About Us

Our Vision

A society where young people have a third place to belong beyond home and society.

We do not leave them alone when they are hurting.
We aim for a society where, even in loneliness or isolation, there is somewhere to turn.

What We Do

We don’t leave young people alone as they navigate difficult feelings.

Some struggles are hard to solve. Some cannot be fixed by logic alone. Some feelings have nowhere to go.We stay with young people until ”there’s nothing I can do” can begin to feel like ”I’ll be okay.”help them find their own answers, look for another path, and choose to keep living.

Who We Serve

Young people facing difficult situations

Caught in the gaps of social systems, facing family issues, school problems, and mental illness. The problems vary in type and severity, but many share the same feeling: ”there’s nothing I can do.”

Overprotective parents, imposed ideals, excessive pressure, sibling comparisons
Parental conflict, mental illness or developmental disorders in parents or children
Abuse, bullying, school refusal, young carers, LGBTQ+, poverty

Rising suicide rates

Child suicide is on the rise. 2024 saw a record high of 529 cases.

Cycle of abuse

Abuse often continues across generations and the cycle persists.

Rising school non-attendance

School non-attendance is increasing. 2024 saw a record 350,000 cases.

What We Do

Finding belonging in the 1st or 2nd family

The 1st family is “the person's own family,” the 2nd is “the local community.”The 3rd family is a network of people you may not know personally, but who can still be there for you.Ultimately, finding a place of belonging within reach.

Concept 1

Support that respects distance

For teenagers who are not connected to existing support systems,
we build networks of mutual support among peers — not top-down adult intervention.
We try everything little by little until they feel they can trust us.

Concept 2

Now < Fundamental future resolution

Teenagers' problems are complex and often hard to solve.
When fundamental resolution is difficult, first help them get through.
We aim for a future where they can live joyfully as adults, breaking the cycle of problems.

Goal

Finding “okay” and moving toward the 1st or 2nd family

First, finding a sense of “okay” even in hard situations —finding their own answers, looking for another path, choosing to keep living.Then, finding a place of belonging within their own reach.

My mom was too controlling, but I realized “I am me, she is her.” I was able to talk with her and things calmed down.
I refused school and had no friends, but found a community through gedokun. I gained some confidence in talking. Now I'm doing my best at a correspondence high school.
Education was strict, but I also wanted to become a doctor and respected my parent's work. I decided to work hard without pushing myself too much. After exams, we're closer now.
I thought being hit was normal, but learned it was abuse and contacted child services. Now I live in a facility.

Organization

Representative

Haruka Okumura

The catalyst for her work was losing her younger brother to suicide during her second year of university. For a year she was unable to do anything, but drawing on her love of making things, she tried building a message board for people struggling with their home environment — and far more people gathered than she expected. While receiving heartfelt messages of thanks, she also realized the gravity of the issues people were facing, and felt she had to do more. She left her first job at LINE Corporation and founded NPO The Third Family (Daisan no kazoku). Today she is not driven by her own past, but is fully absorbed in creating better circumstances alongside the teenagers who fall through the cracks.

Full Profile

Engineer

Development Team

Responsible for service design and engineering.

Former Users

Youth Members

Former users of NPO The Third Family. Help with operations and provide advice.

Volunteer

Volunteers

Volunteer members contributing professional experience.

Back Office

Administration

Responsible for back-office operations.

Overview

Name	Certified NPO The Third Family (Daisan no kazoku)
Founded	March 23, 2023 (activities began March 2021)
Address	Taisei Building 2F, 3-61 Aioi-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
Service Area	Web: Nationwide. Events: Kanagawa & Tokyo
Members	20 (including contractors)
Services	Community site: gedokun Information site: nigeruno Research: Family Environment Data Online & offline events
Mission	Building a web platform where children and youth with struggles can grow in a healthy way.