On April 3rd, under cherry blossoms in full bloom, Habitat Japan held its 2025 Charity Gala at the Classic House in Chiyoda-ku. Honoring the late Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, almost 130 guests joined for a night of fundraising in support of safe and decent housing.
The event commenced with greetings from Cecilia Melin, Executive Director of Habitat Japan and Elizabeth Satow, Habitat for Humanity Area Vice President for Asia Pacific. They were followed by Mariko Watanabe, a founding member of Japan’s second ever campus chapter, sharing the story of how she and her classmates met and worked alongside the late President Carter. Watanabe spoke of how the Carters treated their fellow volunteers as equals, and how inspired she was to work hard as a volunteer. The Director of the Kodomo no Sono children’s home, Naoki Watanabe, also spoke on the importance of safe and decent dwellings for children and the importance of Habitat Japan’s ongoing playground construction project at the home. We also raised funds for Habitat Japan’s Youth program. The night and its speakers served as an opportunity for attendees to learn about Habitat Japan’s programs and our efforts to build a world where everyone has a decent place to live.
Before the start of our fundraising initiative guests listened to an energizing special performance of traditional Japanese Koto and Shakuhachi, with performers from Tokyo University’s Faculty of the Arts setting the stage for our charity auction. Thanks to the generosity and competitive spirit of our guests, we were able to raise funds through our charity auction by selling over three hundred raffle tickets thanks to the kind donations of items and services from our many event sponsors. Habitat’s Board of Directors and our Gala Committee consisting of Diana Tanaka, Regina Salathe, Liu Gao (Board Chair), Shelly Hayashi and Cecilia Melin worked tearlessly to make the gala a success. Further, all the dedicated staff of Habitat Japan foremost Noriko Takahashi and Kyle Smith dedicated themselves to the gala preparation.
The funds raised at our 2025 Charity Gala will directly support Habitat Japan’s operations domestically and overseas to support safe and decent housing. We offer our many generous event sponsors and guests our sincere gratitude for making the event a success.
