New collaborative project to support children and community spaces, "Everyone's Playground Project," launched

2014.07.17 Press Releases
Toyo Ito + Jun Yanagisawa / T-Point Japan / TSUTAYA / Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture / POKEMON with YOU / Yahoo! JAPAN

-An indoor park where you can play with Pokémon will be built in Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture-

T Point Japan Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "T Point Japan"), Culture Convenience Club TSUTAYA Company Ltd. (hereinafter "TSUTAYA"), Yahoo! Japan Corporation (hereinafter "Yahoo! JAPAN"), architects Toyo Ito and Jun Yanagisawa, and Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture, are collaborating with Pokémon's disaster relief efforts "POKEMON with YOU" to launch the "Everyone's Playground Project" on July 18, 2014, to create an indoor park in Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture, where people can play with Pokémon.

This project is part of the Great East Japan Earthquake Reconstruction Support Project that T Point Japan has been running since 2011. More than three years have passed since the disaster, but the Tohoku region is still in need of support. The project aims to bring together the strengths of each project member to expand the circle of support and promote it together.

The indoor park to be built in Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture, is based on the concept of supporting play not only for children but also for adults, and will include a sandbox with a sand-play theme where people can experience the wonders of sand with their bare hands and feet. "Sand play" is a game that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, where players can collect and shape individual grains of sand using their hands or toys, allowing them to create a variety of creative objects. Project members hope that this indoor park will support the children who will be the future of Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture, and provide a place for the community.

To mark the start of this project, TSUTAYA stores nationwide will be issuing Pokémon-designed T Cards, T Point's first social contribution T Card, from July 18th. This T Card is a new initiative that was launched as a result of the alignment between Pokémon's disaster relief efforts, "POKEMON with YOU," and T Point Japan's commitment to reconstruction support. If you have a T-Card, part of the card issuance fee and half of the T-Points you earn by using your card will be used to help with the construction costs of the indoor park. On July 18th, Yahoo! JAPAN will launch a special donation page for the "Everyone's Playground Project" on Yahoo! Online Donations to accept donations for the construction costs of the indoor park. Additionally, Toyo Ito and Jun Yanagisawa will be designing and building an indoor park where children can play to their heart's content and enjoy themselves, filled with laughter.

Overview of the "Everyone's Playground Project"

■Project name: Everyone's Playground Project
■Project members (in alphabetical order): Toyo Ito, T-Point Japan Co., Ltd., Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd., TSUTAYA Company, Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture, POKEMON with YOU, Jun Yanagisawa, Yahoo Japan Corporation
■ Launch date: July 18, 2014
■Objective: By making maximum use of the various platforms, knowledge, and technical capabilities of the project members, we will support the construction of an indoor park in Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture, where children can play safely and which can be used continuously as a community space by families who bring their children.

Overview of the initiative to build an indoor park in Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture

■ Implementation period: Friday, July 18, 2014 to the end of 2015
■ Construction cost: Estimated 37 million yen
　*Materials provided by material manufacturers and construction work by volunteer staff are also planned.
■Contribution of construction costs:
(1) Use of the "Pokémon Design T Card" by T Point Japan, TSUTAYA, and POKEMON with YOU
　A portion of the card issuance fee and half of the T-points earned by using the card will be donated.
(2) Yahoo! Online Donations by Yahoo! JAPAN
　You can donate from just one T-Point or by credit card (Yahoo! Wallet).
http://docs.donation.yahoo.co.jp/report/asobiba.html (PC/SP)
　*Donations will be accepted from 11:00 on Friday, July 18, 2014.
(3) T-Point Donations by T-Point Japan
　You can donate from just one T-Point.
http://tsite.jp/donation/index.pl?xpg=PCTC0202&bokin_id=267　(PC/SP)
http://tsite.jp/mb/donation/index.pl?xpg=MBTC0203&bokin_id=267&tcm_l=&tcm_a= (MB)
　*Donations will be accepted from 10:00 on Friday, July 18, 2014.
■ Number of buildings constructed: 1
■Design: Toyo Ito + Jun Yanagisawa
■ Scheduled completion date: within 2015
■Special project page:http://tsite.jp/mpja
■Donation process: The "Everyone's Playground Project" will use all donations to cover construction costs and donate the completed facility to Minamisoma City.

Project Members

*In alphabetical order

■Toyo Ito
Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, the company has been actively involved in reconstruction efforts, proposing "Home for All" as a place of relaxation for residents in temporary housing. To date, 10 such homes have been completed in affected areas, with several more currently underway. Its role has also evolved to include community recovery, a playground for children, and a base for people aiming to revive agriculture and fishing. He also serves as the reconstruction director for Kamaishi City, where he is working to make the city more attractive through reconstruction and urban development.

■T Point Japan
T-Point has been working to bring smiles to children's faces since immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake. The three children's centers and playgrounds that we have built so far in Miyagi and Iwate prefectures are used as community spaces where children can play freely and energetically and where local residents can gather. We will continue to work together with you in the future.

■TSUTAYA
During the Great East Japan Earthquake, TSUTAYA implemented the "Kokoro+ Project" as a form of cultural support for victims who were forced to live in evacuation centers, delivering DVDs, books, and other items. TSUTAYA will continue to support opportunities for people and culture to interact through books, movies, and music.

■ Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture
In Minamisoma City, many citizens, including children, are still forced to evacuate due to the Great East Japan Earthquake and the nuclear power plant accident. The city will make effective use of the children's playground that you have donated this time, and will do its utmost to create an environment where the children who will be the leaders of the next generation can live safely and with lively expressions.

■POKEMON with YOU
Pokémon is running a support initiative called "POKEMON with YOU" for children in areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. We will continue to provide long-term support activities, such as having Pikachu visit temporary housing and selling charity products to prevent the disaster from fading from memory, until the day comes when children can live with dreams and hopes for the future.

■Jun Yanagisawa
Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, we have been thinking about what we can do for the affected areas from Yokohama, but have been frustrated by the fact that we are unable to do anything. I am extremely pleased and honored to have been given the opportunity to help with the reconstruction of Minamisoma City, and I consider this to be a task of great responsibility. We pledge to put our heart and soul into this project, utilizing the full potential of our abilities as architects.

■Yahoo! JAPAN
Immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake, Yahoo! JAPAN has been working on various initiatives, including disseminating information and providing support. As part of the "Everyone's Playground Project," we will provide a playground where children can play safely. Yahoo! JAPAN will continue to utilize the Internet to provide ongoing support for reconstruction efforts.

Materials related to this matter

New collaborative project to support children and community spaces, "Everyone's Playground Project," launched

Inquiries regarding this matter
T Point Japan Co., Ltd.
Public Relations Officer: Ando
TEL: 03-6800-4464