Moving into a Care Facility Is Not the End of Being Yourself

After joining Suntory, I worked in a range of roles, from sales to supermarkets and other mass retailers to a training program in the UK and recruitment in human resources, before moving to the Business Planning Division at Suntory Wellness. That is where I first encountered the “Be supporters!” initiative.
At first, the project was not easy to grasp. It brings together a complex mix of stakeholders: older residents of care facilities, who usually receive support in their daily lives, become supporters of their local J.League club, and Suntory Wellness builds the system that makes this possible. But when I saw how older adults at facilities across Japan were coming alive through their “oshi-katsu” (actively supporting one’s favorite entertainers or sportspeople), and learned of the many stories this gave rise to, I realized that this was exactly the kind of initiative that genuinely addresses social issues.

I grew up in a three-generation household and spent a lot of time with my grandparents. When it became likely that my grandmother would move into a care home, both she and the rest of the family struggled with the decision. Somewhere in my mind, I think I assumed that living in a care home would mean she could no longer live life her own way.
However, my involvement in “Be supporters!” completely changed my view. Watching older adults get caught up in football matches and share their joy with friends taught me that, even with physical limitations, people can continue to live as themselves and with a sense of excitement. Seeing new connections form both inside and outside the facilities among fellow supporters of the same club, I have also come to appreciate how important it is to stay connected to society and keep a role in it, regardless of where one lives. That is why I want to help build a society where cheering others on, and being able to help someone, give older people a sense of purpose and happiness.

The Origins of “Be supporters!” and Suntory’s Aspiration to Inspire the Brilliance of Life

Suntory Group’s purpose is to inspire the brilliance of life. As Japan becomes an aging society in what is often called the era of 100-year lifespans, we felt that, as a company, we needed to do more than support healthy daily lives through health foods and other products. We also needed to help people live fulfilling lives that are true to who they are, even if they are living with illness or cognitive decline.

We asked ourselves whether there was more Suntory Wellness could do for people we could not reach through health foods alone. Could we take on the challenge of “coexistence,” supporting every individual to shine even after moving into a care facility or developing dementia? With that aspiration, “Be supporters!” was born in December 2020 at just one care facility in Toyama Prefecture.

Ms. Nakoji, who encountered “Be supporters!” after transferring to Suntory Wellness, says her experiences on the ground showed her the initiative’s great potential. Although surprised at first by its complex structure, she was deeply moved by the changes she saw in each participant.

How Older Adults Come Alive in Body and Mind Through the Initiative

Since taking charge of the project, I have witnessed many unforgettable moments while visiting facilities across Japan.
One resident started learning Spanish to cheer on foreign players. Another, eager to meet their favorite player, flew from Kobe to Kagoshima to watch a match. Another, usually reluctant to do rehabilitation exercises, would raise their arms without a second thought when practicing clapping and towel twirling for match day. Others work hard at their rehabilitation every day with the goal of meeting the players at the stadium. The list goes on.
One moment in particular has stayed with me. When several care facilities in Kobe held a joint event to cheer on their team, one of the participants was a resident with dementia who usually had trouble remembering even recent events. Yet the next day, this resident told a staff member, “We all cheered together yesterday, didn’t we? Waving the flag was so much fun.” Both the staff and the resident’s family were amazed. As they told us, “Even with dementia, people can still make memories. It made us realize we shouldn’t assume that it’s enough for them simply to enjoy the moment.” It taught me that being emotionally moved, and sharing excitement with others, can leave lasting memories in the heart.

Residents regularly put on jerseys in their club’s colors and gather in front of the TV, holding their favorite club gear, to watch matches together.

The ripple effects of these changes are reaching families and caregivers as well. One participant’s family member told us, “My mother and I made so many wonderful memories. Without this, I think she would already have become too frail to do anything two years ago.”

Staff have also told us that whole facilities have become more cheerful, as staff and residents now share common topics such as the club’s current standing or the next match. I also heard about a caregiving trainee who helped take residents to a match at the stadium. Inspired to see how much breadth and potential caregiving can have, the trainee went on to join that facility. That story brought home to me that this initiative is also helping people in caregiving rediscover what makes their work rewarding.

