What the Future Looks Like Depends on Who Can Access Education
Education shapes young people’s futures, but not everyone has the same chance to succeed.
Japan's young people are among the most ambitious, creative, and globally connected in the world. They are shaping global culture through music, fashion, gaming, and design. But beneath the surface of that cultural momentum, there is a quieter challenge.
Over 300,000 students in Japan are currently experiencing futoko, chronic school non-attendance. The number of missing students hit a record high for the third consecutive year. These aren't students who stopped caring. They're students the system stopped reaching. Too much pressure, too little flexibility, not enough room to be anything other than what the structure demands.
This isn't just a Japan problem. It's an everywhere problem. And it's proof that even in one of the world's most educated nations, access to learning that actually works for every student isn't guaranteed. It has to be fought for.
What's at Stake, Globally
Looking beyond Japan, the situation becomes even more serious.
According to the 2026 UNESCO Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report, 273 million children and young people worldwide are out of school entirely, the seventh consecutive year that number has risen. Only 2 in 3 students globally finish secondary school. And in the countries where that gap is widest, governments spend an average of just $55 per student per year. In high-income nations, that figure exceeds $8,500.
This is not just a gap. It is a significant divide. And it's not going to close on its own.
The consequences follow these children for life. Every year of education a person completes raises their future earning potential. Access to education is directly linked to lower rates of preventable disease, better maternal health, and longer life expectancy. For the 220 million children currently living in crisis zones — from Gaza to Ukraine to South Sudan — a classroom is often the only safe place available to them. Education isn't an opportunity. For millions of kids, it's survival.
Where Culture Meets Purpose
On June 18, 2026, Global Citizen arrives in Japan for the first time.
Global Citizen Live: Tokyo takes over the Tokyo International Forum — headlined by &TEAM, with performances by Ai and Yuki Chiba. It's a celebration of the Japanese creative energy that's reshaping global culture right now. But it's also a moment of commitment: every ticket, every action taken through the Global Citizen app, every person in that room is part of something that extends far beyond the setlist.
"Music has the power to connect diverse worlds," said &TEAM, "which has always been at the core of &TEAM's identity — so it's an honor to perform for such an important cause."
Music brings people together, but what matters most is what we do with that connection.
The Fund That Turns the Show Into Change
At the center of Global Citizen Live: Tokyo is the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, a commitment to raise ¥16 billion (approximately $100 million) to get at least 100,000 children into quality education across 150+ countries, including Japan, by the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The fund works on two tracks, and both matter.
Half goes directly to grassroots organizations — grants ranging from $50,000 to $250,000 to the teams already on the ground: building classrooms in underserved communities, training teachers, bringing reading programs to children who have never had one.
The other half powers Football for Schools (F4S), a UNESCO partnership that uses the universal language of sport to teach life skills — health, gender equity, critical thinking — integrated directly into national education systems. F4S officially launched in Japan in March 2026. The goal is to reach 700 million children globally. The method is simple: meet kids where they already are, with something they already love, and build from there.
Linking this mission to the FIFA World Cup is a strategy to bring education to the global stage, in front of the world leaders who have the power to act, at a moment when they can't look away.
Why It Matters Now
The window is narrowing. The UNESCO report calls the current moment a "perfect storm" — conflict, climate displacement, and economic instability are conspiring to push more children out of classrooms faster than the world is bringing them back in. Each year without action means more young people losing opportunities that could shape their future.
Global Citizen Cultural Ambassador Ai put it simply: "Now more than ever, we've got to show each other compassion and support. Let's take action together and make a difference."
The Tokyo show is a starting point, not a finish line. Since 2008, Global Citizens have taken over 42.9 million actions, generating $50 billion in commitments that have touched 1.3 billion lives.
Make Your Move
You don't need to be at Tokyo International Forum to be part of this. The movement runs through the Global Citizen app, a platform where learning about the root causes of poverty and taking real, targeted action earns you access to the moments you don't want to miss.
Download the app. Take an action. Earn your place in the room.
The future belongs to those who can access it. Let's make sure that's everyone.