On Wednesday, April 13th, Habitat Japan's annual charity gala was held at Happo-En (Minato-ku, Tokyo), where cherry blossoms lit up the night sky. After a year and a half, this was the first time the gala had been held since the pandemic started. With the sixth wave of Covid-19 ending in Tokyo and priority measures–which prevent further spread of the disease– coming to a close, over 100 supporters gathered at the venue. It was also live-streamed as an event, which hosted participants from Japan and abroad.

Habitat Japan held the gala aiming to raise funds for facility repairs being handled in Japan, as well as providing community support in Indonesia. In particular, Habitat Japan was planning to rebuild the playground at the Wakabaryo (Meguro-ku, Tokyo), a children's home. Mr. Kobayashi, the deputy director of the home, also attended the gala and shared with the participants the challenges of operating a children's home in Japan. After listening to Mr. Kobayashi's talk, the necessity for rebuilding the playground at the home became clear and some ‌participants said, "Hearing about the orphanage, I felt renewed appreciation for the food in front of me.”

Meanwhile, in Indonesia, Habitat Japan conveyed the current situation in the village of Tukusono, Yogyakarta, using the video provided. It was shown that there were high levels of stunting reported, as well as the need for community health care required to prevent stunting of children. To address these issues, Habitat Japan solicited support for the construction of a multifunctional community center. (Please click here to see the video from Indonesia)

By expressing the needs of Indonesia and organizing the charity auction and raffle, the gala was a great success, reaching the target goal. The gala concluded with a special live performance featuring "Sakura J Sounds," a group that has performed at World Heritage sites around the world. They played pop music using Japanese instruments, such as shakuhachi and koto, and brought the participants together.

We would like to thank the event sponsors, the youth volunteers who helped manage the gala, and the many other people who participated by sharing Habitat's initiatives through the gala. We would like to express our gratitude to all the people who helped make this gala a success. Thank you again for being a part of our mission to help build homes and hope.

 

AUCTION / RAFFLE ITEM DONORS