MOM FoR STAR began 5 years ago with a single spark of hope. Under the vision of “DESIGN BEYOND,” Taguchi, CEO of FOURDIGIT—a service design company focused on the digital realm—joined forces with Hiyane, Representative of Umusun Lab, which fosters dialogue and co-creation in Okinawa. Why did these two from different backgrounds come together to face the reality of single mothers in Okinawa, and what kind of “real impact” have they built?
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What emerged from their dialogue was a “sustainable system” designed to fundamentally rewrite the future of Okinawa, going far beyond simple employment support.
\n","type":"text"}],"youtube":{"size":"large","alternative_id":null},"visual_set":{"caption":null,"size":"large","visual":null}},{"type":"visual_set","block":{"sections":null,"title":null,"text":null},"info":{"text":null,"contact":null},"text_set":null,"youtube":{"size":"large","alternative_id":null},"visual_set":{"caption":null,"size":"small","visual":"/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/profile-en.jpg"}},{"type":"text_set","block":{"sections":null,"title":null,"text":null},"info":{"text":null,"contact":null},"text_set":[{"ol":null,"ul":null,"headline1":"5 Years of Facing Okinawa's \"Structural Challenges\"","headline2":null,"headline3":null,"text":null,"type":"headline1"},{"ol":null,"ul":null,"headline1":null,"headline2":null,"headline3":null,"text":"Taguchi: It’s been 5 years since we started this activity together in Okinawa. Back then, my image of Okinawa was just a “fun place for vacation.” But hearing Hiyane-san talk about the child poverty rate, the high rate of non-regular employment, and the structural issues behind them was the catalyst that made me think, “I have to do something.”
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Hiyane: When MOM FoR STAR launched 5 years ago, the media was starting to highlight child poverty and the struggles of single mothers, but the response was still mostly reliant on government subsidies and NPO activities. At that time, there were very few private companies taking concrete action to solve Okinawa’s social issues on their own.
\n","type":"text"}],"youtube":{"size":"large","alternative_id":null},"visual_set":{"caption":null,"size":"large","visual":null}},{"type":"visual_set","block":{"sections":null,"title":null,"text":null},"info":{"text":null,"contact":null},"text_set":null,"youtube":{"size":"large","alternative_id":null},"visual_set":{"caption":null,"size":"small","visual":"/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/1.jpg"}},{"type":"text_set","block":{"sections":null,"title":null,"text":null},"info":{"text":null,"contact":null},"text_set":[{"ol":null,"ul":null,"headline1":null,"headline2":null,"headline3":null,"text":"Taguchi: That’s true. For me as well, it was only after I “tuned my antenna” that I realized the serious facts hidden beneath the surface.
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Hiyane: Exactly. What is truly serious is not just the numbers, but the fact that these issues exist right next to our daily lives, yet remain unrecognized and structurally neglected. Society as a whole wasn’t facing them. Even for myself, I hadn’t felt “poverty” as something close to me until then.
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Taguchi: Gaining that awareness was the starting point for everything. 5 years later, Hiyane-san’s activities in Okinawa have expanded, and I feel things are gradually changing.
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Hiyane: Yes. We now see private companies, like MOM FoR STAR, stepping up to solve these issues themselves. More companies are realizing that they shouldn’t just seek profit, but must also create a social impact.
\n","type":"text"},{"ol":null,"ul":null,"headline1":"Changes in Children Brought by Their Mothers' GrowthTaguchi: The 1st year of MOM FoR STAR was a process of trial and error. We welcomed 5 people in the 1st year, but we quickly realized that even under the label of “single mother,” everyone’s background is completely different. We learned that you can’t just group people under the banner of “social contribution”—it’s not that simple.
\n","type":"text"}],"youtube":{"size":"large","alternative_id":null},"visual_set":{"caption":null,"size":"large","visual":null}},{"type":"visual_set","block":{"sections":null,"title":null,"text":null},"info":{"text":null,"contact":null},"text_set":null,"youtube":{"size":"large","alternative_id":null},"visual_set":{"caption":null,"size":"small","visual":"/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2.jpg"}},{"type":"text_set","block":{"sections":null,"title":null,"text":null},"info":{"text":null,"contact":null},"text_set":[{"ol":null,"ul":null,"headline1":null,"headline2":null,"headline3":null,"text":"Hiyane: It’s precisely because of those struggles on the ground that we are where we are today.
