CHIBAJETS, the professional basketball team operated by our group company CHIBAJETS FUNABASHI Co., Ltd. is actively engaged with local communities, providing support and education for socially and economically disadvantaged people, as well as children through its Jets Assist project. In cooperation with local governments and non-profits, we aim to realize healthy communities by fostering a culture in which people feel connected and support each other.

Food drives

We run food drives in cooperation with the non-profit organization Food Bank Funabashi and Food Bank Chiba. People can donate excess food they have at home, and it will be delivered to people in need. Currently, one in nine children in Japan and about half of the children in single-parent households live below the poverty line.* Additionally, in cooperation with the city of Funabashi, food collected at Food Bank Funabashi is delivered to families living with food insecurity. The program also contributes to the reduction of food waste by making effective use of food in the community instead of discarding it. This activity was started in 2020, and to date, over 1,000 kg of food has been collected and delivered.

The company received the “Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award” at the 8th Food Education Activity Awards. This was in recognition of the food drive, the opening of a children’s cafeteria, promotion of local produce, and various food-related endeavors as part of the players’ social contribution activities, such as hands-on farming experiences and cooking classes.
*Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, “Overview of the Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions 2022”

Support for single-parent households

To support single-parent families in Funabashi (approximately 3,000 families), we invite them to home games and offer special cheerleading classes led by the Chiba Jets Flight Crew Cheerleaders, and offer basketball classes led by CHIBAJETS ACADEMY coaches in cooperation with our partner companies.

Book drives

We are engaged in book drives to deliver books donated by local residents to children and young adults. At home games, visitors are encouraged to bring books that inspire them. To date, more than 1,000 books* have been donated to public elementary and high schools in Chiba Prefecture, as well as childcare support centers, after-school programs, children’s homes, and other facilities in the city of Funabashi.
*Results for the 2024-25 season

Collaboration with schools and educational institutions

As a professional sports team that values community engagement, we make sure to cooperate with educational institutions. We donate basketballs and scrimmage vests to the basketball clubs of junior high schools in Funabashi to promote exercise and combat the negative effects the COVID-19 situation has had on physical fitness. We have also donated mini basketball hoops to approximately 900 kindergartens, nursery schools, and childcare support facilities in Chiba Prefecture. We held basketball classes at 66 elementary and junior high schools in Chiba Prefecture in FY2024. Beyond sports promotion, we donate original backpack covers to first-year elementary school students in Funabashi. We also sell Jumbo Pork Buns, a food item jointly developed with local junior high school students to have them engage with the themes of local production for local consumption and eliminating food waste.

Chiba Dream Challenge ☆ Passport Project

The Chiba Dream Challenge ☆ Passport Project invites children to home games in cooperation with Chiba prefecture. The purpose of this program is to help kids develop sports-related dreams and aspirations. By exposing them to the outstanding performances of professional basketball players, we promote watching sports live, and by giving them the opportunity to experience being management staff, we promote supporting the sports ecosystem.

Social contribution activities by players

CHIBAJETS team members have also launched their own social contribution projects and actively engage in various activities in cooperation with the local community.

One member, Gaku Arao, shares his understanding of the importance of locally-sourced food by running G.CREW, a social contribution project based on the themes of nature, agriculture, and food education.

Shuta Hara is involved in activities that support children undergoing long-term medical treatment in cooperation with hospitals in Chiba Prefecture via his social contribution program Hara no Wa (Hara’s Circle).

Asato Ogawa continues to carry out “with A” social contribution activities centered on two main themes: support for single-parent families and support for children.

Fumio Nishimura’s main social contribution activities are working to eliminate the culling of dogs and cats, and increasing awareness and educating the public about working dogs through the “2561 With the Dog Project”.