As we move into 2026, a very special year marking the 20th Anniversary of Shine On! Kids, we want to take a moment to reflect on all that we gratefully acknowledge and celebrate.
We are deeply thankful for:
- Our incredible team members, whose passion and heart fuel our mission each and every day.
- Our generous donors and sponsors. Without your support, the impact we make simply wouldn’t be possible.
- The hospitals and dedicated medical professionals who partner with us and welcome our programs into their care settings.
- And most importantly, the brave children and families across Japan whose strength, courage, and resilience continually inspire us to innovate, grow, and serve better.
Demand for all of our psychosocial support programs, from Hospital Facility Dogs and Beads of Courage® to Camp Courage for Survivors and Shine On! Connections is at an all-time high, and the momentum just keeps building as more children and families access these life-affirming services.
We’re thrilled to share even more of our impactful work with kids and families throughout Japan in 2026. Thank you for walking beside us on this journey of healing, courage, and positive transformation.
With gratitude,
Kim Forsythe
President, Shine On! Kids
Hospital Facility Dog® Program
A Message from Yuko Morita
Hospital Facility Dog®Program Handler Leader
In fiscal year 2026, Shine On! Kids plans to deploy at least two teams for the first time. Our organization naturally hopes to dispatch as many Hospital Facility Dogs® as possible to hospitals nationwide where children are battling illness. However, increasing the number of dogs we place isn’t simply a matter of intention.
When a hospital expresses interest in introducing a Hospital Facility Dog®, we begin a detailed and thoughtful process. This includes securing operational funding; working with the hospital to develop tailored infection control policies; ensuring suitable facilities like break rooms; coordinating logistics with medical and administrative teams; training appropriate dogs; and hiring qualified handlers. Only after all these steps (and more!) are fulfilled can a dog and handler begin working together in the hospital.
For some hospitals, this journey from the first conversation to the moment the team steps into the hospital wards can take years! So to be moving forward with two introductions in a single fiscal year is a remarkable achievement that reflects how highly our program is valued.
This milestone humbles us, inspires us, and reminds us why we do this work: to bring comfort, connection, and courage to children who need it most.
In 2026, we will move forward as one team to provide an even better program.
A Message from Shinya Kawasaki
Hospital Facility Dog®Training Manager
In 2025, we focused on building systems to train more candidate dogs.
We made significant progress expanding our training bases and found a new potential facility.
At this new home, we’ll create an environment where our dogs can live even more comfortably.
In 2025, we also welcomed new dogs to Japan: Hugh, a career-change dog from New Zealand, and puppies Amy and Luca from Australia.
We are excited to take some major steps forward in 2026 by:
- Accepting 4–5 new candidate dogs into our training program.
- Expanding our training team to better support our growing program.
- Strengthening our foundation and systems to ensure sustainability as we send dogs into hospitals.
- Continuing our mission to bring comfort, courage, and smiles to more children than ever before.
Thank you to everyone who supports our work. We couldn’t do this without you! ✨
Officially Welcoming Oli!
In November, we held an Inauguration Ceremony for Oli and an “Annie-to-Oli Handover Ceremony” at Kanagawa Children’s Medical Center.
Handler Minori Ichikawa passed the final handler certification exam in October last year and was officially introduced at the ceremony. During the event, Hospital Director Dr. Ishikawa presented the official appointment letter—an important milestone for both Minori and Oli.
Annie, who has spent the past eight years supporting children through their treatments and daily life, is scheduled to retire around her birthday in March this year. Until then, she will continue to stay close to and support Oli as she takes on her new role.
Long-time sponsors who have supported Annie, along with friends of Bailey, Annie, and Oli, also attended, filling the venue with warmth and encouragement.
We hope you’ll join us in cheering on Team Oli as they begin this new chapter, bringing comfort and strength to children and their families.
Beads of Courage® Program
We are thrilled to share the progress of the Beads of Courage® program in Japan this past year.
Key Achievements of 2025:
- Expanded reach: 4 new pediatric medical institutions joined the program, bringing the total to 34 facilities across Japan.
- Trained champions: 301 healthcare providers completed our Beads Ambassador training, empowering more teams to support kids and families.
- New program launches:
- NICU Beads Program for families in neonatal intensive care.
- Independence Support Beads to encourage junior high and high school students with heart conditions.
