Ashinaga Foundation Transfers 'Rikuzentakata Rainbow House,' a Grief Care Base for Great East Japan Earthquake Orphans, to the City
The Ashinaga Foundation will transfer the Rikuzentakata Rainbow House to Rikuzentakata City free of charge on March 31, 2026, shifting to a new phase of continuous support.
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- 📰 Published: March 30, 2026 at 20:13
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The Ashinaga Foundation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Osamu Murata; hereinafter referred to as 'the Foundation'), which supports orphans and children with parents possessing disabilities, has decided to transfer 'Rikuzentakata Rainbow House,' one of its bases for grief care for orphans of the Great East Japan Earthquake, to Rikuzentakata City free of charge.
The transfer will be effective March 31, 2026, with a handover ceremony scheduled for late April.
### Past Activities of Rikuzentakata Rainbow House
The Foundation began on-the-ground activities immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake, confirming 2,083 disaster orphans. It started providing grief care in May 2011. In 2014, Rainbow Houses ('RH') were opened in three locations: Sendai, Ishinomaki, and Rikuzentakata, dedicating themselves to continuous support.
In Rikuzentakata City, a construction preparation office was established in August 2011. The Rikuzentakata RH was completed in June 2014 and has continued its activities to this day. The total number of visitors has reached 1,484 (including hosted programs outside the facility).
Most recently, a 'March 11 Opening Day' was held on March 11, 2026, with 14 disaster orphan families visiting. A disaster orphan who visited said, 'This is my second home,' and 'It was a place where I could be myself.' A guardian mentioned, 'It was the best place to belong for the children.'
### Background of the Transfer
The construction of the Sendai, Ishinomaki, and Rikuzentakata RH facilities was decided in March 2011. The construction fund received approximately 4.98 billion yen in donations from within Japan and abroad.
From the initial concept of the construction, it was planned and publicly announced that the facilities 'would be handed over to the community within about 10 years, considering the growth of the disaster orphans.' In a way, returning them to the local community is a promise made to the people who kindly donated to the construction fund.
Although it took longer than originally expected, the decision to transfer was made as negotiations with Rikuzentakata City were finalized, and the vast majority of disaster orphans have now reached adulthood. The transfer agreement was signed on March 17, 2026.
### Regarding Future Support for Great East Japan Earthquake Orphans
The disaster orphans who were fetuses at the time of the earthquake are still only in their second year of junior high school. Furthermore, voices seeking a 'place to belong' continue to arrive even from disaster orphans who have already reached adulthood.
Going forward, the Sendai RH will continue to operate as a hub for disaster orphan support (in addition to providing care for children who have lost parents to causes other than the earthquake).
The Ishinomaki RH is heading in the direction of being returned to the local community, similar to Rikuzentakata.
In Rikuzentakata, although the physical base will be gone, relationships with orphan families will be maintained in the future, and we will continue providing opportunities for interaction and other forms of support.
The transfer will be effective March 31, 2026, with a handover ceremony scheduled for late April.
### Past Activities of Rikuzentakata Rainbow House
The Foundation began on-the-ground activities immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake, confirming 2,083 disaster orphans. It started providing grief care in May 2011. In 2014, Rainbow Houses ('RH') were opened in three locations: Sendai, Ishinomaki, and Rikuzentakata, dedicating themselves to continuous support.
In Rikuzentakata City, a construction preparation office was established in August 2011. The Rikuzentakata RH was completed in June 2014 and has continued its activities to this day. The total number of visitors has reached 1,484 (including hosted programs outside the facility).
Most recently, a 'March 11 Opening Day' was held on March 11, 2026, with 14 disaster orphan families visiting. A disaster orphan who visited said, 'This is my second home,' and 'It was a place where I could be myself.' A guardian mentioned, 'It was the best place to belong for the children.'
### Background of the Transfer
The construction of the Sendai, Ishinomaki, and Rikuzentakata RH facilities was decided in March 2011. The construction fund received approximately 4.98 billion yen in donations from within Japan and abroad.
From the initial concept of the construction, it was planned and publicly announced that the facilities 'would be handed over to the community within about 10 years, considering the growth of the disaster orphans.' In a way, returning them to the local community is a promise made to the people who kindly donated to the construction fund.
Although it took longer than originally expected, the decision to transfer was made as negotiations with Rikuzentakata City were finalized, and the vast majority of disaster orphans have now reached adulthood. The transfer agreement was signed on March 17, 2026.
### Regarding Future Support for Great East Japan Earthquake Orphans
The disaster orphans who were fetuses at the time of the earthquake are still only in their second year of junior high school. Furthermore, voices seeking a 'place to belong' continue to arrive even from disaster orphans who have already reached adulthood.
Going forward, the Sendai RH will continue to operate as a hub for disaster orphan support (in addition to providing care for children who have lost parents to causes other than the earthquake).
The Ishinomaki RH is heading in the direction of being returned to the local community, similar to Rikuzentakata.
In Rikuzentakata, although the physical base will be gone, relationships with orphan families will be maintained in the future, and we will continue providing opportunities for interaction and other forms of support.