KA Cares
The Origin of KA Cares
In 2005, Kayoko—the mother of our Founder and CEO, Charles Knudsen—wanted to support a local orphanage in Kanagawa. What began as a simple wish to help soon became a tradition. Together, we provided children with backpacks, school supplies, and Christmas gifts, and even took them to Uniqlo to choose clothes for their first day of school. These small but meaningful gestures gave the children confidence, dignity, and a sense of excitement about starting a new school year.
Over the years, our efforts grew beyond that one orphanage. We expanded our giving to support more underserved children throughout Japan, involving students, staff, and families across the KA community.
In 2018, we formalized this spirit of service into KA Cares. Today, every branch and department of Global KA Holdings sponsors a charity, allowing us to continue working together to bring joy, opportunity, and hope to children in Japan.
At KA Cares, we remain guided by the same principle that inspired Kayoko’s first gift: that every child deserves to feel seen, supported, and ready for the future.
Who We Support
Mirai no Mori is a NPO that offers fun and educational outdoor programs for abused, neglected and orphaned children. Since 2013, Mirai no Mori has aimed to empower marginalized youth by organizing outdoor activities that allow children to get away and have adventures in natural surroundings. In this stress-free environment, Mirai no Mori challenges the children to learn “Real-Life English”, to experience new cultures, and to gain leadership skills through their positive role model programs.
Free School Nemo (Nemonet) is a NPO in Chiba that provides a safe place for children to spend time when they face difficulties at school or have nowhere else to go. The children can come and go as they please and while there is adult supervision and guidance, no activities or projects are enforced. Instead, the children discuss together and decide what activities and projects they would like to participate in. Nemonet’s aim is to offer every child “a place to belong”. Also, guidance and support is offered to the parents who wish to help their kids.
Kanagawa Prefecture Children's Hospital offers treatments to young patients from all over Japan with severe long-term illnesses. The House of Lila—and Smile of Kids—gives families the chance to remain close to their child whilst they are receiving treatments. The house is located near the hospital so that the families can remain close to their children during their most difficult times without financial strain. It aims to be “the second home” to families in their time of need.
Aiji no Ie is a children’s home in Tokyo that currently houses 36 children without a home. When Aiji no Ie was established in 1945, it was a specialized care facility for the young and injured victims of WWII, but Aiji no Ie evolved with time and changed its structure while always maintaining their core value of supporting young children. Aiji no Ie has been operating as a registered children’s home since 2010 for orphaned or abused children and aims to always focus on the children’s needs above anything else.
Children’s Self-reliant Living Assistance Center is a 3-in-1 support centre that offers holistic support to children with special needs. It is a children’s home, a care home for children with disabilities and a psychological treatment facility, all working together to care for children physically, medically and emotionally. KA started supporting Children’s Self-reliant Living Assistance Center by donating toys for Christmas in 2017, but in recent years we have responded to their request and started donating items such as schoolbags, baby beds, and DVDs.
Shabon, a wheelchair manufacturing company, customizes wheelchairs and other supporting equipment to fit the needs of individual wheelchair users. Their aim is to create wheelchairs that the users can feel excited about and proud of. Mr. Machida, the CEO, has been arranging annual summer trips and Christmas parties for disabled children and adults for over two decades. The trip offers the chance for wheelchair users to go on a trip and enjoy freedom without the support of their family.
Playground of Hope is a Tokyo-registered non-profit organization that works towards providing children in at-risk communities such as children’s homes and disaster zones with access to essential outdoor play equipment.
At Playground of Hope, we believe that play can help kids:
Learn: Children learn many vital life skills that cannot be learned from books.
Connect: Children develop self-control and develop social skills.
Heal: Children can release toxic stress, mend hurt feelings, and overcome fears.
For over 55 years, Ashinaga has been a crucial pillar of support for students facing the challenges of losing one or both parents. They are dedicated to providing financial and emotional support to orphaned children, helping them navigate the grieving process, pursue education, and lead them toward a successful, happy future. Their efforts have supported more than 110,000 orphaned children to gain access to higher education, and since 2002, they have expanded their mission globally.
Reale World is a certified nonprofit organization in Japan committed to empowering youth through leadership development, community engagement, and global connection. Founded in 2004, it began as a fair-trade shop and has since grown into a wide-reaching organization supporting children and young adults in both Japan and Nepal. Through projects like soccer-based leadership training, educational outreach, and cultural exchange, Reale World fosters confidence, compassion, and a strong sense of purpose in the next generation.
Shine On! Kids supports children in Japan with cancer and other serious illnesses through a number of innovative, evidence-based psycho-social support programs. Understanding that a journey back to health is not only about the patient, Shine On! Kids also supports the multiple family members caring for these kids inside and outside of the hospital as well as the medical staff who undergo their own challenges of managing stress in caring for very sick kids.