Thinking about the various social issues facing the world, “I want to know the world better!” The The theme of the 6th session is “Benefits of International Cooperation to Japan. With freelance announcer Yukari Nishio as moderator, we heard from Takahiro Tanisaka of Tokyo Metro’s International Business Department, Yasunari Kurino, Representative Director of Choifuru, Shoei Iriyama, Professor of Waseda University Graduate School, and Shunsuke Takahi, Deputy Director of JICA’s General Affairs Department.
Tokyo Metro is tagging along with JICA?
Mr. Nishio, what did you imagine when you heard the theme “Benefits of International Cooperation to Japan”?
Yukari Nishio (Nishio): The first thing that came to mind was the support we received from developing countries after the Great East Japan Earthquake. If you have a good relationship with them through international cooperation, they will extend a helping hand when something happens.
Yukari Nishio
Active as a freelance announcer and TV personality
Takahi: Actually, there are others: many of JICA’s projects are in partnership with Japanese local governments, universities, and private companies. In this issue, we would like to introduce our efforts with Tokyo Metro.
Nishio: Tokyo Metro with JICA? What kind of relationship does it have?
Takahiro Tanisaka, International Business Department, Tokyo Metro (hereinafter “Tanisaka”) Since 2013, we have been working with JICA in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, to support the establishment of an operating company for the opening of an urban railroad system and to ensure the safe operation of the subway system. In Ho Chi Minh City, we were involved in a similar project for the opening of Line 1, which was built with Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA). Both of these projects were made possible through the presence of JICA.
Takahiro Tanisaka
Manager, International Business Department, Tokyo Metro Co.
Shoei Iriyama, Professor of Waseda University Graduate School (hereinafter referred to as “Iriyama”) The greatest strength of Japanese railroads is their operational capability, and it is no exaggeration to say that the Tokyo Metro is number one in the world in this field. Only in Japan can a subway train come that frequently during rush hour and carry people safely with almost no delays.
Akie Iriyama
Professor at Waseda University Graduate School and Waseda Business School. Specialized in management strategy theory
Japan’s Railway Operating Capability to Relieve Traffic Congestion in Vietnam
Tanizaka: On the day of the opening of Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Line 1, there was a really great turnout, and I was deeply moved. Road congestion caused by motorcycle commuters had become a social problem, but residents along the line have developed the habit of leaving their motorcycles at the station and taking the train to the city center.
Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Line 1 (courtesy of Tokyo Metro) Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Line 1 on the day of its opening (courtesy of Tokyo Metro)
Nishio: How did JICA come to do business with Tokyo Metro?
Takahi: JICA has been cooperating with developing countries in the field of railroads since the 1970s, and has supported more than 40 countries to date. In Hanoi, the challenge was to establish an organization for maintenance and management, including safety, so we asked Tokyo Metro, Japan’s largest subway operator, to participate in the project.
Shunsuke Takahi
He joined JICA in 2001, and after serving in overseas offices in Africa and Southeast Asia, on secondment to the Ministry of Finance, and in the Headquarters Operations Department, he assumed his current position in April 2025.
Advancing into London with ODA Experience
Nishio: Will Tokyo Metro continue to expand its business overseas?
Tanizaka I have been involved in the operation of a line in London called Elizabeth Line since May 2025. Two of our current employees in London have experience providing assistance in Ho Chi Minh City. I don’t think I could have done it without my experience in JICA projects, such as understanding different cultures and difficult negotiations with the government.
Nishio: So your project with JICA has led you beyond that.
Iriyama: The power of the private sector is indispensable for infrastructure assistance to developing countries. However, the private sector cannot do it alone. It is a very large project, so JICA serves as a liaison with local governments and other organizations and provides support to private companies.
Overseas Cooperation Volunteers’ Power to Solve Japan’s Problems
Takahi: There are many people who have volunteered with the JICA Overseas Cooperation Volunteers who are giving back to Japan from their experiences. Today we have Mr. Yasunari Kurino of “Choifuru,” which supports children from needy families in Tokyo.
Nishio: Mr. Kurino, what kind of activities are you involved in?
With the vision of creating a society where children can have hope for their future regardless of the environment in which they were born and raised, we are developing three businesses: food support for families raising children who tend to be isolated, a children’s cafeteria using vacant houses, and “Tsunagi-Care,” in which social workers connect children with necessary support systems. Social workers connect families with the necessary support systems.
