The role of NPO Yamanashi Foodbank alleviating food insecurity of the Japanese poor mother-child households

Abstract

The relative poverty of Japanese mother-child households in Japan is increasing and has complex factors. This study based on qualitative methods and using secondary data from Japan’s national government survey, electronic articles, scientific journals, blogs, videos, and social media. Wage and employment disparities are the main causes of mother-child households living in poverty; a liberal labour system also makes it difficult for mothers to obtain stable employment. The patriarchal structure of Japanese society and lack of public assistance adds to the difficulty of mother-child households moving out of poverty. Being a single mother in Japan is very difficult because they must balance making a living and taking care of children. The Japanese mother-child households face food insecurity due to a lack of income and a high living cost. NPO Yamanashi Foodbank makes initiatives to donate food to them, ease single mothers’ burden, and save their children from hunger and malnutrition. The analysis results show that Yamanashi Foodbank contributes to innovations in dealing with social changes to poverty and food waste; Yamanashi Foodbank adds problem-solving capacity to Japanese society because the welfare state’s power gradually loses to maximize public assistance.