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Promoting Gender Equality in Parenting

In April 2026, Okayama's Nagi Town and the Kizuna Mail Project, a nonprofit organization based in Toshima, Tokyo, established a collaborative agreement to promote gender equality in parenting through the utilization of the Kizuna Mail Fund. This partnership marks the third agreement following those with Minato Ward in Tokyo last year and Sapporo City in Hokkaido this year.

Understanding the Agreement

At its core, gender equality—translated straightforwardly as "男女平等"—embodies the notion of fairness, encouraging equal involvement from both mothers and fathers in the parenting process. This initiative aims to prevent maternal isolation during child-rearing, fostering a shared approach to nurturing the child's development. By making family members, especially parents, the main audience, the goal is to promote a balanced environment that champions the best interests of children.

How Nagi Town Promotes Gender Equality

Nagi Town has implemented the "Nagi Kizuna Mail" initiative, which distributes useful information via LINE to families from the pregnancy stage until their children enroll in elementary school. Part of Nagi's broader commitment to supporting parenting, the Kizuna Mail seeks to address an important issue: the overwhelming majority of its readership consists of mothers. To counter this, initial plans involved creating promotional materials aimed specifically at fathers to encourage their participation.

However, after thorough discussions between Nagi Town and the Kizuna Mail Project, they opted for a more inclusive approach. They will send out information postcards to all families—mothers, fathers, and extended family members alike—encouraging everyone to engage with the content.

The Information Postcard

The postcards are targeted at all households currently expecting or raising children aged five and under. The intent behind distributing these postcards is to encourage participation from all family members, helping to reduce feelings of isolation and anxiety often experienced by caregivers. This initiative is designed to serve as a “family-readable message version of a parenting encyclopedia,” facilitating communication and support among various family members.

Feedback from Nagi Town

Since the launch of the "Nagi Kizuna Mail" in 2017, Nagi Town has continuously sought to enhance its child-rearing support systems. Registrants have expressed their gratitude for this initiative, which many see as a vital resource in their parenting journey. Health workers involved in parental support have noted that fathers often face challenges and uncertainties in their parenting roles as well. This agreement aims to demystify child development and growth for all caregivers, thereby easing anxieties and encouraging connections between families and Nagi Town.

The collaboration seeks to promote gender equality in child-rearing and ultimately contribute to fulfilling the best interests of the child.

Previous Collaborations

The Kizuna Mail Project has previously engaged with multiple municipalities to support gender equality initiatives in parenting, including:

• - Minato Ward, Tokyo
• - Sapporo City, Hokkaido

About the Kizuna Mail Project

Established on November 3, 2010, recognized as “Good Birth Day,” the Kizuna Mail Project is committed to preventing the phenomenon of 'isolated parenting.' Utilizing text messaging, it serves 34 municipalities and medical institutions, aiming to ease the anxieties surrounding pregnancy and parenting. By innovatively conveying supportive content, it strengthens bonds between parents and children, couples, and the community, tackling societal issues related to childbearing. With over 400,000 messages sent, the project continues to connect with 66,289 active users as of July 1, 2026.

For press inquiries or further information, please contact:
NPO Kizuna Mail Project
Yoko Sato
Phone: 03-6709-6893
Email: [email protected]
Address: 3-6-10-609 Takada, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-0033
Website: Kizuna Mail