Friends Without A Border Japan

What Friends Without A Border Japan does

Friends Without A Border Japan (フレンズ・ウィズアウト・ア・ボーダーJAPAN) is a Japan-registered specified nonprofit corporation (特定非営利活動法人) founded in 1996 by photographer Kenro Izu, headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. Its mission is to provide free pediatric medical care, medical education, and preventive health services to children in Asia who lack access to quality healthcare, organized around three pillars — medical care, education, and prevention — with the explicit long-term goal of localizing hospital operations to host-country staff.

The organization's core operations are two children's hospitals and one preventive program. The flagship is Lao Friends Hospital for Children (LFHC) in Luang Prabang, Laos, opened in 2015, which runs 11 clinical departments and 61 beds staffed by 177 Lao personnel and has treated over 100,000 children cumulatively. Specialized clinics include thalassemia, disability/development, renal disease, epilepsy, and bone disease, plus neonatal care, surgical missions (cardiac and ophthalmology), outreach/home-visit nursing, and health education. The second hospital, Angkor Hospital for Children in Cambodia, opened in 1999 and was successfully localized to Cambodian operation in 2013. A hygiene and nutrition education project operates in Myanmar. The organization has no proprietary technology platform; its only "product" is the integrated clinical service delivered through these facilities.

FWAB Japan funds its operations entirely through donations rather than commercial revenue. Income streams include individual one-time and recurring monthly donations (starting at 500 yen/month via the マンスリーサポーター program), event-based fundraising — primarily the Tokyo Marathon and Tokyo Legacy Half Marathon charity slots, virtual runs, and charity concerts — corporate partnerships and sponsorships (e.g., Lao Toyota Service, ANA Foods), and merchandise sales. The channel mix is community- and event-led: a multi-channel social and content presence, seminars, and student internships drive awareness and donor acquisition in Japan, while hospital operations are delivered directly via the physical facilities in Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar.

Name

Friends Without A Border Japan

Legal name

特定非営利活動法人フレンズ・ウィズアウト・ア・ボーダーJAPAN

Website

https://fwab.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Friends Without A Border Japan is a Tokyo-based NPO founded in 1996 that delivers free pediatric medical care, clinical education, and preventive health programs to children in Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar, primarily through Lao Friends Hospital for Children in Luang Prabang (177 Lao staff, 61 beds, 100,000+ children treated since 2015), funded by individual donations, corporate partnerships, and charity events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Healthcare Services (Nonprofit)

NAICS

Social Assistance (624), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAJAKAG

Maternal, Newborn, Child & Adolescent Health (MNCAH) NGOs

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Global Health & Development Agencies (NGOs/Multilaterals)

SECONDARYHLAFAEAJ

Pediatric Home Health & Pediatric Private Duty Nursing

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Healthcare Providers & Systems/Home Health & Hospice Providers

Keywords

• Pediatric healthcare services
• Nonprofit medical charity
• Children's hospital operations
• Medical education programs
• Preventive health services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual donations: One-time and recurring (monthly) donations from individual supporters. Monthly supporters (マンスリークサポーター) can contribute starting from 500 yen/month. One-time donations are also accepted.
2. Event-based fundraising: Charity participation in events such as Tokyo Marathon, charity walks, virtual runs, and concerts. Participants can donate or raise funds through these events.
3. Corporate partnerships and sponsorships: Corporate donations, event sponsorship, collaborative product planning. Toyota Laos donated a vehicle; ANA Foods donated bananas; other companies support events and campaigns.
4. Merchandise sales: Sale of Lao-made merchandise (keyholders, coasters, pouches) at events and booths to raise funds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Friends Without A Border Japan provides free pediatric medical care, health education, and preventive health services to children in underserved areas of Asia. Core operations center on operating Lao Friends Hospital for Children (LFHC) in Luang Prabang, Laos, which delivers general pediatric care and specialized clinics (thalassemia, disability, renal, epilepsy, bone disease), outreach nursing, and local staff training. Programs in Cambodia (previously Angkor Hospital for Children) and Myanmar (hygiene and nutrition education for rural mothers and children) extend the three-pillar mission of medical care, education, and prevention.

