Social Contribution Topics 2016

November

Cleaning of the area around the building by 30 employees of the Chubu Branch of ITOCHU Corporation

The Chubu Branch of ITOCHU Corporation cleans the area around its building every year as part of its social contribution activities. This year, it cleaned the area at lunchtime on Tuesday, November 15. There was concern over the impact of the rain on the previous day, but the day itself was clear. On the warm late autumn day, a total of 30 employees led by General Manager Kawashima, including 25 employees of the Chubu Branch and five from CI Shopping Service Co., Ltd., an ITOCHU Group company, participated in the activity. They split up and collected a large amount of waste within a radius of 200 meters of the building. The branch will continue this cleaning activity to contribute to making the town of Nagoya bright and beautiful.

ITOCHU GROUP × KidZania SPECIAL NIGHT Held

On November 8, an ITOCHU exclusive KidZania event was held under the theme of the ITOCHU Group’s activities at KidZania Tokyo, of which ITOCHU Corporation is an official sponsor. During the EDWIN Group Fashion Show, kids models in fall and winter outfits attracted full attention as they walked the runway. During the special live concert by Naoto Inti Raymi, he performed a vibrant song called “Ballooooon!!” After giving a simple choreography lesson, the ITOCHU Group mascots joined, and the whole crowd danced and made an exciting show.
In addition, five ITOCHU Group companies entered their mascots in the ITOCHU Group Mascot Grand Prix. As a result of voting in the event, Ecoron which is the FamilyMart Co., Ltd.’s mascot became Grand Prix winner. A lottery was also held with gorgeous prizes from each company. A winner was selected from among those who voted for Ecoron, and she received Ecoron goods in addition to a gift certificate for HyLife Pork TABLE, provided through the sponsorship of the Food Company, as well as a soccer ball with Naoto Inti Raymi’s autograph.
The day attracted 1,079 visitors, including 555 children, making it a record attendance for an exclusive ITOCHU event and a wonderful opportunity for many people to learn about the ITOCHU Group’s activities.

ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE holds "The Works of 10 Young Edokiriko Artisans"

From Wednesday, October 5 to Sunday, November 6, the exhibition of the works of young Edokiriko artisans, which has entered its fourth year, was held at ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE. This year, the exhibition was held under the theme of Glass and Kiriko, and invited as director Jun Michida, an architect who is gaining attention for work renovating an old inn, among other projects. The multifaceted attractiveness of Edokiriko was presented using mirrors. A large number of visitors enjoyed the tours de force of ten young artisans as future leaders, which were presented as “Edokiriko art that keeps evolving.”

October

The total number of visitors to ITOHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE exceeds 150,000, and ART BATTLES TOKYO is held to commemorate its 4th anniversary

On Friday, October 21, the total number of visitors to ITOHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE reached 150,000. To commemorate this, the 150,000th visitor was presented with flowers and a commemorative gift in the form of vouchers for HyLife Pork Table, which opened in Daikanyama recently.
On Wednesday, October 26, ITOHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE celebrated its 4th anniversary. In commemoration of the anniversary, Japan’s first ART BATTLES, which have been held in seven countries around the world so far, notably in New York, USA, took place at CI Plaza located next to the Tokyo Head Office of ITOCHU. In this event, eight participating artists competed against one another in an art performance involving creating works simultaneously within one hour. People in the venue were greatly excited to see the artists create works while dancing to disco music. Among the judges were PESU-ART, who has won the ART BATTLES held in New York, and designer Junko Koshino. The winner was silsil, who showed the quickly changing expressions of a girl. The right to hold a personal exhibition at ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE was granted to the winning artist.
ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE will continue to hold events under the theme of resolving social issues through art.

Daisuke Nakashima Photo Exhibition Entitled "Image no Kanshoku (Feel of the images): taken with iPhone" held at ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE

During Thursday, September 22 to Sunday, October 2, a photo exhibition by Daisuke Nakashima, a photographer who has continued his creative activities using the iPhone and social media was held. This exhibition was held as the second round of photo exhibition curated by photography critic Minoru Shimizu, with the purpose of developing future generations. All of the exhibited works were taken with iPhone. They were displayed in 100 units of iPhone and iPad placed in the venue, which is appropriate for exhibiting iPhone photos. We thus presented the contemporary art using the most familiar and most popular devices in society today.

