About CALL4
Our Mission
CALL4 was established to advocate on behalf of those who are involved in lawsuits which could help to address a wide array of social problems through sharing their stories.
We hope our platform will be a place for everyone who is concerned or interested in the issues we raise to get positively involved by donating financially or participating in a different way.
The judicial process has long been considered closed, and irrelevant to most. CALL4 also strives to be a positive channel through which the voice of the people can be heard. Because we believe that you may realize that their stories and opinions are not something irrelevant, but in fact they are the same as yours.
The legal system is one of the building blocks of the society. And we believe that ensuring the accessibility of the law for all is the best path towards a new, more diverse and fair society.
What IS CALL4?
CALL4 is the first online platform in Japan dedicated for litigation funding with the goal of addressing social problems. By reading and understanding the plight of some of the underserved people we hope people will be encouraged to spread the word about the causes, to get involved in their own manner, or to participate financially.
Services we provide
*CALL4 is operated by Citizen's Platform for Justice (CPJ,) a non-profit general incorporated association.
How You Can Support
You can share stories and lawsuits published on CALL4 with your friends, family, and people around you. You can talk about CALL4 on SNS. You can donate or provide the necessary support to plaintiffs and defense counsels. It is straightforward to give. All you need to do is go to a case page and click the link to our crowdfunding page. You can learn all about what help and support we need on Forum.
We strongly recommend you visit and observe a court in session. It will surely be a unique opportunity to learn and think about various issues. Please read case records published on CALL4 and discuss with people around you. There are some terminologies you may not know, as well as facts and information which will give you new insights.
All our activities cannot be sustained without your empathy and involvement.
CALL4 is a non-profit general incorporated association. This means your donation supports all our activities. What you give us is used for the development and management of our website and publishing stories.
You can donate to a wide range of cases, as well as to our activities through our crowdfunding page. You can send money to our bank account too. Please follow the link to see how you can support us.
Donate To CALL4 Today
Pay with credit card
Send Money to CALL4
- Beneficiary Bank:Japan Net Bank
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Branch Name: Business Sales Department(005)
Type of Account:Saving
Account Num:2866307 -
Beneficiary Name: Business Account
「Sya)CPJ」(General Incorporated Association Citizen’s Platform for Justice)
Our Name and Logo
It comes from the idiom “call for,” which means “make necessary” and “publicly ask for or demand.”
Legislative, executive and judicial are referred as the three powers and we consider the power of the citizens as the fourth power.
The empathy of individuals can come together to become a huge power of the people. We wanted to ask for the fourth power publicly. That's why we incorporated the number 4 in our name.
Our logo is based on the image of such voices calling for the fourth power to the people.
To lawyers
CALL4 will be a useful resource for lawyers who are involved in public interest litigations to reach far beyond the courtrooms. You can communicate with the wider public about your activities more accurately and effectively. And by doing so, you will have more power to drive change in the world than before.
We want to make CALL4 a shared platform for everyone working in the law. We are constantly trying to improve our platform and services to help lawyers become more productive and efficient in filing lawsuits that address social issues.
We hope that CALL4 will be useful in many cases. We really want to hear what you have to say. We hope many individuals and organizations will come forward to contribute.
Our Team
- President
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Motoki Taniguchi
In my 14 years as a lawyer, I have met many people who continued to fight for dignity no matter how many and how great their difficulties might be, people joining forces to have their voices heard. Each fight (litigation) was a claim to the legal rights or positions of individuals, but I felt that all of these cases raised much larger questions about how our society should operate.
In other words, I believe that individual struggles and answers to their questions are all very much a public matter that defines the outlines of our society. However, those issues raised in court proceedings are often confined within the four walls of courtrooms that most people think has nothing to do with their lives, or within certain media channels that only tell you which side has won. I believe that this is terribly wrong, and something must be done.
You don't have to be a plaintiff or lawyer to participate in public interest lawsuits. You can do it in your own way, and by doing so, you can take part in discussions of how society should be and contribute to building a better society.
- Project Manager & Vice President
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Daisuke Igeta
My life work is public interest lawsuits that deal with everyday issues. Public interest problems are not just the responsibility of the authorities. It has to do with everyone. The opposite of "public" is "private," and that of "authorities" is "civilians."
With regards to issues of public interest, it is one of civilians’ responsibilities to seek improvement of systems and make rightful claims through litigations.
I hope that CALL4 will help make lawsuits more accessible and easier to begin as well as build better public services by bringing civilians together.
- Website Director
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Mai Toda
I have always wanted to work to improve society since I was a student. I have been working as an editor for a travel media company and a marketing professional for a c-to-c marketplace. As advancing in my career, I came to realize how it is getting even more challenging to communicate what needs to be communicated.
What I can do is to translate voices and stories that should be heard to make them more easily understandable and shareable, and help them reach a wider audience using appropriate tools. I am so thrilled to have been asked to help to establish a platform to support public interest litigations because I can finally apply my knowledge and expertise to actions that can fuel and create social change.
