#Japan #Tokyo #Charity Santa #Book Santa #Japanese NPO

Introduction to Book Santa 2025

The annual charity initiative, Book Santa, is set to commence on September 23rd, 2025, aligning with the autumn equinox. This project aims to gift new books to children facing challenges due to poverty, illness, or disasters. Last year's event successfully gathered over 130,000 books, contributing to a total of over 400,000 books since its inception in 2017. This year, a new initiative includes the sale of original bookmarks designed to support both the charitable activities and participating bookstores.

Understanding Book Santa

The Book Santa project simplifies charity for everyone wanting to contribute. Here’s how it works:
1. Visit a participating bookstore and choose books you wish to donate.
2. Inform the cashier that you want to participate in Book Santa.
3. Your selected books will be donated at the point of purchase.
For individuals unable to visit bookstores, an online bookstore and a crowdfunding option (launching in mid-October) are available.

New this year, a "Support Book" provides information on how to get involved, making it easier for first-time participants to understand the donation process. Since starting with just 58 stores and 848 books, the program has exponentially increased, now engaging 1,851 bookstores nationwide despite a slight decrease in participating locations from last year. However, the number of partner bookstores has risen to an unprecedented 150, reflecting a growing commitment to supporting this cause.

Expanding Participation and Challenges

While the number of books donated continues to rise, the project faces financial hurdles. This year, Book Santa plans to allocate approximately 30 million yen for significant equipment investments, including a semi-custom sorting machine to streamline the sorting process. By automating the categorization of books into more than 20 genres, the initiative aims to efficiently handle the increasing number of donations.

Despite this growth, the project faces a critical shortage of operational funding necessary for managing donations, storage costs, and shipping expenses. Continuous awareness around the need for ongoing support is essential for its sustainability. Donations to support operational costs will be solicited year-round, and crowdfunding initiatives are set to launch soon.

New Initiative: Original Bookmarks for Charity

To tackle funding shortages and to support bookstores, Book Santa will introduce charity bookmarks available for purchase at participating bookstores. The designs feature handwritten messages from children who have received books, creating a personal connection to the donations.
Half of the proceeds from these bookmarks will fund activities such as shipping for book deliveries, while the other half will aid bookstores in their logistics related to Book Santa.

Accessibility to Donations

For those who find donating books challenging, simply purchasing a bookmark provides a meaningful way to support this initiative and participate in the charitable cause.

Strengthening Online Presence

With an increasing number of donations, Book Santa is also addressing the challenge of balancing supply and demand. There is often a disparity between popular titles in bookstores and the diverse requests from children, particularly around specific themes such as sexual education and cultural awareness. To counter this, the online bookstore has expanded its listing to include roughly 1,000 titles recommended by “Author Santas,” who have joined the initiative. This online platform also features a new sticker for promotion.

Corporate Support and Collaboration

Book Santa encourages corporate and organizational support to aid its mission. Opportunities for collaboration include sponsorship, provision of funds and materials, and employee matching donations. The initiative aims to foster a robust network of support to ensure the sustainability of its programs.

Voices from the Community

Officials from partner organizations highlight the significance of Book Santa in enhancing children’s literacy and personal growth by providing them with books that can influence their futures. The fact that people willingly visit stores to purchase and donate books showcases the unyielding power of literature in forging connections between givers and recipients, reinforcing the enduring value of bookstores.

Event Details

• - Bookstore donation period: September 23, 2025, to December 25, 2025.
• - Online donation period: Open until December 26, 2025.

To find participating bookstores or learn more, visit the official Book Santa website: Book Santa Official Site

About Charity Santa

Founded in 2008 and recognized as an NPO in 2014, Charity Santa focuses on creating cherished memories for children. Through initiatives like Book Santa, they deliver diverse experiences to children throughout the year, fostering a community where adults strive together for the well-being of the next generation.