ITOCHU Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Masahiro Okafuji, President & CEO; hereinafter “ITOCHU”) announced today that it would organize the Fifth ITOCHU Children’s Dreams Cup junior baseball tournament. ITOCHU has been organizing the ITOCHU Children’s Dreams Cup events in the city of Rikuzentakata in spring and fall each year since October 2013 through the ITOCHU Children’s Dreams Fund, established in March 2013 as part of its assistance program in support of the area affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Aimed at supporting children who are doing their best to cope in the aftermath of the earthquake, which caused extensive damage to the city, the ITOCHU Children’s Dreams Cup tournament has been joined by all the youth sports associations in the city. The upcoming competition will be the fifth event in the series.

The fall tournament, which is open to rookies, will take place in the Rikuzentakata Municipal Otomo Sports Field over two days: September 26 and 27. Centered on those with experience playing baseball, volunteers from ITOCHU Urban Community Ltd., Marubeni-Itochu Steel Inc., DAIKEN Corporation and other companies will take part in the event, whose organization will be supported by the entire ITOCHU Group.

ITOCHU will continue to provide support for the affected area by the Great East Japan Earthquake in the future, through the ITOCHU Children’s Dreams Fund and many other activities.

Scenes from the Fourth ITOCHU Children’s Dreams Cup in May 2015

Overview of the Fifth ITOCHU Children’s Dreams Cup Fall Tournament

ITOCHU Corporation’s Contributions through the ITOCHU Children's Dreams Fund

March 2013
Donated uniforms to junior high schools in Rikuzentakata and tournament entry fees for all youth baseball teams in Rikuzentakata.
July 2013
Invited junior high school and high school students from Fukushima Prefecture who had been selected from applicants to join in a joint concert hosted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra.
October 2013
Organized ITOCHU Children's Dreams Cup baseball tournament in Rikuzentakata
(October 2013, April 2014, September 2014, May 2015 and on into the future)
March 2014
Presented donations to Iwate Prefectural Yamada High School boat club to cover the cost of lifeboats, and also donated uniforms and other items to Nakano Volleyball Junior Sports Club of Sendai Municipal Nakano Elementary School.
August 2014
Organized ITOCHU Children’s Dream English Summer Camp in Rikuzentakata.
(After the first camp in August 2014, the second camp was held in August 2015 and the camp will continue to be organized in the future.)
January 2015
Organized TMSO (Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra) x ITOCHU Class Concert for elementary and junior high school students in Iwaki and Futaba District in Fukushima Prefecture.

Apart from these activities, ITOCHU has been providing support for Takata no Yume, the local brand of rice produced in the city of Rikuzentakata.

Outline of Nippon International Cooperation for Community Development (NICCO)

Public Interest Incorporated Association authorized by the Cabinet Office, Special Public-Interest Promotion Corporation (when donating, individuals can deduct part of their donation from their taxable income), UN Special Consultative Status with UN ECOSOC
Established: December 1979, Representative: President Satoyo Ono
Since its foundation in 1979, NICCO has developed activities in Asian, Middle East and African nations in areas such as supporting rural development, human resource development, and the provision of emergency support after natural disasters, with the objective of fostering economic and emotional self-reliance in developing countries. In the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, NICCO actively supported the affected regions, especially Rikuzentakata in Iwate Prefecture and the cities of Kesennuma and Natori in Miyagi Prefecture, and is still today providing a range of support, including the “Supporting Children's Dreams” project and support for revitalization of the fishing industry by introducing fish storage facility and developing the marketing abilities of local fishermen.