Child Reference Library

Mr. Kyoji Ohga, the first president of Wakodo, experienced poverty as a young child and deeply identified with Tolstoy’s humanitarianism. He was deeply troubled by the unacceptably high level of early childhood mortality and the status of poverty they were in. That was why he provided his own private funds to establish the Ikuei Society in 1927, to protect and educate mothers and young children. He then went on to practice and promote mécénat or philanthropy.

President Ohga thought that the highest priority is protection of infants and young children, and their education. He opened the childcare center Aisei-en in 1928 in the Tokyo suburb of Yodobashi, and began offering care of children from mainly low income families. Mr. Ohga himself took on the role of center director. It was said that he was very much loved by many children of the center because he greeted the children at the entrance, told them stories, and played with them. He also took care of the center children’s nutrition by giving them warm milk with their mid-morning snack. Aisei-en also provided weekly infant & child health screening day. Not only the center children but also children from the neighborhood came in for health advice and care.