September

Photography Exhibition Tohoku/Okinawa by Masaru Tatsuki and Ryuichi Ishikawa held at ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE

During Wednesday, September 7 to Monday (national holiday), September 19, a photography exhibition by Mr. Masaru Tatsuki and Mr. Ryuichi Ishikawa was held at ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE. The exhibition was held as the first round of a two-part photography exhibition curated by photography critic Minoru Shimizu, with the purpose of developing future generations. Mr. Tatsuki and Mr. Ishikawa are gaining attention from various media and art festivals after receiving the Kimura Ihei Award, dubbed the Akutagawa Award of the photography community. Mr. Tatsuki has been visiting the Tohoku Region since 2006, well before the Tohoku earthquake, while Mr. Ishikawa was born and raised in Okinawa and has been capturing the way people live their lives in present-day Okinawa. Both photographers honor their encounters with the people who are also objects of their photography and share their experiences before taking the photographs. Their photographs, taken in this way, showed aspects of Tohoku and Okinawa which we cannot ordinarily see.

ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE Held Disaster Prevention and First Aid Fair with the Akasaka Fire Station

ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE hosted a disaster prevention event with Akasaka Fire Station from Disaster Prevention Day on Thursday, September 1 through Saturday, September 3. On the first day of the event, the Haz-Mat company of Akasaka Fire Station performed a drill in the opening ceremony. The fair set up sections that allowed visitors to try a range of experiences, such as firefighting, first aid, earthquake, smoke, and riding on a fire ladder truck. In addition, photographs showing the history and disaster prevention activities of Akasaka Fire Station were also exhibited to commemorate its 90th anniversary. A tablet game of finding potential risks in the immediate surroundings was popular with children. The three-day event raised awareness of disaster prevention among people working in the area and local residents, including children.

August

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EARTH - Change the World with Children's Art - held at ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE

From Wednesday, July 27 to Saturday, August 27, ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE held an exhibition of paintings by children from around the world who were traumatized by terrible events, such as wars or disasters. This exhibition was sponsored by KIDS EARTH FUND, a non-profit organization. A large number of didactic, colorful, energetic pictures were exhibited. In addition, an art workshop for children was held four times during the period, which coincided with summer holidays. The exhibition inspired a large number of people with the sensibilities of children from all over the world.

“Out of KidZania: ITOCHU Corporation” Held

Over the two days of August 4 and 5, the “Out of KidZania: ITOCHU Corporation” event was held at ITOCHU Corporation’s Tokyo Head Office. At this event, elementary school children pretended to be children’s shosha persons, and then went through a program to nurture their ability to solve problems as they analyzed a variety of problems and made proposals from their unique point of view. This year, the event was held for the third time, and based on the cooperation of euglena Co., Ltd., the children formed teams and learned about the food euglena (midorimushi in Japanese) and venture investment under the theme of “Experience the Creation of a Business using New Technology.” On the last day, each team gave a presentation on a planning and sales promotion strategy for a new product inspired by using euglena to solve the world’s problems. All the teams came up with wonderfully individualistic and inventive proposals as good as any adult could produce. In fact, the children really seemed to have grown significantly over the two days.

July

Supporting Recovery from the Earthquake

・Third ITOCHU Children's Dream Summer Camp in Rikuzentakata Held

For details, visit:
http://www.itochu.co.jp/en/earthquake/
http://www.itochu.co.jp/en/earthquake/volunteer/160730.html

24th Summer Holiday Environmental Class Held

The Environmental Class for Children on Summer Holidays, a customary event held annually since 1992, was held on July 28. The 24th Class consisted of 2 workshops, with 76 children, including 39 children of ITOCHU Group employees and 37 from neighboring elementary schools, taking part.
During the first workshop, entitled "Biodiversity: Sea Turtle Workshop," children closely observed a green turtle from the Ogasawara Islands and learned about its ecology and endangered species. In the second workshop, entitled "Natural Disaster Workshop," the children experienced a simulated avalanche and earthquake, through which they learned about how natural disasters occur and how to respond to them. A liquefaction simulation experiment prompted one student to take on the subject matter as his independent research project for summer vacation. Parents accompanying participants rated the workshop highly, with one saying, "The children learned while having fun."

