<div><strong>Japan</strong> is a beautiful country with a unique culture and history. Tragically, however, it is also a country with <strong>one of the highest suicide rates in the world</strong>.
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<div>Among the reasons for this high suicide rate is the intense pressure within Japanese society, not only to keep up and fit in, but to excel. Failure to do so often results in rejection and loss of hope.
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<div>"The number of children not attending school in Tokyo has reached approximately 27,000, a figure that has been increasing for 10 consecutive years, making it urgent to address this issue."
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<div>(The children who stop attending school are at greater risk for depression and suicide).
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<div><a href="https://www.kyoiku.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/information/press/2024/02/2024021506" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><a href="https://www.kyoiku.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/information/press/2024/02/2024021506" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.kyoiku.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/information/press/2024/02/2024021506</a></a>
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<div>--More information on this topic is at the end, below the photos--
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<div>John and Jean LaDue, who lived and worked as Christian missionaries in Japan for over 40 years, have observed that when Japanese people leave this high pressure environment for a period of time (months to years), they are relieved of the pressure, often gain a new perspective on life, and hope can be renewed.
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<div>The LaDues have personal relationships with many people who have benefited from such experiences, and have seen a difference in them over the years.
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<div>Now, though past the usual age for retirement, John and Jean have a new mission: to build and provide a home outside of Japan for young Japanese people, and others, to stay for various lengths of time.
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<div>In this place, the visitors who come for a “home-stay” will have an opportunity to experience healing through being in nature, gardening, possibly caring for animals, helping to prepare meals, exercising outdoors, socializing, learning English, and more.
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<div>The LaDues have had the opportunity to acquire a ten acre piece of property in the hills west of the small town of Chino Valley, Arizona.
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<div>So far, we have been able to convert two small existing buildings on the property into usable space, drill a well, add solar power, acquire a vehicle, and plant a garden and fruit trees.
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<div>We have also started building the main house.
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<div>We have been busy with all of the above, but building has been progressing slowly. Nonetheless, we are seeing progress.
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<div>Please see the update section below about work completed and in progress.
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<div>We will update this fundraiser as more is accomplished.
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<div>For those who would like to help bring this vision about, we, the family, invite you to pray, to donate, to invite others to pray and/or donate, and to share this <strong>GoFundMe link: </strong><a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/u3j98h-building-a-foundation-of-hope-for-japan039s-youth" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong><a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/u3j98h-building-a-foundation-of-hope-for-japan039s-youth" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.gofundme.com/f/u3j98h-building-a-foundation-of-hope-for-japan039s-youth</a></strong></a>
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<div>If you would like to donate and be certain to receive a tax deduction, please contact us through GoFundMe. We will send you information on how to do that.
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<div>Thank you and God bless each of you!
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<div>Progress on the outside of the new house.
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<div>Some of the trees in front of the new house. Many are fruit trees.
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<div>Views of the property and surroundings.
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<div><strong>Information from the Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education:</strong>
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<div>1-The number of students not attending school in Tokyo's elementary and junior high schools has been increasing in recent years, and in 2023, the number reached a record high.
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<div>The number of students not attending school has increased from the previous year to 13,275 in elementary schools and 18,451 in junior high schools. The incidence of students not attending school has also increased to 2.21% in elementary schools and 7.80% in junior high schools.
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<div>Details:
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<div>Increase in the number of students not attending school:
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<div>The number of students not attending school in Tokyo's public elementary and junior high schools in 2023 increased significantly from the previous year to 13,275 in elementary schools and 18,451 in junior high schools.
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<div>Increase in the incidence of students not attending school:
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<div>The incidence of students not attending school has also increased from the previous year to 2.21% in elementary schools and 7.80% in junior high schools.
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<div>Record high:
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<div>The number of students not attending school has reached a record high since statistics began being
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<div>collected in 2007.
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<div>Causes of increase:
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<div>The increase is likely due to the complexity and diversification of the environment surrounding children, changes in home situations, and the development of communication devices.
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<div>Reasons for not attending school:
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<div>The top reasons for not attending school are "apathy/anxiety," "disruption of daily rhythm," "friendship," and "parent-child interaction."
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<div>School return rate:
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<div>While the rate of return to school is increasing in elementary schools, it is declining in junior high schools.
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<div>Content of consultation:
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<div>The most common topic of consultation from children who are not attending school is "lack of motivation for school life," followed by "anxiety/depression" and "disorders in daily rhythm."
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<div>Measures in cooperation with local governments:
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<div>The Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education will work with wards, cities, towns, and villages to improve learning environments to suit each individual's situation.
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<div>2-In elementary and junior high schools, about one in 47 children, and one in 15 children, respectively, are absent from school.
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<div>According to a survey by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, in 2023, 346,482 children and students nationwide, who were absent from school for 30 days or more, the highest number ever.
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<div>Anxiety is said to occur when a child has a greater sense of worry about things than the average child. When worry turns into anxiety and becomes excessive, it can lead to physical symptoms such as stomachache and headache.
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<div>Worrying can be a natural part of a child's personality, but it can also be influenced by the characteristics of parents who are prone to behavior that can lead to school absenteeism, such as over-interference, overprotection, and worry. Of course, both are possible. Worried children tend to think negatively about things they've never done before, thinking, "What if I fail?", rather than being curios about trying something new. They therefore tend to choose not to take on challenges, i.e. to miss school. This is especially true when there is a change in class at the start of the new semester and the environment changes, or when there is a big change in the environment, such as when moving from kindergarten to elementary school or from elementary school to junior high school. Children who start to refuse to go to school when they enter elementary school, or who start to miss classes when their homeroom teacher becomes a strict, male teacher are prone to anxiety.
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<div>Why do children become anxious due to overly involved, overprotective, and anxious parents? As mentioned above, overly involved and overprotective parents give their children the answers before they can solve problems, which leads to a lack of self-solving ability. They become anxious when they are unable to think for themselves and act. The accumulation of experiences of being unsure and afraid leads to the formation of an anxious personality.
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<div>Another influence of anxious parents is that, as the saying goes, parents are a mirror of their children, and the parents' personalities are transferred to their children.
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<div>Lack of communication skills:
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<div>Communication skills are the ability to communicate well with others, such as family, school teachers, and friends. When you enter school or society, this communication ability becomes very important. In home education, it is important to learn the social skills that you will need when you enter society, and communication skills are one of those social skills. This lack of ability is seen due to the influence of parental characteristics that make children more likely to drop out of school, such as over-interference, over-protection, worry, control, and emotional criticism. Over-interference and over-protection mean that parents tell their children the answer before they can think about it, so communication skills are not cultivated.
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<div><strong>From the August 28, 2025 article in The Japan Times, by Jessica Speed:</strong>
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<div>Nearly three-quarters of Japanese teenagers who struggle with school life say the start of a new term after summer break feels painful, according to a recent survey released by Yokohama-based nonprofit Daisan Kazoku.
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<div>The online poll was conducted from July 30 to Aug. 11 among 216 respondents between the ages of 10 and 18 who had previously described themselves as struggling with school life. When asked about the new semester, 73.1% described it as “painful.” Another 14.4% called it “boring,” and only 1.9% of respondents said they were actively looking forward to it.
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<div>The top reasons teens cited for feeling burdened at school included a fear of being judged by others (79.6%) and a stifling atmosphere (71.3%). A total of 45.4% said they had no friends and 44.0% said they couldn’t keep up with classes.
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Building a Foundation of Hope for Japan's Youth

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