Kokubunji City Council for Social Welfare Presents Certificate of Appreciation for Continuous Food Support to Households in Need [Tokyo]

On Sunday, June 7, the Fuchu Center of Consumer Co-operative Pal System Tokyo (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Chairperson: Yoko Nishimura) received a certificate of appreciation at the "13th Fukushi no Tsudoi" (Welfare Gathering) hosted by the Kokubunji City Council for Social Welfare (Kokubunji City; Chairperson: Atsushi Kumagai). The award recognized the center's ongoing donations of food items, such as rice, to the Volunteer Activity Center Kokubunji (abbreviated as Borasen), operated by the council.

Collaboration with Production Areas During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The certificate of appreciation is awarded to individuals and organizations that have contributed to the activities of the Kokubunji City Council for Social Welfare and have achieved merits in the development of community welfare. At the "Fukushi no Tsudoi" held at Cocobunji Plaza (Kokubunji City, Tokyo), Kuniri Yatsu, Director, representing the Fuchu Center, received the certificate from Chairperson Kumagai as a "Life Support Project Collaborator" for contributing to the development of community welfare for over five years.

▲ Director Yatsu (right) receives a certificate of appreciation from Chairperson Kumagai (left).

Since 2021, the Fuchu Center has been continuously delivering food to Borasen approximately three times a year, particularly before long school breaks when school lunches are unavailable. They have donated a cumulative total of 2,857 kg of rice. The donated food is utilized by Borasen for free distribution at their monthly consultations for people facing difficulties in their lives.

Pal System Tokyo, prompted by a surplus of rice due to decreased demand from the restaurant industry during the COVID-19 pandemic in fiscal year 2020, purchased rice with the cooperation of its directly contracted production areas and donated it to food banks and other partner organizations to support households struggling with food insecurity. They have donated a cumulative total of 133,510 kg of directly sourced rice from production areas promoting environmentally friendly agriculture that does not rely on pesticides or chemical fertilizers by the end of fiscal year 2025.

The Fuchu Center has delivered a cumulative total of 8,050 kg of rice to various organizations in the cities of Fuchu, Koganei, and Kokubunji. During periods when supply to users was restricted due to market rice shortages, they continued their support by selecting long-life bread and pre-packaged rice that have a long shelf life. These activities were recognized, leading to the presentation of the certificate of appreciation.

▲ Rice donation to Borasen in fiscal year 2024.

The "Fukushi no Tsudoi" is held to provide citizens and social welfare professionals with opportunities to learn how individuals can connect with their communities, and to deepen understanding and participation in welfare activities with the aim of fostering a Kokubunji where people support and help each other. Approximately 150 people participated in the 13th gathering, witnessing the awards presented to individuals and organizations who contributed to community welfare, and deepening their understanding of the Kokubunji City Council for Social Welfare's community welfare activity plans.

Over 10 Million Yen from 15,000 Users for Community Activities of Mutual Support

In 2023, Pal System Tokyo established its "Community Activity Policy for Supporting Those in Need Together." In addition to food support activities carried out in collaboration with local councils for social welfare, food banks, and other organizations, they have outlined their desired relationship with the community based on five perspectives: "Living," "Learning," "Working," and "Gathering." The goal is for users to voluntarily participate in volunteer activities with local support organizations and, together with the co-operative and production areas, support those facing hardship.

The funds for providing ingredients such as rice come from contributions as part of Pal System Tokyo's business expenses, as well as from the "Fund to Support Those in Need with Food" campaign, which has been soliciting donations from users since fiscal year 2024. In fiscal year 2025, donations totaling 11,384,928 yen were received from 14,967 users, which were used to donate 117,504 long-life bread items, 13,600 packs of pre-packaged rice, and 4 tons of directly sourced rice.

Pal System Tokyo will continue to aim for the creation of a community where everyone can live with peace of mind through collaboration with users, local residents, and diverse organizations.

Pal System Tokyo Consumer Co-operative

Location: Rakusasu Higashi-Shinjuku, 2-2-6 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Chairperson: Yoko Nishimura Capital Investment: 22.77 billion yen; Number of Members: 538,000; Total Business Revenue: 91.30 billion yen (as of the end of March 2026) HP: https://www.palsystem-tokyo.coop/

Pal System Co-operative Federation Location: Rakusasu Higashi-Shinjuku, 2-2-6 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Chairperson: Atsushi Shibusawa Total Business Revenue of 12 Member Co-ops and Unified Business System Users: 268.96 billion yen / Total Number of Members: 1.77 million (as of the end of March 2026) Member Co-ops: Pal System Tokyo, Pal System Kanagawa, Pal System Chiba, Pal System Saitama, Pal System Ibaraki Tochigi, Pal System Yamanashi Nagano, Pal System Gunma, Pal System Fukushima, Pal System Shizuoka, Pal System Niigata Tokimeki, Pal System Kyosai Ren, Ai Coop Miyagi HP: https://www.pal-system.co.jp/