Taisei Kurino
Representative Director of Choy Furu General Incorporated Association; deployed to Ethiopia in 2014 with JICA Overseas Cooperation Volunteers and worked there for 2 years; established the same corporation in Adachi-ku, Tokyo in 2021.
Nishio: Was it your experience with the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers that triggered your activities?
Kurino: Directly, yes, but my own original childhood experience also had a big influence. When I was a sophomore in high school, my father went into debt and disappeared, and when I decided to apply for the tuition waiver program for newspaper delivery when I entered university, I was unable to choose the program because the application process was closed.
We want to eliminate the “choice gap” for children.
Nishio: It is said that one in nine children in Japan is living in poverty.
Iriyama: Income inequality is gradually widening, and this is an issue that needs to be addressed by the entire country, but first we need to support the children in front of us. This is where the concept of “selection disparity” is important.
Nishio: Selection disparity?
Iriyama: It is the number of choices. Children born in near-poor environments have few options. We need to close the gap that Mr. Kurino experienced.
Kurino: We chose the name “Choifuru” for our organization because we want to create a choice (choice) and full (plenty) society.
Choy Furu activities = courtesy of Mr. Yasunari Kurino
Nishio: What kind of activities do you do in Ethiopia?
Kurino: Since I had a teaching license for health and physical education, I was sent to the Sports Committee. I was involved in activities to convey the educational significance through sports, such as renting the National Stadium and holding sports events.
Sports Day held in Ethiopia（Courtesy of Mr. Yasunari Kurino)
Nishio: They all look really good, but it can actually be a lot of work, can’t it?
Kurino: It was a two-year activity, but in the first half of the year, my feelings were one-way and I really suffered. …… However, I changed my mind and started to visit schools on my own while listening to what local people wanted to do, and from there our activities started to take off.
Nishio: Are you also left to your own discretion in how you conduct your activities?
Iriyama: That is the charm of being a cooperative worker. I think it is a tremendous experience.
Kurino: It was a really great experience. We could not have rented the National Stadium by ourselves; thanks to JICA, the politicians were also mobilized and we were able to hold the field day.
Nishio That ties in with what you said earlier about the Tokyo Metro, which has the backing of JICA.
Takahi: This backing is also due to the achievements of the volunteers and business people who have been active in the field through JICA projects. The presence of each individual sweating alongside the people of developing countries has played a very important role in building trust between countries.
Supporting Experienced Enthusiasts After Returning Home
Nishio: Mr. Kurino, what kind of development do you have in mind for the future?
Kurino: In many cases, poverty is not only economic hardship, but also various issues such as developmental disabilities, truancy, bullying, foreign roots, LGBTQ+, etc. at the same time. I would like to create a one-stop consultation service, a kind of private-sector version of the Child and Family Center, and expand it throughout Japan.
Food aid provided by Choy Furufuru
Iriyama: People with cooperative experience are expected to solve social problems because of their awareness of problems and ability to break through.
Takahi: The purpose of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) program is to give back to society through volunteer experience, and JICA also runs the “BLUE” program to support former JOCV members in starting their own businesses in order to encourage them to contribute to solving Japan’s various problems.
Nishio: I thought that the activity ends after returning home, but it is wonderful that there are people who find the next challenge and move on.
Reverse innovation in the expanding field of research
Takahi: JICA also works with universities and research institutes to address global issues such as bioresources, disaster prevention, and infectious diseases.
Nishio: JICA is doing research that is useful beyond national borders? I did not know that.
Takahi: Since 2008, we have been implementing “SATREPS,” a program in which universities and research institutes in Japan and developing countries engage in international joint research and implement the results in society. Approximately 3,000 international co-authored papers and about 90 patents have been generated from this program, and young Japanese researchers have published high quality papers called “Top 1% Papers. New viral infections have been discovered, and the test kits developed have been utilized in Japan.
Iriyama That is amazing. I understand that the top 1% of papers that survive the rigorous screening process and are published in famous academic journals come out of JICA’s program. There is a concept in business administration called “reverse innovation. It is wonderful that JICA is connecting research institutions in both countries, and that the results are coming back to Japan.
Japan and Developing Countries, a Further Virtuous Circle
Takahi: I think you saw a different side of JICA today.
Nishio: Knowing that there are so many people in the world who are struggling to contribute to society and solve problems, I felt that I could look forward to a bright future for Japan.
Takahi: JICA will continue to work on new projects to solve problems in developing countries, and I hope to further create a virtuous cycle in which these projects become meaningful for Japan and the world.
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