As we welcome the beginning of 2026, I would like to extend my warmest New Year’s greetings to you all.
I would also like to express my deepest gratitude for your continued understanding and generous support of the Tokyo Foundation’s work over the past year.

The year 2025 marked a major turning point for our Foundation. In October, under our medium-term plan, “Vision 2029: A Five-Year Plan for Renewal and Transformation,” we launched ten new research projects aimed at addressing the pressing challenges of a society facing population decline. These projects represent practical, action-oriented research designed not only to generate policy proposals but also to advance social implementation—fully embodying the mission of the Tokyo Foundation.

In 2026, these initiatives will move decisively into their full-scale phase. The selected projects confront Japan’s structural challenges head-on, spanning critical fields such as fiscal policy and social security, healthcare and welfare, labor and immigration policy, education, media, and the revitalization of local communities. Each project seeks to translate expert knowledge into policy recommendations with real-world impact. The Tokyo Foundation is committed to sharing these outcomes widely and communicating them in ways that are clear, accessible, and meaningful to society. Transforming policy expertise into language that reaches people—and into actions that make a difference—is at the core of our responsibility.

At the same time, as social challenges grow increasingly complex and transcend national borders, the importance of cultivating individuals who can act for the common good of humanity—while respecting cultural and value diversity—has never been greater. Since its establishment, the Foundation’s three leadership development programs have operated on a global scale, contributing to human resource development and mutual understanding across countries and regions. In an era marked by rising inward-looking attitudes and resistance to diversity, the significance of our founding principles has only grown stronger. We remain deeply committed to nurturing future leaders who will open new paths forward with a strong sense of mission.

In the year ahead, together with all of you, we will continue our challenge to “turn knowledge into action and open the future.”
We sincerely appreciate your continued support and cooperation.

January 5, 2026

Mieko Nakabayashi, Ph.D.
President
The Tokyo Foundation