A circle of friends connected by goo touch! The “FIST BUMP” corner of the radio program “GRAND MARQUEE” features people who live and enjoy Tokyo in a relay format.
On December 14, Ms. Mizuho Kudo, editor-in-chief of the web media “soar,” was introduced by Ms. Naoko Sakurabayashi, a person of chatting. We asked her about the reason why she started “soar”, her thoughts on it, and the charity events she organized.
INDEX
Media “soar” was started to encourage people to live their own lives.
Celeina (MC): Ms. Kudo experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake while working for the Japanese Red Cross Society in Sendai. In 2015, he opened “soar,” a media outlet focusing on activities that expand people’s possibilities. In 2017, she established the NPO soar, aiming to create a future in which all people can live up to their potential through various approaches.
First of all, could you tell us why you launched “soar”?
Kudo: When one of my family members developed schizophrenia, I learned that there are many people with illnesses who are able to live their lives with support and in their own way. I felt that life can change drastically depending on the availability of information, so I started to think that it would be good if I could carry with me the wisdom of living by sharing the lifestyles of various people, and live my life in my own way, valuing myself as I am.
Celeina：It is important to carry the wisdom to live. I actually visited the site, and I felt that there are many topics that have not been mentioned much in the media.
Takano (MC): All the articles are voluminous, which is great for those who want to know more information. I felt that the segmentation of items such as worries and wishes makes it easy to get to the information one wants.
Kudo: Not only people with worries, but also people who have a desire to act for the good of society read our site, so we hope that we can provide hints to our readers.
Celeina: Which articles have had a particularly strong response?
Kudo: Many people search by the specific name of the disability or disease, but there are also people who enter their own problems and wishes as well. For example, their faces turn red when they speak in public, or they cry when they talk about their feelings. For those who have these kinds of worries that have not been clearly identified as issues, articles that can provide hints are often read.
Takano: Even if you have a problem, you don’t know where to go for help. The article also includes information on contact points, etc., so if you are interested, please check it out. I also thought it was great that there were no advertisements in the site.
Kudo: I think normal media usually include advertisements and tie-up articles, but “soar” has been operated with your sympathetic donations for the past eight years because we want to maintain the independence of the information we think is necessary and we want people who share our vision to participate.
Celeina: I see!
Kudo: We have many people who have been donating every month for a long time. We operate with the support of many different people.
Takano: Just by not having advertisements in the site, it makes it easier to look at.
Kudo: It also changes the appearance of the site, and by allowing people to read articles for free, I think it gives people more opportunities to genuinely learn about various people’s lives. Of course, there are some difficulties in running the site, but I want to keep the faith.
Celeina: I admire you. Is there a moment when you feel happy to be active?
Kudo: I often receive comments such as, “I had been struggling for years not to tell anyone, but reading your article gave me courage,” or “I feel like my horizons have broadened and I can live freely. What the media can do may be limited, but we are happy to be able to support people’s lives, even if only a little.
