About
What is 1252 Project?
1252 Project is an educational program that addresses various menstrual issues faced by female athletes. Partnering with top athletes, medical facilities, and educational fields, we aim to help students to gain the right information, advisory, and guidance about menstrual problems.
An athlete’s body needs appropriate conditioning to perform at its best during seasonal games and competitions. However, approximately 12 weeks out of 52 weeks (one year) of a female athlete’s body suffer from various menstrual symptoms that affect their performance.
Because the menstrual cycle and how it effects the body differ from person to person, this issue has been a “problem to be solved secretly and individually” for a long time. With the help of top athletes and experts in the medical and education fields, we will create an educational platform to gain the right information, advisory, and guidance about menstrual problems tailored for athletes.
We plan to provide online and on-site classes and seminars.
Our goal is to ensure that all female student athletes have accurate knowledge, access to support, and are able to lead a competitive life that allows them to reach their full potential.
Topics
Instagram（@1252project）
【KMD Participant Interview part 2 🎤｜A Voice from Ireland】
Following on from our last post,
we’re bringing you Interview Part 2🎶
This time, we asked our participant:
3️⃣ “In Ireland, do you think there’s an environment where female athletes and coaches can talk about periods more easily?”
4️⃣ “How do you feel about the activities of 1252 Project?”
They shared their thoughts on cultural background and how “easy it is to talk” in sports settings,
and we also received honest feedback for 1252 Project.
What kind of support do you think is needed
to create an environment where female athletes can talk about their bodies with peace of mind? ✨
#1252Project
#period
#athletes
#kmdforum
【KMD Participant Interview Part 1 🎤｜A voice from Ireland】
At the KMD Forum,
we spoke with a participant from Ireland who stopped by our booth.
In this interview, we asked the following questions:
1️⃣ "When you were a student, did you have opportunities to learn about periods in Ireland?"
2️⃣ "In Ireland, is there a psychological barrier to talking about periods?"
They shared their thoughts on culture, education,
and why “talking about it” can sometimes feel difficult 💭
This interview was conducted by Keio University Graduate School of Media Design (KMD)—
a place where researchers, students, companies, government, and local communities from around the world collaborate to co-create future value and bring it into society.
Because people from so many different backgrounds connect here,
this conversation was full of fresh perspectives and meaningful dialogue ✨
What is the image of “talking about periods” like in your country or region?
#1252Project
#period
#athletes
#kmdforum
【KMD Participant Interview Part 2 🎤｜A Voice from Taiwan】
Following on from our last post,
we’re bringing you Interview Part 2!
This time, we asked our participant:
“How do you feel about the initiatives of 1252 Project?” 💭
What about you?
What do you hope for 1252 Project,
and what future do you want to build together? ✨
#1252Project
#period
#athletes
#kmdforum
【KMD Participant Interview Part 1 🎤｜A voice from Taiwan】
At KMD Forum 2025, we spoke with a visitor from Taiwan who stopped by our booth 😌
We asked about two themes:
1️⃣ “What challenges do female athletes in Taiwan face when it comes to periods?”
2️⃣ “As a figure skater, what challenges have you experienced personally?”
This interview was conducted by Keio University Graduate School of Media Design (KMD)—
a place where researchers, students, companies, government, and local communities from around the world collaborate to co-create future value and bring it into society.
Because KMD brings together so many different perspectives, the conversation was full of meaningful insights ✨
We’ll share the rest of the interview in Part 2!
Stay tuned 🎶
#1252Project
#period
#athletes
#kmdforum
The “1252 Certified Female Athlete Conditioning Expert Exam,” currently offered in Japan, is receiving high praise from coaches, trainers, and medical professionals who support female athletes! 💪✨
About 75% of candidates said they “gained new medical understanding of the body.”
This shows that what they learn is being put into practice in real coaching and on-the-ground support.
Here’s what participants shared 👇
💬 “I feel I’ll be able to coach in a better environment.”
