In 2016, we conducted a survey aimed at high school students. The results indicate that young carers made up around 5.2% of these students, meaning around 1 in 20 of them were taking care of their families. This was the first survey of its kind in Japan. However, although several mass media companies in the Kansai region picked up the story at the time, there was largely no public reaction. In many cases, people do not even believe in the existence of young carers. Or rather, there were times when it was treated like an inconvenient truth. We continued to discuss the issue of young carers at various places, however there was no progress in terms of awareness or support.
So in 2019, we began the Balloon Society along with four former young carers and young adult carers, in order to create a place where they can gather and raise awareness of their existence through these gatherings. Though we had no management, capital, skills, or outlook, we aimed to create such a place anyway.