Product overview

Friends Without A Border Japan operates pediatric hospitals and healthcare programs in Laos and Cambodia. The core offerings include the Lao Friends Hospital for Children (LFHC), opened in 2015 with over 100,000 children treated, and the Angkor Hospital for Children in Cambodia (localized since 2013). The organization runs specialized clinics (thalassemia, disability, renal disease, epilepsy, bone disease), outreach nursing programs, and hygiene/nutrition education projects. The three pillars of activities are medical care, education, and prevention.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lao Friends Hospital for Children (LFHC) A free pediatric hospital established in Luang Prabang, Laos in 2015, providing free general and specialized pediatric medical care (thalassemia, disability/development, renal disease, epilepsy, bone disease clinics), inpatient treatment with 61 beds and 11 clinical departments, and outreach nursing. Built and operated by FWAB Japan with the long-term goal of transferring leadership to Lao staff. Over 100,000 children treated since opening.
• Angkor Hospital for Children Project A pediatric hospital project in Cambodia that opened in 1999, achieved full localization in 2013, and is now independently operated by Cambodian staff — demonstrating FWAB Japan's 'build-and-localize' model for sustainable pediatric healthcare.
• Hygiene and Nutrition Education Project Community-based health program in Myanmar providing health checkups, hygiene education, and training for village mothers to serve as community health educators for rural children.
• Outreach Nursing Program Follow-up care and home-based nursing visits to children in rural and hard-to-reach areas around Luang Prabang, including preventive health activities and awareness campaigns (supported logistically by a Toyota Revo donated by Toyota Laos).

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered key support partner, support partner, ongoing support partner, key training partner, key surgical partner, surgical host, training partner, leadership development partner, product supporter, surgical program partner, administrative support, event co-host, event partner and campaign partner.

• LAO TOYOTA SERVICE CO., LTD. (トヨタ・ラオス)key support partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Toyota Laos donated a new Toyota Revo vehicle to LFHC. The vehicle is used for outreach nursing, follow-up care, and preventive health activities in rural areas and hard-to-reach communities, especially during rainy season.
• Eye From Zionkey support partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerIsraeli nonprofit organization whose medical volunteer team performed LFHC's first ophthalmic surgeries in July. 25 surgeries were conducted, addressing pediatric ophthalmic conditions that would otherwise require travel to Vientiane or abroad.
• Child's Play Charitysupport partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerDonated sensory toys, latest play items, and auxiliary tools to LFHC's disability/development clinic. Supports creating a child-friendly therapeutic environment.
• ASAP (Asia Seating Project / アジア姿勢保持プロジェクト)ongoing support partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerJapan Wheelchair Seating Association (JAWS) international committee project. Customized seating chairs for disabled children at LFHC. Also hosted LFHC staff (Lar and Kou) for training in Japan. Provides ongoing support for assistive device fabrication.
• Swiss Red Crosskey training partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative training program with LFHC staff as trainers. Program aims to spread medical knowledge beyond urban areas to the surrounding Luang Prabang region. Temporarily paused due to COVID-19 but resumed.
• Paediatric Cardiac Surgery Foundation (PCSF)key surgical partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerThai cardiac surgery foundation whose team visits Laos to perform heart surgeries on LFHC patients. 12 children were selected for surgery in Bangkok, with the first patient (Olivia) successfully operated in January 2024.
• Japan Wheelchair Seating Association / JAWS (日本車椅子シーティング協会)support partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerRuns the Asia Seating Project (ASAP) supporting LFHC's disability clinic with assistive devices and staff training.
• Maharaj Nakhon Si Thammarat Hospital (Kasemrad Prachachean Branch, Bangkok)surgical hostStrategic or Co-development PartnerThai hospital where LFHC patients undergo cardiac surgeries performed by the PCSF team.
• Ibaraki Children's Hospital (茨城県立こども病院)training partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted LFHC's Dr. Sai-Ha (nutrition/development manager) for a 3-month ultrasound training program. Enabled local staff to gain specialized pediatric ultrasound diagnostic skills.
• Laos Australia Instituteleadership development partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerRuns a women's leadership program. LFHC nursing manager Maly was selected as one of 16 women to participate in this 12-month program.
• ANA Foods (ANAフーズ)product supporterGTM or Marketing PartnerProvided Lao-grown bananas ('あまみ') for distribution at charity events such as the Futsal tournament.
• Thai Red Crosssurgical program partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperates with PCSF cardiac surgery missions for LFHC patients.
• Royal Thai Embassy (Bangkok)administrative supportOthersCooperates with PCSF and Child's Dream for medical missions and patient travel coordination.
• Peace in Tours (ピース・イン・ツアー)event co-hostGTM or Marketing PartnerStudy tour operator that co-hosts online events with FWAB to introduce Laos and Cambodia culture and activities to Japanese audiences.
• Shaplaneer (認定NPO法人シャプラニール)event partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborates with FWAB at Tokyo Marathon events, sharing a private lounge for charity runners.
• Dandan Bar (居場所づくりプロジェクトだんだん・ばぁ)campaign partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerNPO providing safe spaces for children in Mitaka, Tokyo. FWAB shared half of 810km Virtual Run donations with Dandan Bar during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Japan Heart (特定非営利活動法人ジャパンハート): Japan Heart is a Japanese NGO that provides free pediatric surgical and medical care in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and other Asian countries, training local staff along the way. Direct peer because it is the closest Japanese nonprofit peer operating free pediatric specialty/surgical missions across the same Southeast Asian geographies as FWAB.
• Angkor Hospital for Children (AHC): AHC was founded with FWAB support (opened 1999) and fully localized to Cambodian operations in 2013. Direct peer because it executes the same build-then-localize pediatric hospital model in Cambodia and currently serves as the benchmark for FWAB's planned handoff in Laos.
• Peace Winds Japan: Peace Winds Japan is a Japanese NGO that funds and operates hospitals and emergency medical programs across Asia, including in Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos. Direct peer because of overlapping geographic footprint in Cambodia/Myanmar, the Japan-domiciled fundraising entity, and the build-operate-localize approach to hospital care.
• Lao Friends Hospital for Children (LFHC): LFHC is FWAB Japan's core field asset — a free pediatric hospital in Luang Prabang. Direct peer because it operates the same model (free pediatric care, capacity building, eventual localization) under FWAB's mission; functions as an effectively integrated program rather than a separate peer (flagged for completeness).
• AMDA (Association of Medical Doctors of Asia): AMDA is a Japan-headquartered international medical humanitarian NGO that delivers primary care, surgical missions, and capacity building in Asia and other regions. Direct peer because it is a Japanese-origin NGO delivering free pediatric/surgical care in Southeast Asia and competes for the same Japanese donor base as FWAB.