💬 “Being able to say I work based on proper knowledge helps build trust with athletes and their parents.”
💬 “I want to give back what I learned to the teams and athletes I support.”
…and many more voices were shared!
Most respondents were coaches, trainers, teachers, and medical professionals supporting female athletes.
These results show it’s truly being felt as ‘knowledge you can use right away’ in the field 💡
#1252Project
#period
#athletes
／
“1252-Certified Female Athlete Conditioning Expert Certification Exam”
What you’ll learn & real feedback 💭
＼
1252 Project is working to spread real understanding of female athletes’ health and performance.
One of those actions is the
“1252-Certified Female Athlete Conditioning Expert Certification.”
It’s a learning program for coaches, teachers, parents, and athletes themselves
to gain science-based knowledge about
“female athletes × periods”.
Voices from participants are coming in 🔽
👤 “For female athletes’ future, it’s essential that coaches and specialists have accurate knowledge.”
👤 “I want to work more closely with medical staff and school nurses to support rest and menstrual health for my athletes.”
👤 “What we pass on shouldn’t be based on assumptions — it has to be accurate knowledge.”
👤 “I’m a trainer for high school athletes, so this is something I can use in the field right away. It also makes it easier for parents to step in with deeper support — especially around nutrition and menstrual challenges.”
Step by step, learning is turning into real support on the ground ‼️
Based on: post-exam survey from the 1252 Expert Certification Exam
#1252Project
#FemaleAthletes
🎥 Talk up 1252 🎥
1252 Project shares honest voices about female athletes’ conditioning and “periods × sports” in a YouTube talk series called "Talk up 1252."
Top athletes speak openly about their real experiences and thoughts on periods and performance, in a way that’s easy to relate to.
Episodes 1–10 were created with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Tokyo Hospital, as part of a Female Athlete Support Program by the Japan Sports Agency.
To reach and empower teens, this project is run together with Never Stop Playing sports.
In Japan, more and more projects like this are sharing real stories from female athletes and deepening our understanding of the body and mind in competition.
If you’re curious, check it out 👇
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLa7LJJewGWJP3Gc0azsTXYSaCOgcfyBBW
#1252Project
#FemaleAthletes
#PeriodsAndSports
🌏 Where does the name “1252 Project” come from? 🌏
For athletes, managing your condition around training seasons and competition schedules is essential.
Across the 52 weeks of a year, about 12 of those weeks come with period and the physical changes that follow—
a reality many female athletes cannot simply avoid.
“12” and “52” —
Put together, they become “1252.”
It represents our commitment to helping every young female athlete feel safe, supported, and able to shine in her own way.
And 1252 Project will keep standing with you 💪🏻✨
#1252Project
#FemaleAthletes
#PeriodsAndSports
1252 Expert
1252 Expert is a certification exam to enhance the knowledge necessary to coach female athletes. It was developed to support female athletes from the environment by educating those involved in women’s sports, including coaches and school teachers. The exam consists of knowledge about female athletes, including menstrual issues unique to women. *This program is developed in Japanese only.
Talk up 1252
Talk up 1252 is a YouTube program where top athletes share their own period-related experiences. The importance to enhance the knowledge about periods is discussed through various sports and perspectives.
Talk about Periods that Male Coaches Should Know
Talk about Water Sports and Periods
Talk about Periods that Male Coaches Should Know
Talk about Water Sports and Periods
Members
1252 Project Leader
Hanae Ito
When I was a teenager competing on Japan’s national swimming team, my period was just “something that naturally came every month”.
I hadn’t thought about how it could affect my performance or mental health, I had no idea about PMS or PMDD, nor was I aware of the existence of the pill, its side effects, its safety, or how overseas athletes were using it with such control. I never thought that I would have regrets when I reached the Olympic stage.
When I think about it now, I feel that it was because at the time, there was no place that I could go to learn about menstruation nor anyone I could ask for advice.
For that reason, I want all female student athletes to know more about the topic.
Moreover, I would like mentors and male athletes to have the right knowledge too.