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Taguchi: Even regarding IT skills, we started with basic website updates, but now we have no-code tools and AI. The nature of the work and what we need them to learn is constantly evolving. As we improved our methods, we saw clear changes in the members. Some have built experience through MOM FoR STAR and moved on to full-time employment at other companies. Others are now essential members of FOURDIGIT’s own projects, and their growing capabilities are very reassuring.
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Hiyane: The results are clear, but what moved me most was the “change of heart” in the mothers and their children.
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Taguchi: I feel the same way. One story that stands out is about a mother who started working hard on her computer. Seeing her “challenging herself,” her child—who previously didn’t help with chores—started cleaning their own room and cooking rice to wait for her to come home. The sight of a mother “working back” became the trigger for the child to change.
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Hiyane: A child watching their mother embrace a challenge—that is the best form of education and links directly to hope for the next generation. That’s the moment I feel truly glad we started MOM FoR STAR. It would be wonderful if those children grow up to be great engineers or go on to prestigious universities in the future.
\n","type":"text"}],"youtube":{"size":"large","alternative_id":null},"visual_set":{"caption":null,"size":"large","visual":null}},{"type":"visual_set","block":{"sections":null,"title":null,"text":null},"info":{"text":null,"contact":null},"text_set":null,"youtube":{"size":"large","alternative_id":null},"visual_set":{"caption":null,"size":"small","visual":"/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/3.jpg"}},{"type":"text_set","block":{"sections":null,"title":null,"text":null},"info":{"text":null,"contact":null},"text_set":[{"ol":null,"ul":null,"headline1":null,"headline2":null,"headline3":null,"text":"Taguchi: Hiyane-san, you’ve also been supporting “Ryukyufrogs,” a talent development program, for a long time. Knowing people are taking concrete action gives me great courage.
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Hiyane: Ryukyufrogs, which started in 2008, also began from the idea of “just starting small.” In Silicon Valley, I saw 10- and 20-year-olds moving to change the world. Meanwhile, in Okinawa, there was a strong tendency for young people not to want to leave the prefecture or to simply seek stability. To break that shell, I decided to simply send them to Silicon Valley to feel it firsthand. That’s how it started.
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Taguchi: Stimulating the youth and empowering mothers through MOM FoR STAR—these activities are connecting, and the overall atmosphere of Okinawa is beginning to change.
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Hiyane: Support is expanding from “points” to “lines,” and now to “planes.” Activities that used to be lonely battles are now becoming a platform where companies, the government, and the individuals involved are connected both horizontally and vertically.
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Taguchi: However, it feels like we’ve only just reached the starting line. Now in 2026, I want to move toward more concrete collaboration with the government. I hope we can create a system where local challenges and administration support each other. I also want to expand horizontal connections—creating situations where companies don’t just see these mothers as “recipients of support,” but as professionals to hire and welcome as they level up their careers.
\n","type":"text"}],"youtube":{"size":"large","alternative_id":null},"visual_set":{"caption":null,"size":"large","visual":null}},{"type":"visual_set","block":{"sections":null,"title":null,"text":null},"info":{"text":null,"contact":null},"text_set":null,"youtube":{"size":"large","alternative_id":null},"visual_set":{"caption":null,"size":"small","visual":"/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/4.jpg"}},{"type":"text_set","block":{"sections":null,"title":null,"text":null},"info":{"text":null,"contact":null},"text_set":[{"ol":null,"ul":null,"headline1":"Designing a \"System of Non-Diminishing Funds\" for Sustainability","headline2":null,"headline3":null,"text":null,"type":"headline1"},{"ol":null,"ul":null,"headline1":null,"headline2":null,"headline3":null,"text":"Taguchi: After 5 years, I am certain of one thing: you cannot sustain an activity solely on the feelings that “it’s a good thing” or “the world needs it.” Even if you want to continue, the activity stops if the funding side’s business performance declines. We need a system that guarantees sustainability, rather than such an unstable form.
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Hiyane: That is indeed a major challenge. Many organizations start something, but can’t keep it going for more than a year.
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Taguchi: That’s why I want to establish a “capital pool” within MOM FoR STAR. Instead of the contributed funds being consumed and disappearing, I want to manage them as a “fund that doesn’t diminish,” even if it starts small. I want to build a structure where the investment returns cover the operating costs. There are various reference cases, but we must design it to fit our specific activities.
