Departures of note

Shōji Sano was a Japanese social entrepreneur best known as the founder of the Japanese edition of The Big Issue, the street magazine sold by homeless vendors to help them earn income and regain independence. He launched Big Issue Japan in 2003, adapting the British model of giving people experiencing homelessness a way to work, earning half of each sale's price.

Under his leadership, the magazine grew to be sold by roughly 70 vendors across Japan scene-wide, reaching 536 issues and selling more than 10.31 million copies by the end of March 2026, generating over 1.7 billion yen in income for homeless vendors. He died on 19 September 2026 at the age of 84 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. His funeral was held privately by relatives.