People for Rainwater (PR) was established by citizen initiatives after the Tokyo International Rainwater Utilization Conference (TIRUC) held on the theme of “Rainwater Utilization Saves the Earth” in August, 1994 in Sumida City, Tokyo.
Following the TIRUC Conference, PR held the Tokyo Asia Pacific (TAP) Sky Water Forum on the theme of “ Building International Networks towards Solving the Water Crisis in Asia” in Sumida City in August 2005 in cooperation with global sky water networks for citizens, government administrations, businesses, researchers and scholars. After TAP Sky Water Forum, PR started to create an International Sky Water Center in order to help solve the water crisis in the Monsoon areas, such as, flooding, water shortages and lack of safe drinking water.
In May 2001 the Rainwater Museum was created at a closed elementary school in Sumida City by the Sumida City local government. PR was involved in the design and planning for the Rainwater Museum at the request of Sumida City Hall. The Rainwater House and Rainwater Picture Book Room were opened there through the funding support of the Rainwater Business Association and the 21 Pawnshop Association in 2005. After the opening of the Rainwater Museum, there have been 30,000 visitors, and many school children have been taken the rainwater awareness program.
PR hopes to develop the Rainwater Museum into an International Sky Water Center which will be a base for activities and exchanges for global sky water networks in the future.