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Japan Network for Public Interest Activities
Japan Network for Public Interest Activities launched in 2018 under the Dormant Deposits Utilization Act, legislation pushed forward by the Japan Business...
Japan Network for Public Interest Activities
Japan Network for Public Interest Activities launched in 2018 under the Dormant Deposits Utilization Act, legislation pushed forward by the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) in partnership with the Cabinet Office. The law requires banks to transfer accounts untouched for a decade to the Deposit Insurance Corporation of Japan (DICJ), which then funnels the funds to JANPIA for distribution. Chair Masaya Futamiya, who spent decades at Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Insurance, leads the organization alongside a board drawn from industry and civil society. JANPIA operates as a grant-making wholesaler: it does not run programs directly but selects and funds intermediary organizations that support frontline nonprofits. Deployment covers child welfare, youth employment, regional revitalization, and healthcare access. DICJ transferred roughly ¥5 billion to JANPIA in fiscal 2019 and amounts have grown annually, with cumulative disbursements passing ¥20 billion by 2024. Recipients range from community-based NPOs in shrinking rural towns to organizations providing social prescribing programs in major cities. The model also supports impact-investing infrastructure through collaborations with GSG Impact Japan. September 2023: Announced a new grant round prioritizing projects addressing the social isolation of elderly residents in depopulating prefectures. The organization works through a structured, three-tier system in which local fund-managing organizations receive JANPIA grants and regrant to smaller nonprofits monitored for measurable outcomes. JANPIA convenes the ecosystem at events like the Asia Philanthropy Congress. Structurally, JANPIA is a government-designated corporation — a status that grants public legitimacy and access to the dormant-deposit pipeline while insulating it from political volatility. That hybrid identity makes it neither a traditional foundation nor a line-item in the national budget. It is funded by citizens who lost track of their bank accounts, which creates a mandate unlike any comparable philanthropy vehicle in Asia.
General information
Firm type
Government / Public Body
Year founded
2018
Location
Region
Asia
Country
Japan
City
Tokyo
Corporate office
Tokyo, Japan
Principals
Masaya Futamiya
Chair
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
How does JANPIA get its funding?
JANPIA is funded by dormant bank deposits. Under the Dormant Deposits Utilization Act, Japanese banks transfer accounts with no customer-initiated transactions for 10 years to the Deposit Insurance Corporation of Japan (DICJ). DICJ then allocates a portion of those funds to JANPIA for grants, creating a permanent recycling mechanism between the financial system and civil society.
Does JANPIA make direct grants to nonprofits or only through intermediaries?
JANPIA operates a three-tiered model. It awards grants to intermediary organizations called 'fund-managing organizations,' which then regrant to smaller, frontline nonprofits. This wholesale structure allows JANPIA to maintain a lean central team while reaching grassroots organizations across Japan's regions.
What types of causes does JANPIA support?
Priority areas include child welfare and youth support, employment and economic participation for marginalized groups, regional revitalization in depopulating areas, and healthcare access for underserved populations. Grant rounds are announced annually and the thematic focus shifts based on Cabinet Office priorities and identified civil-society gaps.
Who runs investment and grant decisions at JANPIA?
JANPIA is governed by a board of directors and an allocation committee drawn from the business community, nonprofit sector, and academia. Chair Masaya Futamiya, formerly of Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Insurance, provides executive leadership. Grant decisions follow a multi-stage review process that includes public calls for proposals and external expert panels.
How is JANPIA related to GSG Impact Japan?
JANPIA and GSG Impact Japan collaborate on building impact-investing infrastructure in Japan. JANPIA board members hold ambassador or trustee roles within GSG Impact Japan, and the two organizations have co-convened events exploring how dormant-deposit funds can catalyze private impact capital for social enterprises.
What is JANPIA's relationship with the Japanese government?
JANPIA is a government-designated corporation operating under the supervisory authority of the Cabinet Office. It is not a government agency per se — its funding is statutory rather than tax-derived — but its mandate, board appointments, and grant priorities require Cabinet Office approval, creating a mixed public-private governance model.
Does JANPIA have a permanent endowment, or does it deploy all dormant-deposit funds each year?
JANPIA is structured to deploy the funds it receives annually from DICJ rather than build a permanent endowment. Unallocated funds can be carried forward, but the legislative intent is for dormant deposits to flow continuously into active civil-society grants.
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