"Show Your T-Card and Bring Smiles to Children in Disaster-Affected Areas" Project: Completion Ceremony for the "Children's House for Everyone" in Higashimatsushima City, Miyagi Prefecture

2013.01.28 Press Releases
T Point Japan Co., Ltd.

—42.97 Million T-POINT Donations × Architect Toyo Ito—

T Point Japan Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "TPJ"), which operates T-POINT, Japan's largest common loyalty point service, is supporting children and community spaces in areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake through the project "Show Your T-Card and Bring Smiles to Children in Disaster-Stricken Areas." As part of this initiative, TPJ is implementing the "Let's Create a Playground for Children" project, which uses T-POINT donations from T-Card members to construct a facility that will serve both as a place where children affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake can play with smiles on their faces and as a community gathering space to help restore weakened local ties.

The facility constructed through this project, named "Kodomo no Minna no Ie" (Children's House for Everyone), was planned and built in collaboration with world-renowned architect Toyo Ito within the Green Town temporary housing complex in Higashimatsushima City, Miyagi Prefecture, and has now been successfully completed. A completion ceremony and handover ceremony were held on January 26, 2013. Many people, including the mayor of Higashimatsushima City, construction personnel, local residents, and children, gathered to celebrate the completion of the facility. TPJ hopes that "Kodomo no Minna no Ie" will become a community space where not only the children of Higashimatsushima, but also their mothers and local residents can gather, play, laugh, and spend time together.

"Let's Create a Playground for Children" Project Overview
■Implementation Period: July 18, 2012 (Wed) - March 31, 2013 (Sun)
■Project Special Page: http://tsite.jp/r/cpn/tj2/bokin.html
■Number of Facilities Constructed: 1
■Design: Toyo Ito & Associates, Architects + Maki Onishi

*At the request of Toyo Ito, young architect Maki Onishi participated in the project.

Overview of "Children's House for Everyone"
■Facility Name: Children's House for Everyone
■Location: Within the Green Town Yamoto temporary housing complex in Higashimatsushima City, Miyagi Prefecture
(4-4-4 Midorigaoka, Oshio, Higashimatsushima City, Miyagi Prefecture)
■Structure: Wooden construction (partially aluminum)
■Total Floor Area: 51.37 m² (31.7 tatami mats)

*Including the veranda. Building area only: 31.07 m² (19.2 tatami mats)

■Construction Start Date: Wednesday, November 7, 2012
■Completion Date: Saturday, January 26, 2013
■Features: The facility was designed as a small village-like space consisting of several small houses with different functions connected by verandas. There are three structures: a "Story and Theater House" where children can read picture books and perform plays, a "Table House" where people can study or share meals together, and a "Warm House" equipped with a dirt floor, kitchen, and wood-burning stove. The design was finalized following discussions with local residents who would use the facility.
■Reason for Construction in Higashimatsushima City: In selecting the site for the Children's House for Everyone, discussions were held with local government officials, NPOs, and residents in affected areas. Three criteria were established: responding to the need for children's play spaces, securing a safe construction site, and ensuring that the facility could be properly managed by the municipality or a designated organization after donation. Although support for children was needed in many regions, available land was limited due to the concentration of temporary housing and public facility development projects. Higashimatsushima City met all of the project's requirements and shared the same commitment to the initiative, leading to its selection as the site.

Documents Related to This Matter

Completion Ceremony for the Children's House for Everyone in Higashimatsushima City, Miyagi Prefecture