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Hiyane: That’s the concept of an “endowment.” To achieve this, I believe it’s important to mix different types of capital. We need to bridge private programs like MOM FoR STAR with welfare sectors facing heavier challenges and the government. The administration shouldn’t see this as a standalone project, but as part of the social structure, solving things three-dimensionally by combining public and private funds. This will allow for even broader solutions.
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Taguchi: It would have been difficult to involve the government or think about such a social structure from the very beginning. But now that terms like “Zebra companies” and “Patient money” have become more common, it might be easier for people to understand our goals.
\n","type":"text"}],"youtube":{"size":"large","alternative_id":null},"visual_set":{"caption":null,"size":"large","visual":null}},{"type":"visual_set","block":{"sections":null,"title":null,"text":null},"info":{"text":null,"contact":null},"text_set":null,"youtube":{"size":"large","alternative_id":null},"visual_set":{"caption":null,"size":"small","visual":"/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/5.jpg"}},{"type":"text_set","block":{"sections":null,"title":null,"text":null},"info":{"text":null,"contact":null},"text_set":[{"ol":null,"ul":null,"headline1":null,"headline2":null,"headline3":null,"text":"Hiyane: I agree. Projects facing social issues don’t produce answers overnight. You sow seeds in the first 3 years, and in the next 3 years, they finally sprout into a single sapling. Now that it has taken a visible form, more people are gathering to say, “I want to help grow this,” and collaboration across company lines and sectors is accelerating. MOM FoR STAR is exactly at that crucial turning point—shifting into the phase of “expansion.”
\n","type":"text"},{"ol":null,"ul":null,"headline1":"When Adults Embrace Challenges, Children Gain Hope for the FutureTaguchi: Hiyane-san, looking at your advocacy for “Okinawa Inc.” and the activities of MOM FoR STAR, what kind of future do you want to create?
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Hiyane: I want a future where not only the mothers but also their children can have dreams, expand their possibilities, and carve out their own paths. By supporting single mothers and allowing their children to witness diverse ways of living from various adults, we can draw out the children’s inherent potential. This will be the driving force for rich change in the entire region. If, in 5 or 10 years, those children are enjoying their lives with hope, Okinawa’s future will surely be bright.
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Taguchi: I also believe it’s vital for children to live with dreams. I think this activity will be a success when it is no longer spoken of with the special resonance of “solving local social issues.” I want to aim for a society where it’s natural for children to have hope for the future because they see adults working hard.
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Hiyane: Taguchi-san, your words at the launch of MOM FoR STAR—”Let’s do this brightly with the power of creativity”—still leave a strong impression on me. Even if there is a “heavy 20%” of society facing challenges, if we spread a positive atmosphere of “MOM FoR STAR is exciting” rather than just a sense of pity, that 20% ceases to be “objects of support.” They regain their natural brilliance and become the “hopeful 20%” that lights up Okinawa’s future. I want to aim for this reversal of the “80/20 Rule,” and I believe we can achieve it.
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Taguchi: It’s about being bright and continuing the work. Let’s keep moving forward together.
\n","type":"text"}],"youtube":{"size":"large","alternative_id":null},"visual_set":{"caption":null,"size":"large","visual":null}},{"type":"visual_set","block":{"sections":null,"title":null,"text":null},"info":{"text":null,"contact":null},"text_set":null,"youtube":{"size":"large","alternative_id":null},"visual_set":{"caption":null,"size":"small","visual":"/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/6.jpg"}},{"type":"text_set","block":{"sections":null,"title":null,"text":null},"info":{"text":null,"contact":null},"text_set":[{"ol":null,"ul":null,"headline1":null,"headline2":null,"headline3":null,"text":"[ MOM FoR STAR Short Film ]
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[ Information on Donations ]
\nWe are accepting donations to fund the activities of MOM FoR STAR. We sincerely ask for your support and cooperation toward building a more sustainable operation and environment.
\nhttps://www.momforstar.jp/donation/
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[ Credits ]
\nMOM FoR STAR ：https://www.momforstar.jp/
\nUmusun Lab：https://umusunlab.co.jp/
\nFOURDIGIT：https://www.4digit.com/