On 5 July 2023, the Soka Gakkai Women’s Peace Committee (WPC) held a forum on children’s rights as part of its “Culture of Peace” lecture series. These lectures, ongoing since 2011, cover a variety of topics and engage a large number of WPC members and the general public throughout Japan.

To open the event, Atsuko Harada, a member of the WPC, shared her experience of working at a childcare facility that cares for children during after-school hours. The key that enables children to lead hopeful and fulfilling lives, she said, is unwavering support and compassion from adults who believe in every child’s unlimited inherent potential.

The lecturer, Professor Kaori Suetomi of Nihon University, spoke about the Basic Act for Children and the Children and Families Agency, which were established in Japan in April 2023. Suetomi stressed that the establishment of these legal institutions marked a significant milestone of policy related to children in Japan, providing the basic foundation to promote and protect children’s rights in accord with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. She spoke about relative and multidimensional poverty, as well as how to realize a truly “children-first” society, which she said requires adopting a comprehensive policy approach that encompasses support for children with respect to their living environments, isolation in schools and homes, as well as health and security, among other factors.