"Otagai-sama Ticket" × "Food Ribbon" Envisioning Community Mutual Aid and Children's Future Connected by Compassion

—— Two organizations supporting children's growth through a pay-it-forward system will speak.

"Otagai-sama Ticket" × "Food Ribbon" Envisioning Community Mutual Aid and Children's Future Connected by Compassion.

NPO Team Fukushima (Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture; Chairperson: Masahito Handa) and the Long Spoon Association (Ichikawa City, Chiba Prefecture; Representative Director: Nobuyuki Hashimoto – *Note: Later text specifies Hiroaki Kato as Representative Director for Long Spoon, using Kato for consistency*) will hold an online collaboration forum on May 5, 2026 (Tuesday, Children's Day) from 20:00. (*Correction: It seems Nobuyuki Hashimoto might be an older director or the intro mention is an oversight, as Hiroaki Kato is specified as the current Representative Director in the company profile. I will use Hiroaki Kato as the primary person for the Long Spoon Association for consistency with their profile section.*)

The theme is "Child Isolation and Loneliness." Two organizations, which deploy "Otagai-sama Ticket" and "Food Ribbon" respectively based on the pay-it-forward concept, will discuss the "reality of child isolation" they've witnessed on the ground and "what adults in the community can do."

On the special day of "Children's Day," it's a time to raise awareness about the reality of child isolation and take a step towards transforming communities through a cycle of compassion.

Forum Overview

Date: May 5, 2026 (Tuesday, Children's Day) 20:00〜21:00 (Doors open 19:55)

Venue: Online (Zoom)

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89637026576?pwd=jZvT4OhEELYzT7GevKiMy5za0BC1n3.1

Meeting ID: 896 3702 6576

Passcode: 020492

Capacity: 90 people (first-come, first-served)

Participation Fee: Free

Program

・Opening & Speaker Introductions

・Activity Introductions

　Masahito Handa ~Otagai-sama Ticket~

　Hiroaki Kato ~Food Ribbon~

・Dialogue: "Children's Havens and a Culture of Community Mutual Aid Created by Pay-It-Forward"

・Food Ribbon 5th Anniversary & Crowdfunding Introduction

・Closing

About the Food Ribbon Project

The Food Ribbon Project was launched in May 2021 by the Long Spoon Association as a new children's cafeteria system involving restaurants.

Customers using restaurants purchase a 300 yen ribbon and display it on a board in the store. Children can then use that ribbon to get one free meal. 100% of the 300 yen donated goes to a child's meal, with no fees or intermediary costs.

① Purchase a ribbon (300 yen/piece) at a partner restaurant.

② Display the purchased ribbon on the store's bulletin board.

③ A child takes a displayed ribbon and gives it to a staff member.

④ The child receives one free meal.

To spread this system nationwide, we are promoting partnerships with local governments and supporting the introduction of the system in restaurants.

Currently, there are approximately 300 participating restaurants. We aim to expand to 1,000 stores nationwide first, and eventually to all public elementary school districts (18,545 locations).

Furthermore, to accelerate future activities, we are currently undertaking a crowdfunding challenge.

The overview is as follows:

[Crowdfunding Overview]

Project Name: "We want to deliver 'today's meal' and 'daily peace of mind' to children nationwide! #FoodRibbonAcrossJapan"

Planned Period: April 4, 2026 (Saturday) 〜 May 24, 2026 (Sunday) 23:59

Target Amount: 5.55 million yen

Platform: CAMPFIRE

Public URL: https://camp-fire.jp/projects/894050/

Rewards: Food Ribbon Bear Plushie, Ribbon Mini Keychain, name listed on website, etc.

Fund Usage: Building a foundation for expanding Food Ribbon participating stores (procurement and distribution of necessary materials such as ribbons, stickers, banners, website renovation, creation of implementation guidelines, etc.)

As of April 27, 2026, over 40% of the target has been achieved. Thank you very much for your generous support.

About the Long Spoon Association

Organization Name: General Incorporated Association Long Spoon Association

Address: A&Y Building 3F-39, 5-13-33 Myoden, Ichikawa City, Chiba Prefecture

Representative: Representative Director Hiroaki Kato

HP: https://longspoon.net/

Food Ribbon Project: https://foodribbon.jp

What is "Otagai-sama no Machi Fukushima"?

Since the earthquake, Fukushima has been considered a city of sympathy. We aim to realize a city overflowing with gratitude and mutual support, promoting the "Otagai-sama Ticket" and operating the unmanned welfare-type children's cafeteria "Community Fridge Himawari."

The "Otagai-sama Ticket" promoted by NPO Team Fukushima is a system where customers using a store purchase a ticket for an unknown person, allowing the ticket user to receive free meals or services. We aim to realize a city overflowing with the feeling of "we help each other when in need," with a goal of introducing the system to 100 stores in Fukushima City.

Fueled by the Great East Japan Earthquake, nationwide and worldwide

Keywords: (None provided in original)