About Us

Since its establishment in 1886, Kyofukai has endeavored to fulfill its goals of both protecting women’s and children’s human rights and contributing to an improvement of their welfare based on the Christian Spirit.

In 2012, hoping to get as many people as possible to participate, Kyofukai and its members have organized lectures and study groups, which are part of Kyofukai’s works for the women’s human rights protection, dealing with such topics as sexual violence and sexual exploitation.

Also we have arranged and taken part in Study Tours for on-site experience and have tackled such issues as achieving peace without using force and abandoning nuclear power.
Furthermore, Kyofukai has been working on the promotion of alcohol and tobacco counselling and has been managing its shelters for women and children who have to face violence and economic difficulties.

Through our protection work for women’s human rights, we continue to provide an opportunity and a place for many people to gather in order for them to think and act. We are working toward the realization of a society valuing people as individuals. At the same time, through our welfare programs for women, we are supporting women and children who are left out of the legislative system and the social structure.

Kyofukai became a Public Interest Incorporated Foundation on April 1st, 2012.
We would greatly appreciate if you could extend us the same warm support as you have given us over the years.

From Its Founding to the Present Day

An American temperance activist gave a lecture in Japan in 1886. Then the incident touched off the start of Christian women’s activism in Tokyo. At that time in Japanese society, in addition to the necessity of the promotion of temperance, there were also great necessity of supporting monogamy and the abolition of the public prostitution system. Therefore, we decided to name our organization “Tokyo Woman’s Christian Temperance Union”, which literally means the organization that reform morals. After its establishment in Tokyo, organizing regional branch organizations, Kyofukai became an active nationwide organization in 1893. Kyofukai was an Incorporated Foundation from 1923 to 2012 and has become a Public Interest Incorporated Foundation since 2012.

Even though we have always been an organization that advocates peace, we failed to stop the Pacific War. Reflecting on the failure, we have contributed to the peace movement and also have been working toward the realization of a society valuing people as individuals ever since the end of the war. On the other hand, our women’s welfare project, the women’s shelter management, is another highlight of Kyofukai’s activity.

The Laws that Kyofukai Committed to Enact

• -1898 The Prohibition of Bigamy was applied for the Civil Code
• -1900 The Act on Prohibition of Smoking by Minors passed the Diet
• -1922 The Minor Drinking Prohibition Act passed the Diet
• -1947 The Women’s Suffrage was acquired and the Constitution of Japan was enforced
• -1956 The Anti-Prostitution Act passed the Diet
• -1999 The Act on Punishment of Activities Relating to Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, and the Protection of Children passed the Diet
• -2001 The Act on the Prevention of Spousal Violence and the Protection of Victims passed the Diet