Katariba is an education NPO active since 2001 under the banner 'a society where teens of any background can grow the motivation and creativity to make the future.' Founded by Kumi Imamura and others while at Keio University, it draws out teens' intrinsic drive through a 'diagonal relationship' with a slightly older senior who is neither parent/teacher (vertical) nor friend (horizontal). Starting with high-schoolers' career and inquiry learning ('Katari-ba,' 'My Project'), after the Great East Japan Earthquake it opened after-school 'Collabo Schools' in disaster areas, and since COVID has accompanied children of struggling households, young carers, school non-attenders and children of foreign roots online. Ordinary revenue exceeds 1.5 billion yen, with about 150 staff. It tries to fill the invisible 'opportunity gap'—not dismissing it with self-responsibility rhetoric nor dumping it on parents and schools, but filling it as a whole society. It partners with the Nippon Foundation, MEXT and local governments, and empirically verifies its own value at the Katariba Institute.
●●○ medium
There is no confirmed −; independently verified + decide the position (B). No unreachable strike-through.= non-additive meter
Katariba: Motivation and creativity for every teen, through the 'diagonal relationship'. The letter is B; certainty is medium. Unconfirmed concerns are placed under “Watching.” (As of 2026-Q3; estimate based on public information.)
Main narrative
One person’s story (N1)
+ A single story
Teens kept from learning and hope for the future by circumstances like economic hardship, being a young carer, or school non-attendance. Through Katariba's online companionship and places to belong, they gain learning opportunity and a 'safe base for the heart,' and a footing to move forward. The benefit appears as a collective: in one year it delivered online companionship to 422 children of struggling households and 359 guardians, connected 195 non-attending elementary/junior-high/high schoolers to learning, and stood by 172 guardians.
Source nature: P1 First-party (self-reported). Positive effects are not used to offset negatives.
Positive / negative effects
+ effects
- Founded in 2001 (certified NPO in 2013). It grows teens' motivation and creativity through the 'diagonal relationship.' Katari-ba, My Project, disaster-area after-school Collabo Schools (Onagawa, Otsuchi), online companionship for struggling/non-attending/young-carer/foreign-root children, Rule-Making for Everyone (108 schools, 37,082 people revising school rules). Ordinary revenue over 1.5 billion yen, about 150 staff.P2 Independent (encyclopedia)
− effects (confirmed)
- No confirmed −.
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- Deepening evidence on outcomes (academic ability, self-esteem, career path); horizontal rollout to local governments via the school-non-attendance policy lab; stabilizing funding; ensuring support quality.
A second look
The plus is educational opportunity, a place to belong, and motivation and creativity for teens—especially disadvantaged children in disaster areas, struggling households, school non-attenders, young carers and those of foreign roots (People), backed by over 20 years of activity, certified-NPO status, partnerships with the Nippon Foundation/MEXT/local governments, and the Katariba Institute's empirical research. Caveats: published results center on 'numbers reached,' and rigorously measuring the outcomes of educational intervention (effects on later life) is inherently hard; and dependence on donations and grants.
Sources
How to read this assessment
- Reachable upper bound (ceiling): a confirmed − sets the ceiling, and independently verified + decide the position within it. + do not cancel out −.
- The weight of evidence is not symmetric: only confirmed − are counted; the volume of disputes or allegations goes under “Watching.” + are counted from independent evidence, while an organization’s own PR is treated as “reference.”
- Size is not value: scale is not used in the assessment. Matters that stay within money or competition—investors, shareholders, sanctions, trade secrets—are also excluded.
- The letter (assessment) and certainty (how reliable the information is) are separate axes.
This is a translation; the Japanese version is authoritative. The assessments here are generated automatically by AI based on published criteria. The operator does not alter individual results. Because they are AI-generated they may contain errors, and they are opinion and commentary, not statements of fact. Where evidence is insufficient, the entry is marked “On hold.” Requests for correction are accepted via the form.
Terms: Narrative Value = an assessment (A–G) of the distance between the story an organization tells and its reality / Ceiling meter = a visualization of the reachable upper bound / Watching = unconfirmed matters not counted / Protected stakeholders = people, animals, nature, and future generations. | Generated by: AI | As of: 2026-Q3 | Back to top