What Japan Heart does

Japan Heart is a Japanese international medical NGO (認定特定非営利活動法人ジャパンハート) founded in 2004 in Tokyo that delivers free healthcare to underserved populations across Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, and Japan. The organization's core medical programs provide advanced treatment including pediatric cancer surgeries and chemotherapy, conducting approximately 40,000 medical treatments annually and over 350,000 treatments cumulatively since founding. Operationally, Japan Heart runs self-owned facilities rather than relying solely on volunteer dispatch: the Japan Heart Children's Medical Center in Cambodia (operating since 2016), the newly opened 200-bed Japan Heart Asia Children's Medical Center near Phnom Penh (October 2025, ¥1B+ capital cost), the Dream Train residential child welfare facility in Yangon, Myanmar (housing 133 children aged 5–18, with 373 enrolled cumulatively and 253+ graduates achieving self-reliance), and the RIKAjob program placing nurses in remote Japanese island and rural hospitals.

The organization's underlying 'technology' is operational rather than proprietary: it maintains a website donation portal (japanheart.org), social media presence (Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube), and uses standard digital marketing channels including AC Japan public awareness campaigns and paid search/social advertising. There are no proprietary software products, patents, or AI/ML systems.

Japan Heart's revenue model is entirely donation-based with five streams: individual recurring monthly donations (¥3,000 Dream Train Supporter tier, ¥10,000 Foster Parent tier), one-time individual gifts, corporate CSR sponsorships (~20 named partners including Mitsubishi Real Estate, Chugai Pharmaceutical, Ono Pharmaceutical, KDDI, Panasonic, Daiwa, Digital Media System), furusato nozei (Japan's tax-deductible hometown donation system), and legacy/estate bequests. Go-to-market is community-led: top-of-funnel awareness is driven by AC Japan campaigns, media coverage, and social media; mid-funnel through newsletters and seminars; bottom-of-funnel via the website donation portal and foster parent enrollment. Pricing across service-adjacent offerings is nominal — disaster volunteer registration ¥48,000 non-member / ¥33,000 member (one-time), Dream Train private school ~¥200,000/year per child, excursions ~¥300,000 per outing — all funded by donations rather than fees charged to beneficiaries, who receive all medical and welfare services free of charge.

Name

Japan Heart

Legal name

特定非営利活動法人ジャパンハート

Website

https://japanheart.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Japan Heart is a Japanese international medical NGO founded in 2004 that delivers free advanced medical care including pediatric cancer treatment to underserved populations in Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, and Japan, while operating the Dream Train child welfare facility and disaster relief programs funded by individual donations and corporate CSR.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Humanitarian Healthcare Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Individual and Family Services (6241), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423)

SIC

Services-Hospitals (8060), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Humanitarian Health & Emergency Medical Relief NGOs (HLAJAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health Systems Strengthening & Primary Care Development (HLAJAKAJ), Emergency Medical Care & Field Hospitals (BPADADAC), Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH)

Keywords

• International medical NGO
• Humanitarian healthcare services
• Pediatric cancer treatment
• Child welfare facility
• Disaster relief medical

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokio

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations (Monthly & One-time): Individual supporters make recurring monthly donations (starting from ¥1,000/month for Dream Train supporters, ¥10,000/month for foster parents) or one-time donations through the organization's website. Multiple giving mechanisms are offered including credit card, bank transfer, and payroll deduction.
2. Corporate Sponsorships & CSR Partnerships: Japanese corporations provide donations as part of their CSR initiatives. Companies such as Mitsubishi Real Estate, Digital Media System, Chugai Pharmaceutical, Ono Pharmaceutical, KDDI, Panasonic, and others sponsor Japan Heart's programs. Corporate donations include support for specific facilities (e.g., Asia Children's Medical Center) and disaster relief efforts.
3. Foster Parent / Dream Train Supporter Programs: Monthly support programs where individuals sponsor children at Dream Train (¥10,000/month for foster parents) or provide general facility support (¥3,000/month for Dream Train supporters). Includes benefits such as growth reports and online exchange meetings.
4. Furusato Tax Donation (Tax-Deductible Giving): Japan Heart accepts donations through Japan's hometown tax payment system (furusato nozei), allowing individual donors to receive tax benefits while supporting the organization.
5. Legacy / Estate Donations: The organization accepts bequests (遺贈・香典寄付) as part of legacy giving programs, where individuals include Japan Heart in their estate planning.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