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Chubei Itoh II's Old High School in Shiga Prefecture Visited ITOCHU for the Ohmi Merchants Revival Project

On July 26, 10 second graders from Chubei Itoh II's old high school visited ITOCHU's Tokyo Head Office. His old high school is the Shiga Prefecture Hachiman Commercial High School, and the second graders made use of the school's summer vacation to voluntarily participate in the visit, which forms one part of the training program of the Ohmi Merchants Revival Project. The students had a lecture in which they learnt about the Ohmi merchants, the roots of ITOCHU Corporation, and the work and role of a sogo shosha, and took part in a workshop where they thought about how to sell products to people with different lifestyles and cultures. Finally, the students put on a presentation of sanbutsu mawashi, by which they sold items they had brought at their training destinations in the Hokuriku and northern Kanto regions.

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"Sachi Murai Photo Exhibition - FantaSea" held at ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE

From Thursday, July 7 to Sunday, July 24, ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE exhibited a selection of underwater photographs taken over the last 20 years by Sachi Murai, a photographer who takes photographs under the sea from around the world. The sea was portrayed by displaying underwater photographs across an entire wall of the venue, allowing visitors to enjoy the comforting and fantastic world under the sea. During the exhibition, notable figures associated with the sea from all walks of life, such as photographer Junji Takasago, were invited to take part in talk sessions, and camera workshops were also held. By expressing the mysterious power and beauty of the sea, the exhibition was an opportunity for as many people as possible to learn about the importance of preserving the environment and biodiversity, including the world's seas and the myriad problems they face, including marine pollution, disappearing coral reefs, and the overexploitation of fishing resources.

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ITOCHU Holds the 2nd ITOCHU Summer Concert in Suntory Hall!

The 2nd ITOCHU Summer Concert was held on Wednesday, July 20, and attracted an audience of more than 1,900 people, more than the previous year. Starting off with a performance by the New York Symphonic Ensemble conducted by Mamoru Takahara, in the second half the orchestra and chorus of Tokyo Metropolitan Mita High School comprising some 98 members all joined to produce an unprecedentedly powerful performance. Performing Tchaikovsky's The Year 1812, Festive Overture as a joint performance and Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance as an encore, the high school students fully demonstrated the fruits of the two workshops with Mr. Takahara and their hard practice thereafter, delivering an excellent performance although they were nervous. The performances were met with thunderous applause and cheers, and elicited cries of "wonderful" and "moving" afterward.

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Kyushu Branch Employees Take Part in Volunteer Activities in Support of Areas Affected by the Kumamoto Earthquake

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On Tuesday, July 19, two employees from the Kyushu Branch took part in volunteer activities in support of areas affected by the Kumamoto Earthquake. As part of a seven-person group assigned at the Kumamoto City Disaster Volunteer Center, the volunteers removed and disposed of scrap household belongings at the homes of individual disaster victims in Higashi Ward, Kumamoto, and performed cleanup work around the homes. In keeping with its description as the "Land of Fire," carrying out work under the hot sun in Kumamoto was difficult, but a sense of unity formed in the group, and with highlights such as words of gratitude from an old local woman on the way back, it was a productive day without bothering about tiredness.

June

"LOVE THE MATERIAL in AOYAMA" held at ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE

From June 6 to 25, ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE hosted an exhibit featuring over 100 pieces of contemporary craft (a genre of modern art) created by 42 of Japan's up and coming artists and their love for a diverse range of materials, including metal, lacquer, and wood. Talk sessions led by featured artists were held every Saturday during the exhibit period. These sessions served as an opportunity to introduce the flexibility and delicate nature of contemporary craft made with a sensitivity that is unique to the Japanese people. Holding this event in the month of June, Japan's Environment Month, also provided the opportunity to reevaluate how we view the materials around us.

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Mikata Junior High School of Wakasa, Fukui Prefecture in Chairman Kobayashi's Hometown Visited ITOCHU

Continuing from last year, 70 third-year students from Mikata Junior High School in Wakasa Town, Fukui Prefecture visited the Tokyo Head Office for career studies as part of their school trip. Having grown up in Wakasa Town and now serving as its ambassador, Chairman Kobayashi gave a lecture and encouraged the junior high school students who will lead the future, as a senior local of the town.
Next, as a business simulation to deepen their understanding of a general trading company, a workshop on promoting the specialty goods of Fukui Prefecture to foreigners were held. Students who were working on a regional learning project entitled "5 Year Plan for Our Town Development" expressed words of thanks, saying, "Thank you for arranging a program that is connected with our lives."
Lastly, the students visited ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE, which serves as the center of ITOCHU's CSR efforts. Students viewed the "LOVE THE MATERIAL in AOYAMA" exhibition that was being held and were surprised and enthralled by the multitude of innovative, contemporary crafts.

