Governance & Accountability
Power dynamics addressed honestly
Foreign capital flowing to Japanese borrowers, mediated by foreign mission workers. We name this tension because ignoring it would undermine everything we are building.
Governance Structure
Shared power. Mutual accountability.
Our governance structure exists to ensure that power is shared, accountability is mutual, and the people closest to the work shape how it operates.
Japanese co-leadership
Japanese nationals in co-founder and advisory roles, not just as beneficiaries. Decision-making authority is shared across cultural lines.
Borrower advisory council
Active borrowers and graduates advise on program design, terms, and services. The people closest to the impact shape how the program operates.
Agency worker input
Ground-level feedback loops built into quarterly reviews. Workers on the front lines inform methodology and process improvements.
Partnership framing
Explicitly "partnership" and "mutual benefit" -- never "charity" or "aid." Borrower dignity is non-negotiable.
Graduated autonomy
As the Japanese borrower community matures, shift toward self-governing peer lending circles -- returning to the true 無尽 tradition.
Transparent governance
Published decision-making processes and public impact reports. Accountability flows in every direction.
Data Governance
APPI compliance. Borrower-owned data.
Trust infrastructure requires data responsibility. Japan's Act on Protection of Personal Information sets the floor. Our principles go further.
Borrower owns their data
Right to access, correct, and delete. Your information belongs to you, not to the platform.
Verification data separated from operational data
Trust verification records are architecturally separated from day-to-day operational systems. Minimized access, maximized protection.
Flourishing data used only for program improvement
Wellbeing assessment data is never used for grant decisions. It exists to improve support services, not to gatekeep capital.
No data sold or shared with third parties
Cross-agency data shared only in anonymized, aggregated form. Individual records stay protected.
APPI Compliance Details