Japan Heart is an international medical NGO that delivers free medical care and welfare services to underserved populations. It operates overseas medical treatment programs (including pediatric cancer surgeries in Cambodia and Myanmar), the Dream Train child welfare facility in Myanmar, the Smile Smile Project supporting children with cancer in Japan, RIKAjob nurse placement in remote Japanese healthcare facilities, disaster relief operations, and overseas medical personnel training. The organization has provided over 350,000 medical treatments since 2004 and operates approximately 40,000 treatments annually.

Product overview

Japan Heart is an international medical NGO offering a portfolio of humanitarian programs focused on delivering healthcare to underserved areas. The core offerings include international medical treatment (pediatric cancer surgeries, advanced care with ~40,000 annual treatments), disaster relief support, and medical personnel training in developing countries. Domestically, Japan Heart operates the Smile Smile Project supporting childhood cancer families with travel experiences, RIKAjob connecting nurses with remote/rural Japanese healthcare facilities, and Dream Train, a child welfare facility in Myanmar providing education and independence support for vulnerable children. The organization also conducts fundraising campaigns including AC Japan support campaigns.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dream Train (ドリームトレイン): Child welfare facility in Yangon, Myanmar providing shelter, education, and self-reliance support for children unable to attend school due to poverty, family circumstances, or conflict.
• Smile Smile PROJECT
• RIKAjob
• Japan Heart Asia Children's Medical Center (ジャパンハートアジア小儿医療センター)
• Japan Heart Children's Medical Center (ジャパンハートこども医療センター)

Products and services

• International Medical Support (途上国の医療支援) Provides medical treatment including pediatric cancer surgeries and advanced medical care free of charge in developing countries including Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos. Conducts approximately 40,000 treatments annually and over 350,000 total treatments since establishment in 2004.
• Disaster Relief Support (災害支援・対策) Provides emergency relief and medical support to disaster-affected areas both domestically within Japan and internationally. Includes the Disaster Volunteer Registration Program (¥48,000 non-member / ¥33,000 member initial registration with 2-year training program).
• Smile Smile Project (スマイルスマイルプロジェクト) Domestic project supporting children with childhood cancer and their families in Japan by helping them create memorable experiences through travel and outings during treatment. Medical professionals accompany families to enable safe experiences.
• Dream Train (ドリームトレイン) Child welfare facility in Myanmar providing comprehensive care, education, and independence support for children aged 5-18 who cannot attend school due to family or economic circumstances. Currently houses 133 children, with 373 enrolled since 2010 and 253+ graduates achieving self-reliance.
• RIKAjob (離島・へき地地域医療支援) Regional medical support project connecting nurses with remote island and rural healthcare facilities in Japan, addressing healthcare workforce shortages while providing career development opportunities for nurses and midwives.
• Medical Personnel Training (海外医療人材の育成) Training and development program for overseas medical personnel and human resources, building sustainable healthcare capacity in developing countries. Includes training visually impaired individuals in Myanmar as medical massage therapists to achieve economic self-reliance.
• Japan Heart Asia Children's Medical Center (ジャパンハートアジア小児医療センター) Comprehensive 200-bed pediatric medical center near Phnom Penh, Cambodia, providing free advanced medical care including childhood cancer treatment and serving as a hub for medical human resource development.
• Japan Heart Children's Medical Center (Cambodia) (ジャパンハートこども医療センター) Original base hospital in Cambodia operating since 2016, providing pediatric cancer treatment and advanced surgical care with free services to underserved populations.
• Disaster Volunteer Registration Program (災害ボランティア登録制度) Training and registration program for disaster relief volunteers, with initial registration fee of ¥48,000 (non-members) or ¥33,000 (members) covering uniform, ID, registration, and 2-year training program of 10-12 sessions.
• Events and Seminars (イベント・セミナー) Educational events, lectures, and seminars for supporters and those interested in Japan Heart's activities, including legacy planning seminars such as 'First Will Creation' (はじめての遺言書作成)講座.