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May

Supporting Recovery from the Earthquake

・Ceremony for planting "Takata no Yume", the local brand rice of Rikuzentakata City

For details, visit:

"Bicycle Expo 2016: Moulton Exhibition - the Wonderful World of Small-Wheeled Bicycles" held at ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE

To coincide with bicycle month, from Tuesday, May 3 (public holiday) to Tuesday, May 31, the fourth "Bicycle Expo" was held at ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE. This time the focus was on Alex Moulton, who was awarded the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for achieving major leaps in automobile and bicycle development in the second half of the 20th century. The exhibition introduced a precious collection of 22 Moulton-designed bicycles recognized in Britain, from the vintage model when he made his debut to the latest model.
The Aoyama Shop Owners Association declared Aoyama a "bike-rider-friendly-district" in 2009, and with Aoyama attracting the attention of numerous bicycle lovers, events such as talk sessions and test rides were held to coincide with the Golden Week holidays. With many fans around the world, the small-wheeled bicycles were enjoyed not only by bicycle enthusiasts but also many other people.

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20 people from the ITOCHU Osaka Head Office participated in the WFP Walk the World 2016 held for the first time in Osaka

The WFP Walk the World was held on May 29 in Osaka for the first time. Through this event in which the ITOCHU Group participates as one team every year, a portion of the fees collected from the participants is donated to the school meals programs for developing countries organized by the United Nations World Food Programme. 214 participants from ITOCHU and 6 other Group companies, including a group of 20, comprising employees and their family members from the Osaka Head Office, showed their support, walking through Osaka Castle Park and its surroundings, in hopes of eradicating child hunger in the developing world.

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49 third grade students of Aoyama Elementary School visited Tokyo Headquarters for extracurricular study

A total of 49 third grade students of Aoyama Elementary School near the Tokyo Headquarters visited our office for a social studies class "My hometown, Everyone's hometown" on May 18.
Through the windows facing the four directions, the children curiously looked at the Jingu Baseball Stadium, Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, and searched for Tokyo Tower or Roppongi Hills. They eagerly wrote down whatever they saw in their notebooks, and deepened their understanding of the Minato Ward where they live.

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478 people from the ITOCHU Group participated in the WFP Walk the World 2016 in Yokohama

The WFP Walk the World was held on May 15 in the Minato-Mirai District of Yokohama. A portion of the fees collected from the participants of this event is donated to the school meals programs for developing countries organized by the United Nations World Food Programme. Executive Vice President Takayanagi participated along with approximately 100 volunteers from ITOCHU Corporation, comprising employees and their families and friends.
In all a record of 478 people from ITOCHU, including those from 15 Group companies, participated and walked through landmarks in Yokohama in hopes of eradicating child hunger in the developing world.

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April

Supporting Recovery from the Earthquake

・In-house Fundraising to Help High School Students from Earthquake-Affected Area Attend College

For details, visit:

"TOKYO Teshigoto" exhibition held at ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE

From April 23 to 30, the first exhibition of the TOKYO Teshigoto project, an initiative to have the traditional crafts for which Tokyo is renowned appeal to people both in Japan and overseas and to preserve and hand down the artisan skills to future generations, was held at ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE. Collaborating with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Tokyo Metropolitan Small and Medium Enterprise Support Center, the traditional crafts of Tokyo and new products developed through collaborations between craftsmen and designers were rolled out. The exhibition enabled to have the audience capture a broad understanding of the techniques and spirits of artisans in Edo and the outstanding functionality of ordinary items that have been loved by the masses. At the same time, the exhibition presented a cultured and charming lifestyle surrounded by traditional crafts, taking on the challenge of creating new crafts that are full of sensibility and are quintessentially Tokyo.

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Get in touch "Warm Blue MAZEKOZE Art II" held at ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE

From March 21, the World Down Syndrome Day, to April 18, an exhibition was held for the second year running on the theme of blue, the concept color for World Autism Awareness Day, which is April 2. The exhibition was co-sponsored by the general incorporated association Get in touch, whose representative is Chizuru Azuma, an actress.
Timed to coincide with international days stipulated by the United Nations, a number of events were held on Saturdays during the period with the aim of promoting the concepts "Good things are good" and "Art is art" regardless of the presence or absence of disabilities, through art (culture).
The exhibition enabled to communicate Chizuru Azuma's asipiration to create a "society where various individualities are accepted with no people categorized or excluded based on prejudice" to more than 3,000 people who came to ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE for the exhibition.