It takes the courage to make your voice heard. You can help change society by working together with the people around you. I hope to create a service that can help find a wider audience for the bravery and courageous efforts of individuals. I wanted this new platform to be one of the many avenues that encourage the empowerment of civilians. That's how I came up with the name for the service “Call4” and the phrase “Empathy Can Change the World.” I wish the stories of people who have found the courage to stand up for themselves will reach as many people as possible.
- Technical Director
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Noriyuki Higashide
I was inspired by the idea to address social issues by taking advantage of technology. I haven't had much to do with the field of law and society, but I came to understand that our right to litigation is one of the critical components of society. I think that CALL4 is a community with an aim to inform the public of "important matters that are not yet well known" and foster discussions and actions for social change.
Technology has always been a driving force in changing societies. It has stimulated growth through open and scientific discussions, helped to address important issues on a public domain and reach a wider audience while creating positive change in society. I am honored to be playing a role in this endeavor which can lead the way for a more open society. I wish the process of helping people to speak out and undertake positive activities for a better society will be both rewarding and enjoyable.
- Editor / Planner / Writer
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Orie Maruyama
I wish for a society in which everyone can live happily without feeling suffocated. When I was a child, a good society seemed to be like a rose that grows naturally in the garden. As I grew older, I realized more and more that the rose was not something that that doesn't need care and survives in any soil. I understood that a beautiful flower requires diligent and constant care by many people.
I came to think that it is the responsibility of each one of us to think of how public services should be delivered to meet today's demands, change rules if necessary, and create a sustainable society for future generations. This realization has led me to feel for the first time that public interest litigations had to do with my interests.Although I strongly emphasize the pain and desperation of those who filed a lawsuit, I feel that these are the necessary seeds of change that can help us build a better society.
I hope that CALL4 will be a place where we join our hands together and do all that is necessary to grow the precious shoots and buds into big plants and beautiful flowers. Although what I can do is not much, I am so happy and excited to take part in this great endeavor. Moreover, I am so looking to forward to meet like-minded individuals on this platform.
- PR
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Akane Shiwa
English version is under preparation.
- Event Organizer
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Genki Futami
English version is under preparation.
- Project Coordinator
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Yoshitaka Toda
English version is under preparation.
- Video Producer
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Mari Hikita
English version is under preparation.
- Community Staff
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Sayo Kubota
English version is under preparation.
- Senior Staff
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Yuichi Akahane
I have been working as a lawyer for seven years. During my career, I met all kinds of people. A hoarder who decided to end his life in his cluttered house. Someone who goes back and forth between life in jail and life on the streets. A parent who killed his beloved child. I didn’t have enough power to bring even a little change to the world.
When I was asked to join CALL4, I felt that I could witness the moment when society starts to change. In our story page, you can read stories of people who are involved in lawsuits. There may be stories of the people whom I met before. These stories may have the potential to help empower society for better. This may be a tiny step towards a better world but let's all take it together.
I am so thankful to be here. Together with everyone who visits CALL4 and wants to be a part of our journey, I will continue to help where I can and do my little part to create a better world.
- Writer
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Yuko Haraguchi
I have attended a number of court hearings around the world. In many countries, most people think that court proceedings are something that happens in another world, and courtrooms are like islands that are far away in every sense. And Japan is no exception.But in every country I went, what people are talking in and outside the courtroom was the same. People talk about their everyday lives and how their lives had been unfairly disadvantaged.
At CALL4, we ask plaintiffs to share the stories about their lives, not the impersonal facts about their cases. By sharing their stories, we want you to understand is that they live their life like any one of us. They have had their lives unfairly turned upside down, but they found the courage to fight against injustice.
I feel that CALL4 is an initiative to visualize that the courtroom exists within the realm of our everyday lives. When I put their stories into words, it feels like watching the tide suddenly recedes, revealing a path leading to a remote island.
- Photographer
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Ooki Jingu
If you are not a legal professional or a stakeholder, it is quite challenging to understand a court case fully. I hope that my photographs will give you an opportunity to get to know one of the cases shared on CALL4.
Everyone has a life to live, and so do plaintiffs and stakeholders. But they have decided not only to share their precious time with us but also to dedicate a big chunk of their lives for a greater cause.
Such energy and passion can have both positive and negative effects on everyday life. If you seek to achieve something in this world, it can give you a very compelling motivation to live a meaningful life, but at the same time, it can make you torn between ideals and reality, and you will experience pressure to do the right thing.
Standing up for yourself is not something that someone else can do it for you. It has to do with the daily lives of every one of us. I am not saying that you have to file a lawsuit to make your voices heard. But I want you to see how peoples' expression change in my photographs to feel and understand what it means to find the energy to make one's voice heard. Think deeply, cry, and rejoice. These actions help one become more expressive about their feelings.
Recruitment
We are looking for new members with all levels of experience to join us. Please contact us through the inquiry page. Let's make CALL4 an even better organization. We believe that many skills and minds together make us stronger. There should be a way for you to contribute no matter when or where you are in the world.
Our partners and affiliates
TKC Corporation
,ZEAD Co., Ltd.,
Gendaijinbun-sha
,and Surmometer Inc.
*Please note that this website is supported by a grant from the U.S. Embassy in Japan