Toward a Sustainable and Scalable Ecosystem: Breaking the Cycle of Intergenerational Poverty for Single Mothers in Japan with Private Sector Engagement

Abstract

Despite Japan’s reputation as an economically advanced nation, it faces one of the highest relative poverty rates among OECD countries, with nearly half of all single-mother households living below the poverty line. This thesis examines why poverty among single mothers persists despite a formal support ecosystem and proposes a systemic redesign grounded in life-stage-aligned, user-centered principles. Drawing on historical-institutional analysis, organizational theory, fieldwork interviews, and auto-ethnographic insights, the study identifies deeply embedded barriers that reinforce fragmented, crisis-oriented support systems misaligned with real-life trajectories. In response, it introduces the "Single Mother Journey" framework, reframing single mothers not as a static category but as a dynamic population with distinct, evolving needs. Through this lens, the thesis exposes critical gaps in preventive support, labor market misalignment, and information accessibility. Building on these findings, it proposes a future-ready support ecosystem, positioning corporations, local municipalities, NPOs, and education institutions as collaborative actors. It presents mumtec, a conceptual digital platform designed to consolidate fragmented services, personalize interventions by life stage, predict crisis points, and generate adaptive policy feedback. The thesis moves beyond surface-level critique by connecting institutional analysis with practical system design to offer a scalable framework for inclusive innovation. Listening to the silent voices of single mothers navigating precarity is an ethical imperative and a strategic necessity for sustainable, resilient societies.