ITOCHU Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Yoshihisa Suzuki, President & COO; hereinafter “ITOCHU”) opened ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE in 2012, aspiring to encourage future generations, contribute to local communities and promote art and culture both domestically and internationally as part of its social contribution activities. A number of exhibitions have since been held in this space.

The company announced today that Mottainai Grandma World Report Exhibition “Global Issues and Children Around the World” would take place at ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE in cooperation with the author Mariko Shinju. With the popular character in the picture book, “Mottainai Grandma,” as a guide, and using photographies and illustration panels, the exhibition will show climate change, disappearing woodlands and creatures, shortages of food and water, wars, refugees, child labor, poverty, disparity, and other global issues, as well as the stories of affected children around the world, are linked to our life.

The author Mariko Shinju at the center of the photo

ITOCHU Corporation and ITOCHU India Pvt. Ltd. are jointly running the story-telling caravan of the picture book “Mottainai Grandma” (Hindi and English versions) at public schools in Delhi and outlying Haryana in association with Kodansha Ltd. under the cooperation of JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency), which is working to improve environmental and hygiene issues that are emerging as serious problems in India.
The caravan also matches the objective of “sound and healthy development of young people” of ITOCHU Foundation (established in 1974), which has continued to engage in promoting reading activities for more than 40 years, and is expected to enlighten children in environments without sufficient access to picture books about the joys of reading.