Don't you find cats sleeping defenselessly
to be heartwarming?
You could watch them forever, couldn't you?
The story that's about to unfold is about a "rescue cat support" project where creators who adore cats propose unique products.
Brand Concept: "May all cats sleep defenselessly."
This brand was named with that wish in mind.
Cat Products Like Never Before
Products where you can feel value beyond the price (produced by designers and artisans from long-established luxury brands using high-quality materials)
＋
Charity with the utmost transparency (purchases directly support rescue cats)
This is aoneco.
We strictly prohibit cheap-feeling products often associated with charity items, and instead, our creators pour their pride and love for cats into every detail of our manufacturing.
A project that benefits everyone involved
● Creators (waji + sponsors)
・Promote craftsmanship and expression through the project
・The desire to help cats becomes a source of motivation for work
● Users (customers)
・Products that offer tangible value and donation tickets that go directly to support organizations
・Contribute not only to oneself but also to cats
● Support Organizations
・Receive continuous donations to fund daily activities
・Expand the scope of activities and try new initiatives
● Cats
・Move from an unsafe place to a support organization
・Find a permanent home (adoption) in a safe environment (support organization)
From the Project Representative
Hello! My name is Sugano, and I am the project representative for w a j i.
w a j i is a "professional manufacturing group" based in a renovated traditional house in Abeno-ku, Osaka, which is designated as a tangible cultural property. We primarily design and manufacture leather products consistently. In addition to developing our own brands, we also undertake design and manufacturing commissions for other brands and collaborate with different industries.
Since 2018, I've been living with two rescue cats, a long-held dream, and now I spend my days as a complete cat servant.
The inspiration for this project came from seeing them sleep like this.
Kura (a female cat) is also the image design for the aoneco logo.
This somewhat defenseless, messy, yet incredibly happy sleeping posture...
Seeing them sleep like this fills me with happiness, but also a feeling of sadness, that
"there are still so many cats in Japan who cannot sleep so safely and defenselessly."
That's what made me feel an indescribable sadness.
That's when I thought, as a manufacturing company, what if we could do something? That's how this project was launched.
Fortunately, everyone in our company is a loyal cat servant. We even have "cat cafe visits" as part of our employee benefits.
Adding to our team are our cat-loving sponsors. There's no doubt that this team is the best and strongest!
Here's a scene of a young artisan from waji playing with rescue cats ↓
Continuous and Transparent Charity
What comes to mind when you hear "charity"?
Donations in times of disaster, "○○ protecting ○○" campaigns—roughly speaking, "good deeds."
We hear about it daily, yet for many, it still feels out of the ordinary.
I'm one of those people.
I often hesitate to act, constantly wondering how the donations will be used and how effective they'll be.
Of course, not all charity is like this, but here are some examples that make me question things:
・Very low donation rates (some as low as around 1%).
・Artificially raising donation rates by significantly lowering product costs or pricing products higher than market value to appear as if more is being donated.
・Unclear use of donated funds.
Perhaps I'm just being cynical, but I believe many people share these concerns.
aoneco sets its donation rate to benefit the cats, the main stars, as high as possible, around 10%. And, of course, we take pride in creating products that offer value beyond their price.
This project was initiated with two main goals in mind: to establish a sustainable business model for charity, rather than a one-off effort, and to create a transparent system that allows purchasers to truly feel their donations making an impact.
Rewards for everyone
Products are a reward for yourself. Donation tickets are a reward for cats.
For example...
A long wallet comes with a ¥1,700 donation ticket.
This is equivalent to one month's food expenses for a cat! (Though it depends on whether the cat is a small eater or a big eater, typically ¥1,200 to ¥1,800 per month).
Choosing aoneco as a reward for yourself or a gift for someone you know greatly benefits cats (rescue, living expenses, and snacks).
Here's an estimate of other expenses ↓
Cat litter (toilet) ¥472
Churu snacks ¥80
Initial medical treatment (when rescued) ¥1,650
Virus test ¥3,300
Vaccine ¥1,980
The support organizations will share how they use the donation tickets received from aoneco and their activities on social media, creating a system where you can truly feel your donation's impact.
Easy 3 Steps
How to Donate
If you don't understand, please feel free to contact us.
step1
- Purchase an aoneco product with a donation ticket.
- Access the aoneco website (this site) and go to the donation form.
step2
- Select the support organization you wish to support.
- Enter your nickname.
※Your nickname will be shared with the support organization.
step3
- Enter the donation ticket code written on the tag.
- Tap [Donate].
※The support organization will regularly report on received donations via SNS.
Support Organizations
The donation tickets you send will be given 100% to rescue facilities working hard for cats every day.
Please check the list of support organizations for current recipients.
We look forward to your warm support.
Products
The theme of aoneco products is "Solemnly Cat."
We subtly express the cat silhouette in a simple and understated way.
To avoid being overly cute, we prioritize a solemn approach, adhering to the principle of practical usability as a product, and creating stylish items for adults.
Finally
In planning this charity, I analyzed the drawbacks of charity in Japan and, after countless strategies and meticulous considerations, and over a year of conceptualization, I am now able to present it here.
This project is envisioned as a business to ensure its sustainability. There may be differing opinions on this approach, but I believe that, rather than empty ideals, the time and money invested, the connections forged, and the trust that accompanies them offer a far superior advantage compared to individual efforts.
And I believe that this mechanism will lead to continuous support and save the most cats.
As a cat servant,
As a professional in manufacturing,
By creating and evolving unique forms of charity, I hope to contribute to the happiness of many cats.
May all cats sleep defenselessly.
