue its mission in Tamai's spirit.
'All of us at Ashinaga are determined to carry on his vision and continue supporting children who have lost a parent,' the organization said in its official statement. 'We ask for your continued support.'