A resident receives a surprise signed ball from a favorite player. With the goal of watching a match at the stadium, this resident left the care home that day for the first time in four years.

The Spirit of Yatte Minahare and Giving Back to Society Behind an Unprecedented Initiative

Of course, as an unprecedented undertaking, the journey has been far from easy. In the early days, when we approached facilities about the initiative, many were hesitant, telling us, “Older people prefer baseball or sumo. I don’t think they’d be interested in football.” We also faced the challenge of how to help facilities take part sustainably without adding to their workload, given staff shortages and the heavy demands of daily care work.

What helped us overcome these obstacles was the accumulation of small changes that emerged at a single care facility in Toyama. As we shared videos and case studies of residents’ lively expressions and words, more and more facilities began telling us, “We’d like to try this too.”

Within the company, too, there were repeated discussions about how hard it was to see results and how to continue and expand the initiative. I think what carried us through was our belief in the small changes happening in Gemba.

Rather than seeking only short-term profit, we want to propose a new way of thinking to society: that no matter how old you are or what condition you are in, you can live as yourself by supporting others and staying connected to society. I believe it is because the spirit of Yatte Minahare and Giving Back to Society is so deeply rooted at Suntory that this grassroots initiative, which began at one facility in Toyama, has grown to involve approximately 250 facilities and a cumulative total of 15,000 participants nationwide (as of the end of 2025).

“It is precisely because the values of Yatte Minahare and Giving Back to Society are so deeply rooted at Suntory that this initiative has been able to continue and grow into what it is today.” Throughout this unprecedented endeavor, she has kept believing in the small changes happening in Gemba.

What Research Is Revealing About the Power of “Oshi-katsu”

“Be supporters!” runs three main activities throughout the year. The first is the Supporter Program, in which residents cheer on their favorite club and players by watching matches and making supporter goods at their facility. The second is the Cheer from Seniors project, in which heartfelt messages of support from older adults at facilities nationwide are made into a large banner and unveiled at the stadium. The third is the Story Award for the Age of 100-Year Lifespans, which invites facility staff to submit moving stories that have emerged through the activities and recognizes them with awards.

As the initiative continued, I could sense real changes in the residents’ expressions and behavior, and in conversations within the facilities. But rather than leave these changes as simply “heartwarming stories,” we wanted to objectively verify how cheering activities affect people’s emotions, behavior, and connections with others.

So, from 2023, the Institute for Science of Life at Suntory Wellness conducted joint research with Kyoto University, Osaka Metropolitan University, and other research institutions, focusing on care facilities participating in “Be supporters!” Findings to date show a distinctive pattern in which participating residents’ “oshi-katsu level” (an index developed specifically for this study to measure how engaged they are in oshi-katsu) and their sense of purpose in life change together. The research also suggests that the initiative may have a positive effect on the sense of purpose of facility staff, and these findings have been presented at an academic conference.

A care worker and a resident enjoy “oshi-katsu” together, cheering on their local J.League club.

Toward a Society Where Everyone Can Embrace Growing Older

Now in its fifth year, “Be supporters!” has given us a strong sense that we are on the right track, but I feel we are still only halfway there. Wonderful changes are happening on the ground, but so far much of this has depended on the passion of committed facilities and staff. Our next challenge is to build a system that any facility, in any region, can sustain without strain.
To that end, through partnerships with major care providers and collaboration with local governments, companies, and community organizations, we want to build a model in which older adults cheer on their clubs and communities, and that support in turn helps energize their towns.

In today’s era of 100-year lifespans, we believe that what matters is not only “healthy life expectancy,” or how long we can stay healthy, but also “happy life expectancy,” the period during which we can feel happy. Rather than seeing an aging society in a negative light, we see older people’s experiences, words, and power to cheer others on as something that can bring them happiness and drive the vitality of communities and society. We want to grow “Be supporters!” into a leading example of this approach.

At the Story Award for the Age of 100-Year Lifespans, which honors moving stories born from “Be supporters!” activities.