One in Ten Truant Children Trusts 'Local People': Survey in Mine City, Yamaguchi Reveals the Reality of Community Support. Truancy Support Provider Kizuki Donates to Give Back to the Frontlines.
A survey of children prone to truancy in Mine City revealed that 10% trust 'local people'. In response, Kizuki Inc. donated 3 million yen to the city to directly support learning initiatives at a public cram school.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 7, 2026 at 20:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 7, 2026 at 11:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 20, 2026 at 22:15 (322h 44m after Collected)
A fact-finding survey conducted targeting children prone to truancy in Mine City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, has revealed that 1 in 10 (10%) cite 'local people' as a reliable person to consult with.
This reality, where not only schools and families but also local residents function as a safety net, numerically proves the 'hidden strength of community mutual support' unique to Mine City, at a time when the isolation of truant children is worsening nationwide.
Kizuki Inc. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Yusuke Yasuda), which operates with the vision of 'creating a society where you can start over as many times as you want,' providing re-learning support at 'Kizuki Kyoikujuku,' career rebuilding support at 'Kizuki Business College,' and learning support for financially struggling households in cooperation with local governments, decided not to just leave this result in a report. As a means to give back directly to the frontlines of support, they donated 3 million yen to Mine City's 'Town, People, and Job Creation Promotion Project' as a corporate hometown tax donation.
## ■ The Numbers Shown by the Survey—Mine City's 'Unusual Strength'
Generally, children prone to truancy find it difficult to have someone to consult outside of school and family. The longer the isolation, the further the path to returning to society. This trend is serious nationwide.
However, in this survey, 10% of the children in Mine City named 'local people' as someone they can rely on. This number means that the network born from the community ties and human connections that Mine City has cultivated over many years is actually functioning as an 'invisible support infrastructure' that catches children's difficulties.
'It is truly amazing even looking at the data that the teachers and local people of Mine are supporting the children. I want to turn this warmth into a system that can be delivered to even more children' (Yusuke Yasuda, Representative of Kizuki Inc.)
## ■ Not Just 'Survey and Done', but Giving Back to the Frontlines Through Donation
In fiscal 2025, Kizuki was commissioned by Mine City to conduct a fact-finding survey on truancy. They made the decision not only to deliver the survey results in the form of policy recommendations but also to contribute their own funds as a donation, giving back directly to the frontlines of support.
The donation will be allocated to learning support at 'mineto,' a public cram school operated by the city, and the creation of safe places for children.
Representative Yasuda attended the presentation ceremony held at the Mine City Hall on March 13, 2026, and had a dialogue with Mayor Yoji Shinoda. They frankly exchanged words about the 'limits and possibilities' of both the government and the private sector.
## ■ Words from the Mayor and the Representative
Yoji Shinoda, Mayor of Mine City:
'Because the public sector places heavy emphasis on fairness, there are situations where it is difficult to take support a step further. By collaborating with the private sector, like Kizuki, which has specialized knowledge and enthusiasm, I want to further expand the possibilities for children.'
Yusuke Yasuda, Representative of Kizuki Inc.:
'We do not tackle issues that someone else can solve. We want to apply our know-how to the deep-rooted issues that everyone shies away from but are essential to society. Together with Mine City, I want to create a cycle where anyone can relearn and become a supporter of society again.'
## ■ Solving Issues Difficult for Local Governments Alone Through Private Sector Accompaniment
The structure shown by this initiative is clear. 'Visualizing the reality through a survey -> Identifying issues based on data -> Private sector...'
This reality, where not only schools and families but also local residents function as a safety net, numerically proves the 'hidden strength of community mutual support' unique to Mine City, at a time when the isolation of truant children is worsening nationwide.
Kizuki Inc. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Yusuke Yasuda), which operates with the vision of 'creating a society where you can start over as many times as you want,' providing re-learning support at 'Kizuki Kyoikujuku,' career rebuilding support at 'Kizuki Business College,' and learning support for financially struggling households in cooperation with local governments, decided not to just leave this result in a report. As a means to give back directly to the frontlines of support, they donated 3 million yen to Mine City's 'Town, People, and Job Creation Promotion Project' as a corporate hometown tax donation.
## ■ The Numbers Shown by the Survey—Mine City's 'Unusual Strength'
Generally, children prone to truancy find it difficult to have someone to consult outside of school and family. The longer the isolation, the further the path to returning to society. This trend is serious nationwide.
However, in this survey, 10% of the children in Mine City named 'local people' as someone they can rely on. This number means that the network born from the community ties and human connections that Mine City has cultivated over many years is actually functioning as an 'invisible support infrastructure' that catches children's difficulties.
'It is truly amazing even looking at the data that the teachers and local people of Mine are supporting the children. I want to turn this warmth into a system that can be delivered to even more children' (Yusuke Yasuda, Representative of Kizuki Inc.)
## ■ Not Just 'Survey and Done', but Giving Back to the Frontlines Through Donation
In fiscal 2025, Kizuki was commissioned by Mine City to conduct a fact-finding survey on truancy. They made the decision not only to deliver the survey results in the form of policy recommendations but also to contribute their own funds as a donation, giving back directly to the frontlines of support.
The donation will be allocated to learning support at 'mineto,' a public cram school operated by the city, and the creation of safe places for children.
Representative Yasuda attended the presentation ceremony held at the Mine City Hall on March 13, 2026, and had a dialogue with Mayor Yoji Shinoda. They frankly exchanged words about the 'limits and possibilities' of both the government and the private sector.
## ■ Words from the Mayor and the Representative
Yoji Shinoda, Mayor of Mine City:
'Because the public sector places heavy emphasis on fairness, there are situations where it is difficult to take support a step further. By collaborating with the private sector, like Kizuki, which has specialized knowledge and enthusiasm, I want to further expand the possibilities for children.'
Yusuke Yasuda, Representative of Kizuki Inc.:
'We do not tackle issues that someone else can solve. We want to apply our know-how to the deep-rooted issues that everyone shies away from but are essential to society. Together with Mine City, I want to create a cycle where anyone can relearn and become a supporter of society again.'
## ■ Solving Issues Difficult for Local Governments Alone Through Private Sector Accompaniment
The structure shown by this initiative is clear. 'Visualizing the reality through a survey -> Identifying issues based on data -> Private sector...'