- Sibling Beads and Learning Beads initiatives to support the whole family.
- Reflection Beads to help patients review and reflect on their treatment journey after hospital discharge.
We look forward to delivering beads and hope to reach even more children in 2026!
Partners in the News
Sanofi and Courage Beads
In December, as part of their CSR program, about 20 Sanofi K.K.employees gathered to learn about Shine On! Kids and the Beads of Courage® program. After our presentations, everyone chose handmade glass beads and spent time writing personal messages to accompany them as part of the “Messages of Courage Beads” initiative. These beads are given to children undergoing treatment to celebrate moments when they’ve shown strength and courage.
With thoughtful questions, colorful pens, and cheerful stickers, participants created messages full of encouragement and hope. Imagining the children who will receive them made each bead an even more meaningful gift. We will deliver them to hospitals next year.
We extend our sincere gratitude to Sanofi representatives, all participating employees, and the glass bead artists who generously donate their work. Thank you for supporting our mission and sharing this special time with us!
Lufthansa Visit and Fundraising through the Berlin Marathon
Two members of the Lufthansa Group which is part of help alliance Japan, (a charity initiative within the Lufthansa Group), took on the challenge of the Berlin Marathon last September to raise awareness and support for Shine On! Kids.
Megumi Nishikawa and Shinichi Suzuki successfully completed the marathon and continued their online crowdfunding campaign which raised over 500,000 yen for Shine On! Kids to date!
As a thank you to these stars and their team members at Lufthansa, Shine On! Kids’ Hospital Facility Dog-in-training, Miko, along with veteran handler Yuko Morita, visited their office in Tokyo in December. Yuko gave a presentation on what Hospital Facility Dogs® are, how they are trained, and the impact they have on the lives of children and families in hospitals. This was followed by an interactive session with all of the team members.
These corporate visits are a valuable way for Shine On! Kids to connect with, to educate, to inspire, and to express gratitude to the greater community who support our work.
We deeply thank Megumi and Shinichi for coming up with this initiative and hope that it inspires others as well!
If you would like to donate and support our Hospital Facility Dogs® program via Megumi and Shinichi’s page – please click HERE.
If you are interested in supporting Shine On! Kids in some way like this – please get in touch with kim@sokids.org
AXA Charity Run & Walk
At the end of last year, AXA Holdings Japan Co., Ltd. hosted the ‘Hospital Facility Dog® Support Project’ Charity Run & Walk in Tokyo. Our newest dog, Oli, and handler Minori Ichikawa joined, along with veteran handler Yuko Morita and Shine On! Members from as far away as Shizuoka! Yuko originally planned to do the 5km walk, but after being invited by a child from our Shine On! Members, she decided on the spur of the moment to challenge the 10km run!
AXA supports SOK’s Hospital Facility Dog® program at Kanagawa Prefectural Children’s Medical Center. AXA Japan donated 5 million yen to support the activities of Hospital Facility Dogs® Annie and Oli at the Kanagawa Prefectural Children’s Medical Center and donated all of the participation fees from the Run & Walk to Shine on! Kids.
Furthermore, they gifted all children hospitalized at the Kanagawa Prefectural Children’s Medical Center with an AXA original bandana and an Oli plush toy. Later, Yuko and Minori personally distributed these to every ward.
Finally, we express our heartfelt gratitude for the tremendous donation supporting Annie and Oli’s activities. Beyond that, we extend our deepest thanks once again to AXA Japan for planning and hosting this wonderful event. It allowed AXA Japan employees, their families, friends, and business partners to interact directly with the facility dogs, making their presence and activities feel more tangible and personal.
If your company is interested in partnering with Shine On! Kids at an event like this, please contact kim@sokids.org
Executive Fight Night XIV!!!
SAVE THE DATE and Try-outs!
Mark your calendar for May 29th at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo for EFN XIV!!!
And spread the word! Tryouts for EFN XIV are on Saturday, February 21st at 4:30pm @Club360. No experience is necessary! Only a desire to take on an amazing and life-changing challenge toward mental and physical fitness!
And your participation also supports Shine On! Kids!!
Just fill out the tryout form HERE.
Questions about tryouts? Contact: info@club360.jp
Want to see your company’s name in lights on the night?
For questions about sponsorship opportunities, contact: kim@sokids.org
