Charity Gives Japan’s Empty Homes to Single Moms, Fixing Two Problems at Once

A Japanese charity based in Tokyo is tackling the nation’s growing problem of abandoned homes by transforming them into housing for those who need it most in the male-dominated nation: single women with children.

Although Japan is one of the world’s wealthiest nations, its single mothers are amongst the worst off.

“Japan has a culture that makes it difficult for women to work after having children, which makes life exceptionally hard for single mothers,” says Kunihisa Koyama, chief executive of the charity, Little Ones.

Last year, Little Ones won the World Habitat Award for converting vacant homes all the while addressing the difficulties women endure in the wealthy nation. To date, the charity has helped over 300 single mothers find a home in Tokyo, Osaka and Chiba.