Japan
She/Her
2023 Cohort
Ms. Kazuko is an ardent SRHR activist in Japan with a focus on access to Comprehensive Sexuality Education(CSE), modern contraceptives, safe abortion, and youth-friendly SRHR services as a founder of a grass-rooted SRHR advocacy movement called #Nandenaino project, which means “Why don’t we have?”, and also co-chair of the Citizens Initiative for Pharmaceutical Access To Emergency Contraception (CIPATEC).
Translations, workshops and community of pleasure 
Kazuko Fukuda is a Japan-based advocate for SRHR and gender equality. She launched the #Nandenaino project in 2018 after studying in Sweden and holds an MPH from the University of Gothenburg. A former UNFPA Rwanda staff member, she now leads SRHR advocacy in Japan and internationally. She co-leads CIPATEC (Citizen’s Project for Pharmacy Access to Emergency Contraception), serves as Deputy Director of the FIFTYS PROJECT, and was named to Forbes Japan’s 30 Under 30 in 2023. Since June 2024, she is a Project Researcher at the University of Tokyo’s Center for Coproduction of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (IncluDE).
Kazuko’s project advances sex-positive, pleasure-based SRHR advocacy in Japan. She relaunched the #Nandenaino website, made pleasure a core advocacy theme, piloted workshops using the Pleasure Project toolkit, and shared insights through lectures, media, and publications. Internationally, she contributed to Japan’s UPR and CEDAW reviews, ensuring SRHR and CSE were reflected in recommendations. Her work aims to spark Japan’s pleasure movement, empowering educators, activists, and young people to integrate pleasure perspectives into SRHR practice.
Currently, Kazuko is preparing Japanese translations of key Pleasure Project materials and, after refreshing her website and logo, plans to launch new outreach initiatives such as podcasts to deliver pleasure-centered messages. This month, she is beginning a six-month program with approximately 30 young people to share advocacy experiences from CEDAW, deepen learning on SRHR and gender equality, and co-develop youth policy recommendations for Japan’s upcoming Sixth Basic Plan for Gender Equality. Throughout this initiative, Kazuko will emphasize the importance of SRHR and CSE, including the often-overlooked dimension of sexual pleasure.
Highlights
Kazuko plans to do translation of resources from the Pleasure Project into Japanese.
Kazuko’s fellowship project aimed to introduce sex-positive, pleasure-based perspectives into Japan’s SRHR advocacy. Initially focused on translating materials from the Pleasure Project, developing culturally relevant workshops, and building an online learning community, the project has steadily expanded its reach. Kazuko relaunched the #Nandenaino project website, positioning sexual pleasure as one of its six key advocacy pillars and publishing articles to highlight its importance in advancing SRHR. Since 2024, she has delivered more than 30 lectures nationwide, consistently emphasizing the critical role of pleasure in sexual health, and has piloted workshops adapted from the Pleasure Project toolkit. Additionally, she contributed pleasure-centered content to online articlles and books, strengthening public dialogue around pleasure and SRHR. As part of her international advocacy, Kazuko participated in Japan’s UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and CEDAW review, submitting civil society reports addressing SRHR and successfully advocating for the inclusion of comprehensive sexuality education in official recommendations. While the word “pleasure” was not explicitly included, Kazuko continues to stress that pleasure is an essential part of comprehensive learning about sexuality. Through this multi-pronged approach, the project is laying the groundwork for Japan’s first pleasure movement, with growing connections to global SRHR and pleasure advocacy networks.
This fellowship reinforced for me how powerful it is to have evidence, materials, and expert-backed tools when advocating for sensitive topics like sexual pleasure. Having access to global resources and the credibility of established international networks strengthened my confidence and positioned my work within a broader global movement. It shaped not only what I advocate for, but how I do it—grounding my efforts in evidence-based messaging and connecting with others pushing for change worldwide.
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© 2025 The Pleasure Project. All rights reserved.
The Pleasure Project is an initiative by Taking Action for Sexual Health CIC.
© 2025 The Pleasure Project.
All rights reserved.
The Pleasure Project is an initiative by Taking Action for Sexual Health CIC.
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