Quantifiable outcome

• 350,000+ total medical treatments provided in developing countries since 2004
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Hashimoto Hideo (元サッカー日本男子代表・橋本英郎)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer Japanese national soccer team member (Gamba Osaka) conducted a soccer exchange event at Dream Train in November 2025, training approximately 50 children. His visit also facilitated connections with Tokyo Verdy Bella Seniors soccer team.
• Tokyo Verdy Bella Seniors (日テレ・東京ヴェルディベレザ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJapanese women's soccer team whose players visited Dream Train children at the Asian Soccer Women's Champions League qualifiers in Yangon in November 2025. 46 Dream Train children (38 girls, 8 boys) attended the matches with support from Synchro Co., Ltd.
• Team TossminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeam Toss has been conducting online rugby classes for Dream Train children for multiple years, and visited Dream Train in 2025 to conduct an in-person rugby workshop. The program helps children learn rugby rules and develop sports skills.
• Albirex Myanmar (サッカースクール)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlbirex Myanmar operated free soccer classes at Dream Train from 2015 to approximately 2024 (nearly 10 years), providing not only skills training but also character education. They donated uniforms, shoes, and balls, and organized exchange tournaments. The partnership ended after approximately 10 years.
• Yokohama Japanese School Cheerleading Team 'GOLDEN SHINES'minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExchange and collaboration with Dream Train cheerleading/dance activities, sharing cultural experiences through dance.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Partners in Health: A nonprofit that operates its own hospitals and trains local medical staff in resource-poor settings, particularly for complex conditions including cancer and infectious diseases. Closest functional peer to Japan Heart's model of running owned facilities (not just sending volunteers) and developing local medical human resources in Cambodia and Haiti-style contexts.
• Operation Smile: Provides free surgeries (cleft lip/palate) and medical care in developing countries, with strong focus on training local medical professionals. Closely comparable to Japan Heart's specialty-surgery-plus-capacity-building model in Cambodia and similar developing-country hospital partnerships.
• AMDA (Association of Medical Doctors of Asia): A Japanese-headquartered international medical NGO conducting humanitarian medical relief, disaster response, and primary care in Asia and disaster-affected regions. The most direct Japanese comparison to Japan Heart, sharing origin, medical volunteer model, and Asian footprint.
• Smile Train: Funds and empowers local medical professionals to provide free cleft surgery and comprehensive care in developing countries. Highly comparable to Japan Heart's training-first, locally-embedded model of building sustainable pediatric surgical capacity.
• International Medical Corps: Delivers emergency medical care, training, and development programs in conflict and disaster settings worldwide. Directly comparable to Japan Heart on the humanitarian medical relief and disaster response axes, with similar reliance on individual donor and government funding.
• Peace Winds Japan: A Japanese NGO focused on humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and supporting refugees and IDPs across Asia. Comparable to Japan Heart on the Asia-centric humanitarian/disaster-relief mandate and Japan-based donor mobilization approach.

Broad incumbents

• M\u00e9decins Sans Fronti\u00e8res (MSF) / Doctors Without Borders: The world's largest independent international medical humanitarian organization, providing emergency medical care in conflict zones and developing countries. Directly comparable to Japan Heart's mission of delivering medical care where it cannot reach, though operating at vastly greater scale and global footprint.
• Direct Relief: A large humanitarian aid organization providing medical assistance and supplies to underserved populations globally. Comparable to Japan Heart in mission and healthcare delivery focus, but operates primarily through medical supply and support distribution rather than direct service delivery.

Regional players

• Japan Platform: A Japan-based humanitarian aid funding intermediary coordinating disaster response and refugee support with Japanese corporate, NGO, and government partners. Comparable to Japan Heart through the Japan-domiciled humanitarian ecosystem and CSR partnership model.

Emerging players

• MAP International: A global health nonprofit providing medicines, medical supplies, and health services to people in developing countries. Overlaps with Japan Heart's healthcare-access mission in developing countries but focuses more on medicine supply than direct medical care delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/japanhearttokyo
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/JAPANHEARTMovie
• Facebookfacebook.com/NGOjapanheart
• Instagraminstagram.com/japanheart_tokyo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/japan-heart

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Japan Heart