News

Kuraray Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo; President: Fumio Ito; hereafter "Kuraray") will sponsor the TOKYO FM "Holiday Special" Public Recording Event, Kuraray "Mirabakesso" Presents "Sending School Bags Across the Sea," at Mediage in Odaiba on Saturday, January 9,.

This is the kick-off event for the 2010 School Bags Across the Sea Campaign, a program sponsored by Kuraray as part of its contribution to the international community. Initiated by TOKYO FM, which advocates that people be "HUMAN CONSCIOUS," the program is tied into projects that donate writing supplies (the Rainbow Project) and candles (Candle Project) to children in Afghanistan.
As the manufacturer and marketer of CLARINO man-made leather, the main material used in school bags, Kuraray plays a central role in the School Bags Across the Sea Campaign, which donates used school bags to the children of Afghanistan and Mongolia, where such bags are in short supply. Since the program began in 2004, more than 60,000 school bags have been delivered to children.
Appearing at the event will be: photographer Takeshi Uchibori; Minoru Ishikawa, founder of the Rainbow Project; Ai Kawashima; Hiromi Yoshizawa; Riko Narumi, who played the character Riko in Kuraray's "Mirabakesso" TV commercials; and Kuraray-chan, the alpaca mascot that appears in the same commercials. A discussion will be held to consider what can be done for children in faraway countries, and a live performance by Ai Kawashima is also scheduled.
In addition, a presentation ceremony will be led by Kuraray-chan the alpaca, in which blackboards* will be donated to schools in Afghanistan.

  • * Sega Corporation has produced a small Kuraray-chan mascot in the Kuraray-chan alpaca motif as a prize in crane games such as "UFO Catcher." The compensation that Kuraray received in exchange for its cooperation in producing the mascot has been used to purchase blackboards that will be donated to schools in Afghanistan.

The program will be broadcast on Monday, January 11 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on the TOKYO FM "Holiday Special."

Event Overview

Date & Time Saturday, January 9, 2010
3:30 p.m. -5:00 p.m.(Entry begins at 3:00 p.m.)
Place Odaiba Mediage, Mediage Atrium (1-7-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo)
A two-minute walk from the New Transit Yurikamome’s Daiba Station
Reception Mediage Atrium, 3rd floor
Near the escalator
Appearing Takeshi Uchibori (photographer)
Minoru Ishikawa (founder of TOKYO FM's Rainbow Project)
Ai Kawashima
Hitomi Yoshizawa
Riko Narumi
"Kuraray-chan" the alpaca
MCs Tetsuo Nakanishi (radio personality from the TOKYO FM program)
Sachiko Shibata (TOKYO FM announcer)
Schedule
3:30 - 3:55 p.m. Takeshi Uchibori, Minoru Ishikawa: Talk
4:00 - 4:25 Ai Kawashima: Talk and live performance
4:30 - 4:40 Hitomi Yoshizawa: Talk
4:40 - 4:45 Riko Narumi and alpaca/Grand Finale
4:45 - Photo session
5:00 Scheduled ending time

On the day of the event, visitors can make beeswax crayons at the Crayon Making Corner within the event site (open three times, from 2:00 - 2:30, 3:00 - 3:30 and 4:00 - 4:30).
Crayons made will be packed with school bags and sent to children overseas.