CCJA winner founded company to support deaf children

The ceremony was opened by Japan Fundraising Association CEO Masataka Uo, journalist Noriko Akiyama and Rie Sawanobori of Dow Japan. Both Akiyama and Sawanobori count themselves among the fellows of the JWLI program, while Uo has been involved with CCJA as a judge since 2019.

In their opening remarks, all three ebulliently proclaimed how meritorious all of the finalists were. “It’s not that we are rank-ordering the finalists from top to bottom,” Sawanobori explained. “All of their initiatives are meaningful, and they are making positive social impacts.” Rather, when choosing the recipient of the top award, the judges considered deeply the relative need and impact that the award would have on that particular finalist’s initiative going forward. “We carefully considered who needed that extra push to really take flight,” Sawanobori said. Afterward, Uo exclaimed, “Honestly, we would love to be able to give the first prize to everyone.” He also revealed that five finalists have traditionally been selected from a 25-person short list, “but this year, we were so impressed with everyone that we decided we had to go with seven.”

Partners of CCJA also took the digital stage and sang heartfelt praises of the women. Anisa Kamadoli Costa of Tiffany said: “Congratulations to all the nominees, and in particular the finalists. … You are heroes in your communities and heroes in Japanese society.”

The finalists were brought onto the stage in Tokyo one after another, introduced and given an opportunity to say a few words about their activities for the benefit of the audience. In previous years, Fish was physically present and gave each of the finalists a hug. However, because the event was livestreamed this time, she gave virtual high-fives instead.

The CCJA 2021 grand prize went to Yukako Makino for her inspiring and influential work in special needs education for deaf children.

Born with severe hearing loss, Makino had to learn how to lip-read to understand others’ speech. Despite her condition and the countless obstacles she faced in Japanese society, she became employed at Sony Corp. for seven years as a member of human resources. In 2018, she left the company to be a full-time mother and take care of her eldest daughter, who was born with an extremely rare bone disease. “I was made aware of how few treatment options there are,” she said, “but I was also curious how far education and care for deaf people had come. I was shocked to discover that almost nothing had changed for the better in 30 years.” As a model of success herself, Makino started a company in 2017, called Defsapo, to support deaf children and give them hope for a bright future. It is her company’s core mission to make these children realize that if they educate themselves and have the right support, they too can enter into a career and live happy, fulfilled lives. The company’s activities include communication and language courses, consultation sessions for families, accessibility workshops for companies and a host of others.

After she was presented with the grand prize, several of the judges took the stage to explain the reason for choosing her among so many deserving recipients. “As someone with hearing loss yourself and the mother of a child with a rare disease, you personally understand how far Japan still has to go in supporting people with disabilities,” one of them said. Moreover, the judges considered her accomplishments to be especially inspirational given that she was able to become the CEO of her own company despite facing so many obstacles. Another judge commented, “You are an example of what is possible and what an inclusive society looks like up close.”

Not only did Makino learn how to shine brightly herself, but she has worked tirelessly to light the way for others and make the world a better place for everyone.

Fish offered the closing remarks. With an infectious smile on her face, she explained how impressive everyone was, and how their actions would lead to a better, more inclusive tomorrow. “Makino-san’s actions in particular are representative of JWLI’s core belief of being ‘open, positive and inclusive.’

Now, I expect that all of you will continue to expand your activities as members of the JWLI ecosystem and make Japan an even better place. Congratulations and thank you to all of you.”

Three of the judges remained behind at the end of the ceremony to offer their final thoughts on CCJA and what they envision going forward.

Uo clearly articulated one of the central motives of the entire CCJA initiative. By showcasing the achievements of remarkable women in Japan, CCJA hopes to sow the seeds of positive action by women all over the country. “What we really want to accomplish is for women and girls in Japan who are seeing this to feel encouraged and motivated to take action, even if it is small,” Uo said.

A good sign is that every year more and more nominees have been coming forward from diverse regions around Japan. The organizers of CCJA are excited to see what types of women will be nominated in the coming year as well.