Light up the lives and hope.

困難のなかでも、“心のきらめき”を。

Infora is a Japanese non-profit. We bring people living with intractable diseases, and their families, the information about options that can change daily life.

About this page

This page is the English summary of our work. The rest of the site is available in Japanese only — the links in the navigation will take you to Japanese pages. If you would like to reach us in English, please use the contact details at the bottom of this page.

About Infora

Who we are

Infora was started by someone who grew up caring for a parent with ALS. His family made many decisions without knowing what was possible. Later they learned that there had been tools they could have used, people they could have talked to, and ways of living they had never heard of.

We are not here to tell anyone how to live. Our work is to make sure that the options are known, so that a choice is actually a choice.

Mission
To close the gap in access to life-changing options for people with intractable diseases and their carers, and to support their mental wellbeing.
Vision
A society where anyone, even in difficult circumstances, can live with a sense of what makes life their own.
Issue

You cannot choose what you do not know

approx.10,000

people live with ALS in Japan

approx.30%

of them choose to live with a ventilator

What shapes that decision is not only the illness. What kind of daily life is possible, what equipment and support exist — whether someone knows about the options changes the course of a life.

The information does exist. It simply does not reach the people who need it.

What we do

Four areas of work

  • The infora database

    A database and magazine of privately run resources that public services do not cover — equipment, services, communities, and records of how others live.

  • Talks and education

    Talks at schools, universities, companies and events across Japan, on the gap in access to options and on how people live well within difficulty.

  • Realize

    Helping people act on something they want to try, and recording how it was done so that it becomes an option for someone else.

  • Adaptive

    A panel of people with severe physical disabilities who evaluate AI responses for dignity and reassurance, so that their perspective shapes the standards of the technology.

Support

Support our work

Our work is carried by the people who support it. Your support goes towards reaching those who have not yet heard about their options.

We welcome monthly and one-off donations from individuals, and sponsorship, talks, pro bono help and joint projects from companies.

Infora is not a certified NPO (認定NPO法人) at this time, so donations are not tax-deductible in Japan. We are working towards certification.

Contact

Get in touch

We welcome enquiries about interviews, talks, partnerships and support. You are welcome to write to us in English. We reply within three business days.

Organisation Infora (in the process of incorporating as a Japanese NPO)
Representative Kaito Nanko, Representative Director
Email 【要確認】info@example.org
Contact form お問い合わせ The form is in Japanese. Writing to the email address above is fine.

We cannot give medical advice. In an emergency, please contact your doctor or a medical institution.

Platform

The infora database

Options and ways of living, gathered for people with intractable diseases and their families. The database is in Japanese.

Open the database(opens an external site in a new tab)