Broad incumbents

• Save the Children Japan: Save the Children is a major international NGO running maternal, newborn and child health (MNCAH) programs across Asia, including Laos and Cambodia. Broad incumbent because it shares the Asia-region pediatric health and humanitarian aid focus and Japan-based donor base but operates across many more countries and verticals.
• World Vision Japan: World Vision is a major Christian humanitarian organization that funds child-health, nutrition, and WASH programs across Asia and Africa, with a Japan office raising funds from individual donors. Broad incumbent because it overlaps on children's health and Asia operations but operates at vastly greater scale through sponsorship/grant models.
• Partners In Health (PIH): PIH is a US-founded global health nonprofit that builds and operates hospitals serving the poor in Haiti, Rwanda, Malawi and elsewhere, with a strong emphasis on training local clinicians. Broad incumbent because it shares FWAB's free-care/academic-medicine/localization ethos but operates at a much larger scale across more countries.
• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Japan / MSF Access Campaign: MSF is a global medical humanitarian NGO that delivers free/subsidized pediatric and adult care in low-income settings and runs a Japan fundraising entity. Broad incumbent because it operates at much larger scale and scope across multiple geographies and specialties, but shares the donation-funded, frontline-care delivery model.

Emerging players

• Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI): CHAI is a global health nonprofit that partners with governments in LMICs to expand access to pediatric HIV, malaria, and NCD care. Emerging player because it shares the pediatric health-access mission in low-income Asian countries but focuses on health-system strengthening and pricing rather than direct hospital operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FriendsJapan
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC3wn9XvFXjzhJuBaLJuqSew
• Facebookfacebook.com/fwab.JAPAN
• Instagraminstagram.com/friends.without.a.borderjapan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Friends Without A Border Japan