"The clearest water runs over the roughest rocks."
Kyoto · Kamigyo Ward · 24H Open
おかえり — Welcome Back
A 24-hour safe shelter for women who have lost their place — to domestic violence, harassment, divorce, sexual trauma, or poverty. In Kyoto, a door is always open.
Support the Fund Learn more ↓The Problem
In Japan, official shelters require police reports, formal procedures, and weeks of waiting. For a woman fleeing tonight — the system is not built for her.
The Okaeri Fund fills that gap — immediately, warmly, without conditions. Reviving Japan's ancient kakekomi-dera (駆け込み寺) sanctuary temple tradition for modern Kyoto.
"The women who need shelter most urgently are the ones the official system reaches last."
How It Works
No appointment. No referral. No paperwork. Contact us via LINE or phone and we will guide you.
24H · 365 DaysA private Kyoto apartment — clean linens, ethical amenities, warm lighting. Rest and recovery, not processing and paperwork.
Comfortable · Ethical · PrivateTomoko — certified social worker, 17 years experience — available to help navigate next steps at your pace.
No Rush · No Judgment
"The clearest water runs over the roughest rocks."
Nationally certified social worker (社会福祉士) with 17 years of frontline experience in Kyoto. She has listened to more than 3,500 people through disability, mental health, poverty, and domestic violence — without judgment, without rushing.
She has lived through depression, caregiving, bereavement, and divorce. She operates Kokoro to Kurashi no Sodan-shitsu TOMO, a Kyoto City designated welfare office. A home-visit nursing station opens December 2026.
"I was not good at asking for help myself. That is exactly why I became someone others can ask."
Ayame knows what it means to not fit in — to carry a grief with no edges, to work nights, to break down and choose to keep going. At age 28, after years in the night economy, she sat university entrance exams to study social welfare. Not because it was easy. Because it was right.
During her studies, she experienced depression. She knows both sides of the door. She graduated from Doshisha University, Faculty of Social Welfare — and raises her first child (born 2025) while co-running Okaeri.
"I know what it means to need help and not know how to ask. I know it from the inside."
A grief with no edges — the most important thing she would ever bring to her work.
The most composed-looking person is sometimes the one who is drowning.
She wanted the language and professional tools — to build on everything she already knew.
Every broken and rebuilt piece of her life carried into the diploma.
The Loss That Shaped Her
Make a Difference
Every gift — large or small, from Tokyo or Toronto — goes directly to the shelter. 100% to operations. Zero overhead. Choose the method that works for you.
Credit card · Apple Pay · Google Pay · PayPal
USD · EUR · KRW · CNY · JPY · 135+ currencies
Secure, instant, and fully receipted. You'll receive an automatic confirmation and thank-you letter in English by email. Recurring monthly giving available — cancel anytime.
* After setting up Donorbox, replace this link with your Donorbox campaign URL for automatic receipts & thank-you letters.
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Recommended for larger gifts · Low fees · Any currency
Use Wise (wise.com) to send money to a Japanese bank account from anywhere in the world — at the real exchange rate, with minimal fees. Ideal for donors in Singapore, the US, Europe, or Korea.
Please email us after transferring so we can confirm and send your receipt.
soudantomo@gmail.com
The clearest water runs over the roughest rocks. What we have lived through is what we offer.
A life that refuses to leave anyone behind is not a small life. It is the biggest kind.
We were both, at different moments, the person who needed the shelter. Now we keep it open.
Your Donation, In Practice
Make a Difference
100% of donations go directly to shelter operations. Self-funded and community-supported.
Quick and secure via Voice Charity — credit card accepted, receipt issued.
Donate via Voice Charity →Direct bank transfer to our account. Please email us after transferring so we can confirm receipt.
We recommend Wise (formerly TransferWise) for international donors — low fees, real exchange rate, and you can send JPY directly to a Japanese bank account from abroad. Simply use the bank details above at wise.com or the Wise app.
Learn about Wise →If you prefer PayPal or another method, please contact us directly and we will accommodate you. No donor should face a barrier to giving.
Even on the hardest days, the sun sets beautifully.
That is enough reason to keep going — and to not go alone.
Your support keeps a light on for someone who has none — in a small apartment near the Imperial Palace, in Kyoto.
Open the Door →