My History
I grew up in a neighborhood where stray dogs were everywhere, and animals were simply part of daily life. My family once decided to take in one of those dogs and help it become a family pet. But before we could act, a neighbor told us that animal control had captured it. I rushed to the shelter, only to find it had already been euthanized—labeled “a potential danger to people.” I’ll never forget the regret I felt that day, wishing we had rescued it sooner. At the shelter, other dogs awaiting adoption ran up to me as if pleading to be taken home. But I was just a fifth grader with no power to help them. I walked home in tears, and that moment has stayed with me ever since.
As an adult, that experience sparked a lifelong interest in animal welfare. When I once told my boss that I wanted to volunteer, he said, “If you can’t commit for life, don’t start. Only those who can keep going should do this work.” His words stayed with me. I realized that acting on impulse, only to stop later, would betray the very animals I wanted to help. So for years, I focused on what I could sustain—donating to shelters and helping share adoption information online.
Everything changed when I visited a shelter to meet a dog I’d seen in an adoption listing. There, I was shocked to learn how many dogs with behavioral issues—like biting—were being euthanized. That moment reignited my determination to act. I made a lifelong decision to devote my career to animal welfare and founded gifttank Inc. We began taking in dogs that couldn’t find homes, rehabilitating them through training, and connecting them with new families.
One of those dogs, Ai, became well-known across Japan. She had been scheduled for euthanasia for biting, but she wasn’t truly aggressive—just frightened. I spent a few hours simply being near her until she began to relax, eventually lying down beside me in peace. Over time, her confidence grew, and she went on to compete in police dog trials and national competitions. Her transformation—from a dog once marked for death to a competitor on the national stage—captured media attention across Japan. Newspapers, television, Yahoo! News, and even an animal encyclopedia covered her story. Ai’s journey showed that “problem dogs” can be rehabilitated through trust and training, and that realization helped spread the practice of retraining rescues before adoption throughout the country. That experience became the foundation for our next mission: developing and training “animal interpreters” who can understand and communicate animals’ emotions to people.
The Present
Our focus has always been helping rescue dogs live happily with their adoptive families—but I’ve also seen how difficult it is to sustain animal welfare work. Most organizations depend on donations, and even the most passionate supporters can lose interest or face financial strain. To create a more sustainable path, I set out to design a model that allows people to contribute to animal rescue naturally, through daily life.
That idea led to the Conanimal Project: “Saving Through the Five Senses” (SKU)—a new, accessible way for people to support animal welfare. The concept is simple: activities that engage the senses, like listening to music, can directly contribute to rescue efforts. I coined the term Conanimal by combining “Con” (Latin for “together”) and “Animal”, expressing my hope for a world where humans and animals truly coexist.
In 2024, we launched the music unit Conanimal and released original songs inspired by what animals have taught us and the emotional bonds we share with them. One of our 2025 releases, “Longing for the Lion,” includes lyrics I wrote as a fifth grader after visiting an animal shelter. The chorus compares invisible cages in human hearts with those confining animals—a metaphor that resonates deeply with listeners.
Our music is now available on major streaming platforms, and every stream directly supports animal rescue funding. Because music fits naturally into everyday life—during work, rest, or commuting—it allows people to join animal welfare efforts effortlessly and continuously.
We’ve been humbled by the number of people who listen to our songs on repeat or use them in Instagram and TikTok videos. Thanks to their support, awareness of animal welfare is spreading steadily. I can sense a growing circle of empathy taking shape—a genuine cultural shift toward compassion for animals. We’ll continue releasing new music to reach more people and deepen their connection to this cause.
For the Future
Through the Conanimal Project: “Saving Through the Five Senses,” we’ve created a framework that allows people to support animal welfare through everyday enjoyment—first through sound, and now through taste. We’re currently developing a rice-based pizza called RIZZO, blending Japan’s unique culinary traditions with innovation. The trademark has been secured, and we’re refining the flavor to encourage repeat customers. Our goal is to replicate the crispy-yet-soft texture of traditional wheat pizza using rice flour. Although the release date is not yet set, we expect RIZZO will appeal to people with wheat allergies and to those pursuing healthier, gluten-free lifestyles.
Animal protection often seems difficult or demanding, but I want people to realize it can be simple—something as natural as listening to music or sharing a meal.
Through the Conanimal Project: “Saving Through the Five Senses” (SKU), my vision is to create a world where animals can live true to their nature. While society increasingly views pets as family members, animals are still often treated as property in Japan. They’re placed in airplane cargo holds instead of cabins, and some are abandoned when owners can no longer care for them. But animals have feelings and lives of their own. My goal is to build a society where animals living alongside humans can do so safely, and comfortably.
As this project grows, I believe it will reach people who’ve never thought about animal welfare before. As awareness spreads, fewer animals will be abandoned, and we can create an environment where they live freely and coexist naturally with humans. I’ll continue dedicating myself to this mission—working toward a future where all living beings, human and animal alike, share a compassionate, harmonious world we call Conanimal.