Association for Corporate Support of the Arts. - Kigyo Mécénat Kyogikai

On March 11, 2012, the singing voices of 135 elementary students from five schools in the town of Minamisanriku in Miyagi Prefecture resounded throughout the town’s Bayside Arena at a memorial service to commemorate the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake.
The song that they sang was written by children at a “Toyota Children Meet Artists” workshop, which is one of Toyota Motor Corporation’s activities for contributing to society.
When the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred the company did not just want to provide human support or supply goods, but also wanted to deliver “supporting hearts” to the afflicted regions. Based on this desire it established the Kokoro Hakobu Project, through which it has been undertaking a variety of different support activities. For its activities to support reconstruction through the arts and culture the company has been utilizing its existing networks and working to enhance such programs, while also dedicating itself to providing support that is truly needed and which will not pose a burden to the afflicted regions.
Numerous meetings were held with the school officials and the workshop coordinators, and in November a proposal was received from the local region saying that they wanted to cheer up the townspeople by having a song sung by the children at the memorial service. One important point is that the song should be written using the children’s own words and melody. The song consists of words that interweave sentiments like the notion that the townspeople and the schoolchildren have given it their all this past year into its themes.
The children’s singing voices fortified the hearts of the people from the afflicted regions with courage. The goal is to continue on with this project in a long-term manner over the course of the lengthy path to reconstruction, and it is moving forward with its second year of support activities following the earthquake.