Our dream: A world united through football.

True to its vision of promoting football and interest in sport to create an environment where people can live happier lives, JFA is leveraging its know-how to make a positive social impact beyond the world of football.

Participation in the UN Global Compact

On 7 July 2009, JFA became the 93rd Japanese organisation to register with the United Nations Global Compact. Although FC Barcelona of Spain was already a participant, JFA was the world's first sports organising body to sign up.

The United Nations Global Compact is a platform for UN agencies, private-sector companies, and non-profit organisations to address problems in the international community, in particular wealth inequalities resulting from globalisation.

The programme seeks to narrow the gap between rich and poor, eliminate corruption, protect the environment, and eliminate discrimination. Its goal is to achieve sustainable growth at the global level by encouraging individual organisations to assume responsibility and demonstrate independent, creative, and coordinated leadership in business and CSR activities.

JFA registered with the United Nations Global Compact because the JFA’s ideals and activities accord with the values of this UN initiative.

JFA Kokoro Project

The JFA Kokoro Project is an original JFA programme designed to contribute positively to the emotional and physical development of children. It arranges for popular current or former players from the Japan National Team, J. League, and Nadeshiko Japan (the women’s national team) to visit elementary schools and talk about their experiences in overcoming difficulties in their own lives. The “dream teachers” communicate to pupils the importance of having dreams and goals to work towards; the importance of fair play and teamwork; and the need to respect one's peers.

In total, nearly 250 such classes were held in FY2007, the project’s first year, and almost 700 in FY2008. Dream teachers have shared their special experiences with 29,929 children in Japan and three other countries to date.

JFA Green Project: Pot Seedling Method and Lawn Creation Model Project

JFA believes that grass-covered schoolyards and recreation areas can help create a better environment for sports and local communities. That is why JFA has teamed up with the J.League to promote the grassing over of schoolyards and public recreation grounds.

In FY2008, JFA implemented its Potted Seedling Method Lawn Creation Model Project. This provided free potted grass seedlings to 29 locations in Japan (14 kindergartens/daycare centres, 4 elementary schools, 2 football clubs, and 9 local governments). A total of 300,000 grass seedlings were distributed—enough to cover five sports grounds or an area equivalent to 50,000 square metres.

UNESCO World Terakoya Movement/Kururimpa Project

JFA is donating footballs to Asian countries through this joint project involving the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan and the Dentsu Group.

Respect Project

JFA and J.League see respect as "the cornerstone of fair play” and define it as “the players on the pitch and people off the pitch showing mutual consideration for one other.” All of us in the football family need to be respectful of one another to get the maximum enjoyment from our sport. Under the strong belief that the cumulative effects of “respect” will help achieve the JFA 2005 Declaration’s goals and the J.League’s 100 Year Vision and will help establish a sports culture in Japan, a range of policies to support this endeavour are being implemented.