Orphanage Day

What Is Orphanage Day

September 22 marks the anniversary of Japan's first privately run orphanage. On this day in 1887, physician Juji Ishii founded the "Kojikyoikukai" (Orphan Education Society) in Okayama, which later became known as Okayama Orphanage.

Juji Ishii, "the Father of Child Welfare in Japan," and the Origins of Child Welfare

While still a medical student, Juji Ishii took in a child with nowhere else to go, an experience that set him on a path toward rescuing orphaned children. The Kojikyoikukai he founded in Okayama on September 22, 1887, grew over time into Okayama Orphanage, which is said to have cared for more than 1,000 children at its peak.

• Date: September 22, 1887, in Okayama
• Founder: Physician Juji Ishii
• Institution founded: The Kojikyoikukai, Japan's first privately run orphanage, later Okayama Orphanage
• Significance: Ishii is known as "the Father of Child Welfare in Japan" and credited with laying the foundations of Japan's child welfare system

A Pioneering Approach Centered on the Children

Juji Ishii is also known for practices that were remarkably progressive for his time, including education that respected each child's individuality and a system resembling modern foster care. His philosophy still resonates with how child welfare is approached today.

Ways to Mark the Day

• Learn about Juji Ishii and the history of Okayama Orphanage
• Explore the broader history of child welfare in Japan
• Look into today's child welfare facilities and foster care systems
• Pay attention to efforts supporting children's welfare in your own community

One Doctor's Resolve Lit the Way for Countless Children's Futures

Orphanage Day is a chance to look back on the history of child welfare in Japan that Juji Ishii helped pioneer. This September 22, take a moment to reflect on what a society that supports children's healthy growth should look like.