ITOCHU Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Masahiro Okafuji, President & CEO; hereinafter “ITOCHU”) announced today that it would open ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE in the CI Plaza, a commercial facility situated next to ITOCHU’s Tokyo Head Office, on October 26. It will be a gallery space aimed at next generation development, local contributions and art and cultural promotion, both in Japan and abroad, as part of ITOCHU’s social contribution activities. The first exhibition planned is the Nemunoki Children and Mariko Art Exhibition to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Nemunoki Gakuen.
In Aoyama, where a variety of cultures thrive, ITOCHU will showcase artwork that reflects fresh sensibilities, and it will present exhibitions that serve as a bridge for international exchanges in an effort to create a culturally affluent society through art.

Overview of exhibitions at ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE

Overview of facilities

ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE will have a café on the premises to provide visitors with a place where they can meet and converse.

 

Name	ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE
Address	CI Plaza B1, 2-3-1 Kita-aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Total area	Approx. 200 sq.m.
Opening date	October 26, 2012
Facilities	Café attached
Hours	Various, depending on the exhibition
Official website	http://www.itochu-artsquare.jp/

First exhibition:　Nemunoki Children and Mariko Art Exhibition

ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE will hold its first exhibition, the Nemunoki Children and Mariko Art Exhibition, in celebration of the 45th anniversary of Nemunoki Gakuen, from Friday, October 26 to Tuesday, December 25.

Nemunoki Gakuen (located in Kakegawa-shi, Shizuoka; Mariko Miyagi, Principal) was founded in 1968 as the first school for handicapped children in Japan. The exhibition, which celebrates the 45th anniversary of Nemunoki Gakuen, will showcase the painting, yuzen-dyed fabrics and other artworks of the Nemunoki children, which have attracted a total of 5 million visitors in Japan and abroad, including Paris and New York. Mariko Miyagi, the Principal of Nemunoki Gakuen, has been credited for her dedication to child welfare and educational improvement, and has been awarded a number of prizes, including the Pestalozzi Education Reward, the Helen Keller Education Award and the Special Grand Prix of the Red Cross Film Festival in Varna for the film “Mariko Mother”. In 2004, she was also recognized as an honorary citizen of Tokyo.

Nemunoki Gakuen and Chubei Itoh II
Chubei Itoh II, who established the foundations of the current general trading company, learnt of the foundation of Nemunoki Gakuen through a newspaper article. He felt the need to do something, so he visited Nemunoki Gakuen soon after it opened to make a donation. It was the first donation given to Nemunoki Gakuen. Forty-five years on, ITOCHU is continuing the spirit of Chubei Itoh II and communicating Principal Mariko Miyagi’s abiding belief, that no one is incompetent, to the public through the exhibition.

Overview of the Nemunoki Children and Mariko Art Exhibition