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ITOCHU Receives Incentive Award at the 25th Grand Prize for the Global Environment Award

On April 18, the ceremony of the 25th Grand Prize for the Global Environmental Award, sponsored by the Fujisankei Group, was held at the Meiji Kinenkan in Minato-ku, Tokyo with HIH The Prince Akishino, and HIH The Princess Akishino in attendance.
ITOCHU Corporation received an Incentive Award for reducing CO2 emissions as a result of changing the way people work through the introduction of morning-focused work style. Instead of the usual energy conservation activities, ITOCHU was recognized for its achievements from the perspective of "being able to contribute to environmental conservation while changing work styles and improving business efficiency."

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Support for 45 Brazilian students from public schools in their work experience at KidZania Tokyo

The "ANBEC Program for Work Experience at KidZania by Brazilian Students from Public Schools," hosted by the Associação Nippo Brasileira Economia e Cultura (ANBEC), was held on April 17. A total of 45 elementary and junior high school students residing in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, and Saitama, who were solicited by ANBEC, experienced work at KidZania Tokyo. ITOCHU Corporation collaborated in the event with respect to the admission fees of the children and supported the vocational education of the children through work experience at KidZania.

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ITOCHU AOYAMA ART AQUARE lit up in blue on April 2 as the annual World Autism Awareness Day

On April 2, which is designated by the United Nations as the World Autism Awareness Day, ITOCHU AOYAMA ART AQUARE participated in the campaign as a part of its social contribution activities and was lit up in blue as the theme color. This year, a plan to turn Aoyama blue (Aoyama literally means "blue mountain") was supported by other companies, etc. in the neighboring area. The national flag tower of Meijijingu Gaien and Honda Aoyama Building were also lit up in blue while BMW Aoyama Square, Lexus International Gallery Aoyama, and the show window of Kameyama Candle House were also turned blue in their respective ways. In this way, the entire community engaged in activities for raising awareness of autism.
A MAZEKOZE Photo Spot event was also held at ITOCHU AOYAMA ART AQUARE. Many people took part in the live painting performance by artists whose works were exhibited at MAZEKOZE Art II, and in the photo shoot in front of the work created in the painting performance.

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Copyright: LIFE.14

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March

Supporting Recovery from the Earthquake

  • Selling Rikuzentakata Specialties at the Minato-ku World Carnival
  • Running the 3.11 TabeteOenShiyo [Let's Support by Eating]! Takata no Yume Project in Aoyama
  • Art wa shinsai wo fuka sasenai [Art does not let the disaster be forgotten]. Photo Exhibition by Magdalena Sole - Since That Day." held

For details, visit:
http://www.itochu.co.jp/en/earthquake/

Pixar exhibition related events: talk sessions entitled "Rise to the Challenge of Impressing the World, Future Creators!" held

As the events related to the "Pixar: 30 Years of Animation" exhibition being held until May 29 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, which ITOCHU Corporation is a cosponsor, talk sessions aimed at high school students and above who will be leading the next generation were held at ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE. At the first session, a talk was given by Sharon Calahan, who is active in the forefront of Pixar as a cinematographer. In the second session, a talk was given by animation director Daisuke Tsutsumi, who used to work at Pixar as an art director. The audiences of the two days session comprised a total of some 140 students chosen by lottery, who either aspire to work in the art industry or are thinking about studying abroad. Both sessions led to lively discussions with the speakers who are active on the global stage.

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9th ITOCHU Annual Baseball Class Held at Jingu Stadium

On March 6, the ITOCHU Group held the annual baseball class for children with disabilities under the instruction of guest coaches Mr. Kumada and Mr. Yamabe who were professional baseball players of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. Held at Meiji Jingu Stadium for the first time and blessed with good weather, a record of approximately 250 people comprising children with various disabilities, their family members, and volunteers from the ITOCHU Sogokai Baseball Club and Group companies participated in the event.
With the children's baseball equipment by courtesy of MIZUNO Corporation and individual support from volunteers, the class was filled with big smiling faces of children.

