Myanmar, which is undergoing democratic transformation, has become a testing ground for various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) around the world. Among them, Japanese NGOs have done the most meticulous work in Myanmar and have won the hearts of Myanmar's people the most. According to media reports such as the Chicago Tribune, 91 year old Japanese veteran Seiji Imizumi once fought against the Allies in the Impal region of Myanmar. In 1989, he founded the Jinquan Myanmar Scholars Foundation in Myanmar, providing over 200 Burmese university students with a monthly study allowance of $335 per person. Seiji Imizumi said, "Our goal is to repay the Burmese people who provided assistance to the defeated Japanese soldiers in the Battle of Impal. I want to help Burmese youth become a new force in building a prosperous and strong country." In fact, many Burmese university students who benefited from the foundation have now become elites in various departments of the Burmese government or large Japanese enterprises stationed in Myanmar.
"Japan's' Grassroots Foundation 'has been insisting on providing low value but directly related daily necessities to the people in the Kokang region of Myanmar for many years," a local person familiar with Kokang told reporters. "Years of hard work have earned the trust of the Myanmar government and the people in Japan. If it weren't for Kokang's sudden war, then Japan's large communication companies would have successfully entered the Kokang region and replaced other large communication companies in the region.".