WOTA Expands Bathing and Hygiene Support for Medical and Welfare Facilities Facing Ongoing Water Outages in Kumamoto with Private Support
— WOTA released “WOTA 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake Response Fact Sheet (Second Preliminary Report)” summarizing the latest overall status of emergency water supply support at evacuation centers, medical and welfare facilities, and other sites —
WOTA extends its heartfelt sympathies to all those affected by the 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake.
WOTA Corp. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director & CEO: Yosuke Maeda; hereinafter “WOTA”) began accepting corporate sponsorships and launched a crowdfunding project on Monday, August 10, 2026, to sustain and expand bathing and hygiene support for medical and welfare facilities experiencing ongoing water outages, damage to hot water equipment, and related problems following the 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake. The crowdfunding project is titled “Together, Delivering Water to Sustain Medical and Welfare Services at Facilities Facing Ongoing Water Outages in Kumamoto..
Since the launch, support has been received from numerous companies and individuals. Corporate sponsorships reached their first deadline, and crowdfunding achieved its initial target goal of 10 million yen. Based on the support received, WOTA collaborated with relevant entities—including the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) Secretariat, local governments, and public health centers—to confirm the latest support needs and priorities. By selecting recipient sites, delivering and installing equipment, and handing over operations to local operators in stages, WOTA had deployed 67 units (31 “WOTA BOX” and 36 “WOSH” units) across 26 sites, including medical and welfare facilities, as of August 13. WOTA will continue to use the support received to provide access to bathing and help maintain hygiene as quickly as possible to meet local needs.
We express our deepest gratitude to everyone who provided support and cooperation.
Additionally, WOTA has published the “WOTA 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake Response Fact Sheet (Second Preliminary Report),” which summarizes the latest overall status of WOTA’s emergency water supply support activities in response to the 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake, including equipment deployment at evacuation centers and other sites as well as local operating arrangements.
Filling the Funding Gap for Medical and Welfare Facilities Through Private-Sector Support
Following the disaster, WOTA began deploying Water-Recycling Shower “WOTA BOX” and Water-Regenerating Handwashing Stand “WOSH” units to evacuation centers in areas affected by water outages upon receiving an official request from Kumamoto Prefecture. These activities are conducted under public frameworks such as the Disaster Relief Act, as well as through partnerships with the national government, local governments, relevant organizations, and private companies.
However, for support to medical and welfare facilities and other sites, arrangements for covering the necessary maintenance and operating costs with public funds have not yet been clarified, despite the existence of support requests and available equipment. These costs include equipment delivery and setup, replenishment of consumables such as filters, maintenance, inspections, site visits, and technical support throughout the support period.
To bridge this funding gap with private-sector support, WOTA is lending the necessary “WOTA BOX” and “WOSH” units free of charge and began accepting corporate sponsorship and launched crowdfunding on Monday, August 10, to bridge this “funding gap” with private-sector support. Both initiatives aim to provide medical and welfare facilities with bathing facilities and hygienic conditions they need.
Corporate Sponsorship Reaches First Deadline; Crowdfunding Achieves Initial 10 Million Yen Goal
Since the launch of corporate sponsorships and crowdfunding on August 10, many companies and individuals who support the purpose of these activities have contributed support and sponsorships. In addition to monetary contributions, support has been provided in various forms, including the provision of equipment and assistance with local transport and installation assistance.
For corporate sponsorships, contributions had been received from 14 companies and one individual by the first deadline.
Furthermore, on Friday, August 14—the fifth day since launch—the crowdfunding campaign reached its initial target of 10 million yen, supported by approximately 400 donors.
We express our deepest gratitude to everyone who provided support and cooperation.
Because medical and welfare facilities requiring assistance still remain, WOTA will continue accepting both corporate sponsorships and running crowdfunding to further expand support efforts.
Turning Contributions into Immediate On-Site Support: From Needs Assessment to Deployment and Operation
In this initiative, support received from companies and individuals are used to deploy and operate “WOTA BOX” and “WOSH” units at medical and welfare facilities requiring bathing facilities and hygiene maintenance.
WOTA works closely with the DMAT Secretariat, local governments, public health centers, and other relevant entities to confirm the latest on-site support needs. After organizing priorities based on urgency and selecting target sites, WOTA sequentially proceeds with equipment delivery, installation, and handover of operations to local staff.
〈Support Process〉
①Secure support resources through corporate sponsorships and crowdfunding
②Confirm the latest support needs in collaboration with DMAT, local governments, public health centers, etc.
③Organize priorities based on urgency and select target facilities
④Deliver and install “WOTA BOX” and “WOSH” units at required sites
⑤Hand over operations to local staff and initiate daily use at each facility
The funds contributed by supporters are not used for purchasing equipment units (which WOTA loans free of charge), but are applied toward operational expenses throughout the required support period—including equipment delivery, setup, consumables replenishment (such as filters), maintenance, inspections, site visits, and technical support.
