Red Box Japan Surpasses 806 Facilities and 500,000 Distributed Menstrual Products in Infrastructure Milestone
NPO Red Box Japan has reached a milestone by providing menstrual products to 806 facilities and distributing over 500,000 units as of April 2026, promoting 'social infrastructure' for gender equality in education.
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- 📰 Published: April 27, 2026 at 22:50
- 🔍 Collected: April 27, 2026 at 14:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 28, 2026 at 01:44 (11h 12m after Collected)
NPO Red Box Japan (Representative Director: Kanna Oguma) is pleased to announce that its menstrual product provision business, which has been promoted since its establishment in 2019, has reached a total of 806 facilities as of April 2026. To date, it has provided menstrual products to 806 schools, educational institutions, and public facilities nationwide, with the cumulative number of distributed pads exceeding 500,000.
Red Box Japan was established in 2019 as the Japanese branch of 'The Red Box Project,' a charity originating in the UK. Its mission is to support learning opportunities for students and build 'social infrastructure' that supports women's health and educational opportunities by providing menstrual products to schools, educational institutions, and public facilities.
■ Background of Providing Menstrual Products
While menstrual products are essential for daily life, there are cases where people cannot obtain them sufficiently due to economic or environmental reasons, leading to challenges such as absence or early leaving from school, which results in the loss of learning opportunities. These impacts create educational gaps and may affect future opportunities for higher education, employment, and income.
Red Box Japan aims to realize fairness in educational opportunities by creating an environment where everyone can learn with peace of mind through the free provision of menstrual products.
In Europe, including the UK, the free provision of menstrual products in public schools has been institutionalized as social infrastructure that supports education, and the need for similar initiatives is increasing in Japan.
■ Examples of Cooperation with Local Governments
- Tokushima City, Tokushima Prefecture: Introduced to 15 municipal junior high schools and municipal high schools in collaboration with the Tokushima City Board of Education.
- Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture: Introduced to 9 municipal high schools in collaboration with the Kawasaki City Board of Education.
- Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture: Introduced to three public facilities since February 2023 as part of creating a women-friendly city.
- Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture: Introduced to 177 public facilities (392 toilet locations) starting from International Women's Day.
- Okinawa Prefecture: In collaboration with the Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education, introduced to a total of 496 elementary, junior high, and high schools, including remote islands, international schools, and special needs schools.
■ Examples of Cooperation with Universities
- Senshu University: Distributed menstrual products to approximately 200 students in the 'Food Support Project for Students.'
- Japan Women's University: Distributed menstrual products along with food, masks, and disinfectant wipes at the Ethical Project PLUS.
- Toita Women's Junior College: Introduced to campus toilets as a joint wellness project with students in the 'Beauty & Wellness Model' course.
- Hokkaido University: Introduced menstrual products to the Health Sciences Building in collaboration with Smile Lab. Student-led management by 'Hokudai Menstrual Support' members.
■ Examples of Cooperation with Sports Teams
- FC Ryukyu Sakura: Conducted a charity event to introduce products to 495 schools in Okinawa in cooperation with female soccer teams.
- Matsumoto Yamaga FC: Installed in stadium toilets and conducted femcare lectures for U-15 players. This initiative received the Public Award at the '2022 J-League Sharen! Awards.'
- Kawasaki Frontale: Provided and installed menstrual products at Frontown Saginuma in agreement with the concept of regional contribution through sports.
Red Box Japan was established in 2019 as the Japanese branch of 'The Red Box Project,' a charity originating in the UK. Its mission is to support learning opportunities for students and build 'social infrastructure' that supports women's health and educational opportunities by providing menstrual products to schools, educational institutions, and public facilities.
■ Background of Providing Menstrual Products
While menstrual products are essential for daily life, there are cases where people cannot obtain them sufficiently due to economic or environmental reasons, leading to challenges such as absence or early leaving from school, which results in the loss of learning opportunities. These impacts create educational gaps and may affect future opportunities for higher education, employment, and income.
Red Box Japan aims to realize fairness in educational opportunities by creating an environment where everyone can learn with peace of mind through the free provision of menstrual products.
In Europe, including the UK, the free provision of menstrual products in public schools has been institutionalized as social infrastructure that supports education, and the need for similar initiatives is increasing in Japan.
■ Examples of Cooperation with Local Governments
- Tokushima City, Tokushima Prefecture: Introduced to 15 municipal junior high schools and municipal high schools in collaboration with the Tokushima City Board of Education.
- Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture: Introduced to 9 municipal high schools in collaboration with the Kawasaki City Board of Education.
- Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture: Introduced to three public facilities since February 2023 as part of creating a women-friendly city.
- Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture: Introduced to 177 public facilities (392 toilet locations) starting from International Women's Day.
- Okinawa Prefecture: In collaboration with the Okinawa Prefectural Board of Education, introduced to a total of 496 elementary, junior high, and high schools, including remote islands, international schools, and special needs schools.
■ Examples of Cooperation with Universities
- Senshu University: Distributed menstrual products to approximately 200 students in the 'Food Support Project for Students.'
- Japan Women's University: Distributed menstrual products along with food, masks, and disinfectant wipes at the Ethical Project PLUS.
- Toita Women's Junior College: Introduced to campus toilets as a joint wellness project with students in the 'Beauty & Wellness Model' course.
- Hokkaido University: Introduced menstrual products to the Health Sciences Building in collaboration with Smile Lab. Student-led management by 'Hokudai Menstrual Support' members.
■ Examples of Cooperation with Sports Teams
- FC Ryukyu Sakura: Conducted a charity event to introduce products to 495 schools in Okinawa in cooperation with female soccer teams.
- Matsumoto Yamaga FC: Installed in stadium toilets and conducted femcare lectures for U-15 players. This initiative received the Public Award at the '2022 J-League Sharen! Awards.'
- Kawasaki Frontale: Provided and installed menstrual products at Frontown Saginuma in agreement with the concept of regional contribution through sports.