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February

Supporting Recovery from the Earthquake

  • The sixth phase of "ITOCHU Children's Dreams Fund"
    ITOCHU Children's Dream Snowboard School Held

For details, visit:
http://www.itochu.co.jp/en/earthquake/

Tokyo Metropolitan Schools for Special Needs- Art Project Exhibition "Coloring the city of Tokyo" held at ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE

During February 20 to 28, an exhibition to showcase the work of pupils who attend Tokyo Metropolitan Schools for Special Needs was held at ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE in cooperation with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education organized the Art Project for the first time to motivate children with disabilities to engage in artistic activities and develop their abilities. Works were solicited from pupils attending 57 Tokyo Metropolitan Schools for Special Needs and judged by Tokyo University of the Arts Faculty of Fine Arts, with approx. 50 pieces selected to be exhibited. Tokyo University of the Arts Faculty of Fine Arts cooperated in determining how to exhibit the works and designing the illumination, and many people appreciated the highly artistic works of the pupils.

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Yuko Nakamura Japanese Painting Exhibition - Gratitude to the Seasons - held at ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE

An exhibition of works by Yuko Nakamura, whose works were featured on ITOCHU 2016 calendar, was held at ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE from January 23 to February 14. The exhibition showcased a large number of works depicting flowers and small creatures that were created by employing the classical technique of kirikane, as well as those featured in the calendar. Clear files and postcards featuring her works were also sold at the venue. During the period, workshops for experiencing kirikane and greeting card creation were held, allowing many people to familiarize themselves with Japanese-style painting and the technique of kirikane.

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Participation of ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE in 2016 WINTER MINATO COLLECTION

ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE was selected as one of the destinations of a bus tour that was planned for the first time this year as a special event for 2016 WINTER MINATO COLLECTION, which was held as a Minato-ku government's measure for promoting culture and arts. Under the theme of "Japanese-style painting that keeps evolving: From modern Japanese-style painting to contemporary art," about 20 people selected from among applicants visited ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE as well as Matsuoka Museum of Art and Mori Art Museum. They appreciated works in Yuko Nakamura Japanese Painting Exhibition - Gratitude to the Seasons - that was being held at ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE, with explanations given by the artist, Ms. Yuko Nakamura.

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Workplace visit by first-year students of Aoyama Junior High School of Minato-ku

On February 9, ITOCHU Corporation accepted a workplace visit by two first-year students of Aoyama Junior High School of Minato-ku. It was held as a part of career guidance and ITOCHU employees responded to questions from the students about the nature of the work of a sogo shosha and the reason that they took the job. Works of ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE, which is familiar to local residents, were also shown to the students. The workplace visit allowed the students to learn about the actual workplaces and value of the work through a tour of the Tokyo Head Office building and interviews with employees.

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January

Supporting Recovery from the Earthquake

  • The fifth phase of "ITOCHU Children's Dreams Fund"
    Co-Sponsoring the TMSO × ITOCHU Class Concert

For details, visit:
http://www.itochu.co.jp/en/earthquake/

65 Employees from Chugoku & Shikoku Branch Participated in Hiroshima's Men's Ekiden Volunteer Activities

On January 24, the annual men's ekiden (relay race), officially known as the Emperor's Cup 21st All-Japan Inter-Prefectural Men's Ekiden Championship, was held in Hiroshima. A total of 65 people, hailing from the Chugoku & Shikoku Branch and 16 other ITOCHU Group companies, volunteered to cheer on the runners and clean up. This year, a significant cold wave and associated bad weather meant there was serious doubt about whether the event would be held at all. Fortunately, it was held and we battled the cold, just like the runners, to complete our cleanup activities.

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"Saruyama Fujiyama in Aoyama" Exhibition held at ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE

As an exhibition welcoming the New Year, "Saruyama Fujiyama in Aoyama" was held in ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE. This exhibition was to develop next-generation artists, showcasing artwork expressed in a variety of methods and featuring monkeys, the Oriental Zodiac of this year, and Mount Fuji, a symbol Japan, created by more than 100 young and energetic artists aged 35 or younger. And their artworks were sold as good luck charm of the New Year.
During the Exhibition, there held workshops such as "Let's Draw Monkeys Using Japanese Painting Materials" and "Making Monkeys with Felt" which was instructed by the exhibited artists, participants enjoyed the work making while interacting with artists.

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