〈Deployment Support〉
・Prior to Monday, August 10 (Before Corporate Sponsorship & Crowdfunding Execution):
WOTA deployed a total of 10 “WOTA BOX” units across 5 medical and welfare facilities at its own expense.
・From Monday, August 10 Onward (After Corporate Sponsorship & Crowdfunding Execution):
Utilizing support from corporate sponsorships and crowdfunding, WOTA executed new deployments of 57 units across 21 locations.
・Cumulative Total as of August 13:
67 units across 26 medical and welfare facilities (31 “WOTA BOX” units, 36 “WOSH” units)
・Upcoming Planned Installations:
Installations of 43 additional units across 17 locations (15 “WOTA BOX” units, 28 “WOSH” units) are currently planned.
*Unit counts are based on DMAT requests and the latest local support needs as of August 14. Figures will be updated as water service is restored or additional support needs arise.
< Deployment Activities >
< Water Issues at Medical and Welfare Facilities >
Release of “WOTA 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake Response Fact Sheet (Second Preliminary Report)” with the Latest Overview of Emergency Water Supply Support at Evacuation Centers, Medical and Welfare Facilities, and Other Sites
WOTA has released the “WOTA 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake Response Fact Sheet (Second Preliminary Report),” which compiles the latest status of WOTA’s overall emergency water supply support activities in response to the 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake.
Since arriving on-site on Wednesday, July 29, WOTA has collaborated with Kumamoto Prefecture, local governments, the national government and relevant organizations, supporting local governments, and companies, and other organizations to simultaneously assess damage and daily-use water needs, receive and transport equipment, supply water, perform installations, and establish operating arrangements.
As a result, by Tuesday, August 11—the 14th day following the earthquake—the cumulative deployment of Portable Water-Regeneration System “WOTA BOX” units exceeded 100 units.
Regarding support for evacuation centers, with the cumulative deployment of “WOTA BOX” units surpassing 100, the transition to locally managed operations”—where local municipal staff, facility personnel, and evacuees manage daily operations—is also progressing.
Building upon lessons learned from the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, WOTA established a framework to support numerous sites across a wide area by combining multiple operational models involving local governments providing assistance, national and local government entities that own equipment, and local communities. For details, please refer to the Fact Sheet (Second Preliminary Report).
■ Fact Sheet: “WOTA 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake Response Fact Sheet (Second Preliminary Report)”
Continuing Activities to Address Remaining Support Needs
As of August 10, 2026, support needs identified through DMAT and other channels totaled 106 units across 40 facilities (53 showers, 53 handwashing stations). Although deployment is underway after reaching the initial 10 million yen goal, medical and welfare facilities requiring support still remain.
Furthermore, if water outages persist or repairs to hot water equipment take longer, the need for assistance may increase further.
Therefore, WOTA will continue both corporate sponsorships and crowdfunding campaign. WOTA will work with DMAT, local governments, public health centers, and other relevant organizations to monitor changing local demands and use further contributions expand to new support sites and sustain maintenance and operations throughout the required support period.
Comment from Yosuke Maeda, Representative Director & CEO:
“We express our heartfelt gratitude to the many corporations and individuals who have provided support in alignment with the purpose of these activities.
We believe it is our responsibility to turn the support entrusted to us into access to showers and handwashing at the sites that need it as quickly as possible. The necessary equipment is in Kumamoto, and support requests from the field continue to arrive. Through the collective strength of so many supporters, we were able to bridge the funding gap between available equipment and requests for assistance, enabling us to advance support to medical and welfare facilities that we had previously been unable to support adequately.
However, facilities requiring assistance still remain. Working closely with DMAT, local governments, public health centers, and relevant entities, we will ensure thatt the support entrusted to us through corporate sponsorships and crowdfunding reaches as many sites as possible.
Furthermore, we aim to ensure that this initiative—realized through the support of many individuals and companies, to help establish institutional arrangements and public-private partnerships in advance of disasters, so that necessary support can be delivered rapidly to medical and welfare facilities. We want this effort to extend beyond the current response.”
【About WOTA Corp.】
WOTA is a private enterprise aiming for structural solutions to global water issues. Since its founding in 2014, WOTA has developed “Decentralized Water Regeneration Systems” and “Autonomous Water Treatment Control Technology” to reuse domestic wastewater to the maximum extent, addressing problems caused by unequal distribution, scarcity, and pollution of global water resources. WOTA has brought two products to market, contributing to emergency water access during disaster outages and improving public hygiene. WOTA has also developed a “Residential Water Regeneration System” for daily water use and begun supplying water in select regions in Japan and abroad.
Details: https://wota.co.jp/en/