Minna no Lemonade no Kai

A Summer of Connection and Hope

As summer brings bright sunshine across Japan, we hope every child and family is finding moments of peace, wherever they may be.

Whether in hospital, at home, or joining us online from across the country, children and families continued to find friendship, encouragement, and practical support through Minlemo throughout July.

This month was especially meaningful for our community.

Minna no Lemonade ("Everyone's Lemonade") returned for its fourth summer through our partnership with FamilyMart, one of Japan's largest convenience store chains.

This is much more than a fundraising campaign.

Before the lemonade reaches store shelves, children with childhood cancer and their siblings join online tasting sessions to help choose the flavor. Children from across Japan also submit artwork, and one illustration is selected each year to become the package design sold nationwide.

Every bottle tells a child's story.

Every purchase helps children with childhood cancer while inviting more people to learn about their lives.

July also marked the launch of our first Summer Homework Support Project, giving children living with illness opportunities to learn, create, and enjoy summer together, wherever they are.

Support Overview

Care package support: 88 individuals

Connection & community support: 108 individuals (92 online, 16 in person)

Reaching Families Across Japan—and Beyond

During July, support reached families in 22 prefectures across Japan, as well as one family in Australia.

Hokkaido, Iwate, Miyagi, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Toyama, Gifu, Shizuoka, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara, Okayama, Kochi, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Okinawa, and Australia.

No matter where families live, our hope is always the same:

That every child and every parent knows they are part of a caring community.

Sharing Childhood Cancer Awareness Through Lemonade

This summer marks the fourth year of Minna no Lemonade.

Each summer, Minna no Lemonade is available for a limited time at FamilyMart stores across Japan. This July, it reached approximately 16,400 stores nationwide, and by early August, it had sold out in most locations thanks to the incredible support of people across the country.

For many people, buying a bottle was their very first introduction to childhood cancer.

Throughout July, our social media community filled with photos and messages.

Families celebrated after hospital appointments.

Supporters shared lemonade with friends and coworkers.

Children proudly showed the package featuring artwork created by another child.

Each photo sparked another conversation.

Each conversation helped someone learn about childhood cancer.

Together with FamilyMart and countless supporters across Japan, we believe this campaign introduced childhood cancer awareness to well over one million people this summer.

For us, Minna no Lemonade is much more than a drink.

It is a child saying,

"This is my drawing."

It is a family saying,

"Someone is thinking about us today."

It is a community saying,

"You are not alone."

Learning Together During Summer Vacation

July also marked the beginning of our first Summer Homework Support Project.

Children from across Japan gathered online for science experiments, creative art workshops, and educational activities designed especially for children living with illness and their siblings.

Many children spend weeks or months away from school because of treatment.

Others are recovering at home while their classmates enjoy summer vacation together.

By joining online, children can laugh, learn, ask questions, and create alongside others who understand what they are going through.

Sometimes, the greatest gift is simply discovering,

"I'm not the only one."

Voices from Our Community

One parent shared after enjoying Minna no Lemonade before a hospital appointment:

"Hospital visits are always stressful, but having something to look forward to beforehand helped ease our anxiety. My child smiled and said, 'I wish the bottle were even bigger!'"

Another family wrote:

"Seeing everyone's photos and messages on social media gives us strength. It reminds us that many people are supporting children like ours."

These messages remind us that support is not measured only by the number of care packages we send.

Sometimes, hope arrives through a simple message, a shared photograph, or a bottle of lemonade.

Looking Ahead

Childhood cancer does not end when treatment ends.

Children and families continue to need friendship, understanding, and places where they truly belong.

In August, we will continue our Summer Homework Support Project while opening the doors of Minlemo no Sato Ibara, our new community space in western Japan.

Here, children with childhood cancer, siblings, parents, and volunteers will be able to gather, stay overnight, enjoy nature, and build friendships that continue long after treatment ends.

Our dream is simple.

To create a future where no family faces childhood cancer alone.

How You Can Help

Every act of kindness creates another opportunity for connection.

$3 = one "lemon"

$30 = support for one family

Your generosity helps provide care packages, online activities, educational programs, family gatherings, and welcoming community spaces for children with childhood cancer and their families throughout Japan.

Thank You

Because of you,

a child smiled before a hospital appointment.

A sibling felt included.

A parent found someone who truly understood.

Together, we are creating a future where childhood cancer is met not only with treatment—but with friendship, belonging, and hope.

Thank you for walking this journey with us.

Learn More

To see photos and stories from our July 2026 activities, please visit our monthly activity report (Japanese):

https://ameblo.jp/minnanolemonade/entry-12974039671.html

Although the report is written in Japanese, we hope the photographs reflect the warmth, friendship, and hope made possible through your support.

Thank you for supporting children with childhood cancer, their siblings, and families in Japan.