To develop in a more organized and continual fashion the welfare activities that the Daigas Group has carried out through the “Small Light Campaign” launched in 1981 (the UN International Year of Disabled Persons) as a company volunteer effort, 362 companies including Osaka Gas and affiliate companies, the associations comprised of contracted companies providing sales of gas appliances and other services, pipe working joined together in October 1985 to establish and fund the Osaka Gas Group Welfare Foundation in honor of Osaka Gas' 80th anniversary. The Foundation is involved in subsidizing local welfare activities for the elderly and surveys/research conducted by universities and medical institutions, and in promoting fitness efforts aimed at helping senior citizens maintain and improve their health.

In September 1992, the Osaka Gas International Exchange Foundation was founded and fully funded by Osaka Gas, and in October 2010 the Foundation was granted authorization by the Cabinet Office to transition into a public interest incorporated foundation. The Foundation now works to deepen mutual understanding with natural gas producing countries and to make international contributions through the foundation's business activities, as well as provide subsidies that help ensure reliable supplies of natural gas.

Contributing to a vigorous society with excellent longevity

Set up in 1985 through the contribution of Daigas Group companies, the Osaka Gas Group Welfare Foundation operates in six prefectures of the Kansai region, mainly engaging in (1) funding welfare projects, (2) researching and surveying the elderly population and (3) supporting health-promotion projects to help maintain and improve the health of the elderly.

In FY2019, the Foundation provided 8.16 million yen in subsidies to 74 welfare projects for the elderly, and 8 million yen in subsidies to 12 investigation and research projects, and carried out 155 health-promotion projects involving 9,504 participants.

In FY2020, the Foundation’s targets are to provide 8.5 million yen to welfare projects for the elderly, 7.5 million yen to investigation and research projects, and carry out 128 health-promotion projects involving 6,640 participants.

The donation of musical instruments as a subsidy to support musical activities for the elderly for their welfare

Cooking class for health enhancement

Click here for further information on the Osaka Gas Group Welfare Foundation (Japanese version only)

Deepening friendship and mutual understanding with natural gas-producing countries

The Osaka Gas Foundation of International Cultural Exchange provides aid services to promote mutual understanding with natural gas-producing countries in Southeast Asia and Oceania.

In FY2019, the Foundation provided a total of 11 million yen in assistance to Indonesia for items such as educational materials for schools, scholarships for 300 students, and for experimental research and training. Grants for experimental research were provided for research on energy- and environment-related topics at the University of Indonesia, the Bandung Institute of Technology, and Bogor Agricultural University. Assistance was offered to two graduate students at the University of Indonesia to allow them to participate in a two-month Japanese language program in Japan.

In Malaysia, the Foundation provided assistance totaling 6.23 million yen for a range of programs, including an English study camp for teachers and selected students of remotely situated elementary schools in the state of Sarawak, for experimental research being conducted at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, and for scholarships to 12 students.

Total assistance over the 27 years since the establishment of the foundation in 1992 is now approximately 519 million yen. A total of 9,186 people have received scholarships, while the number of subsidized research themes comes to 377.

When the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami occurred off the coast of Sumatra in 2004, the Osaka Gas Foundation provided a subsidy to help operate the Yayasan Jambo Minda, a foundation established in the most damaged Aceh Province as its reconstruction base. The Osaka Gas Foundation for International Cultural Exchange also subsidized the purchase by the Aceh Province of stationery and books, while financing disaster-prevention education focusing on emergency anti-tsunami response actions, conducted by the province.

In the future, through assistance in this region, we will continue to act to deepen mutual understanding between our countries and contribute to international goodwill.

Support for an industrial human resource development project in East Timor in cooperation with JICA

Ceremony for scholarship presentation,
held at the National University of Timor-Leste

An industrial human resource development project for the Democratic Republic of East Timor-Leste was launched by Osaka Gas, the Osaka Gas Foundation of International Cultural Exchange, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in FY2013. In FY2019, the fifth year since the project's inception, a combined scholarship of 1.67 million yen was granted to 30 students studying at the National University of Timor-Leste, as was done in the previous years. The welfare foundation also subsidized a short-term training program for two teachers from the same university.

The Foundation, for its part, is in charge of implementing and monitoring the project. JICA is in charge of coordinating with the National University of Timor-Leste and helps it implement the project, by taking advantage of its reputation from past achievements and its human networks in East Timor.

In addition, it is expected that the project to enhance the understanding of those in East Timor involved in the project regarding Japan's business, industry and academia. The Foundation will continue to contribute to the development of East Timor while playing an important role in strengthening friendly ties between Japan and East Timor and fostering international goodwill.

Click here for further information on the Osaka Gas Foundation of International Cultural Exchange, a public-interest foundation.