Minamisoma Everyone's Playground has been completed successfully

2016.05.16 Press Releases
T Point Japan Co., Ltd.

- "Everyone's Playground Project" is a collaborative project to support children and community spaces -

T Point Japan Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "T Point Japan"), TSUTAYA Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "TSUTAYA"), Yahoo! Japan Corporation (hereinafter "Yahoo! JAPAN"), LIXIL Corporation (hereinafter "LIXIL"), architects Toyo Ito and Jun Yanagisawa, and Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture, have been working together with Pokémon's disaster relief initiative "POKEMON with YOU" to carry out the "Playground for Everyone Project."

The "Everyone's Playground Project" has been undertaking the construction of Minamisoma Everyone's Playground, an indoor park incorporating a sandbox with a sand play theme, based on the concept that not only children but adults can play together. Minamisoma Everyone's Playground has been successfully completed in a corner south of Kashima Elementary School in Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture, and a completion and handover ceremony was held on May 15, 2016.

Children from Kashima Kindergarten in Minamisoma City also participated in the completion and handover ceremony, and the ceremony was filled with the happy laughter of children playing in the sandbox, getting covered in sand, and the smiling faces of adults watching them.

Comments from attendees at the completion and handover ceremony include:

■T Point Japan Co., Ltd. President and COO: Kitamura Kazuhiko
Since 2011, we have been working on a project to support children in eastern Japan. This project has been carried out over a period of 1 year and 10 months, thanks to the combined wisdom of project members such as architects Toyo Ito and Jun Yanagisawa, Pokémon, and LIXIL, as well as people in the construction industry, and thanks to donations from T members who have made T-POINT donations with the desire to "help others." I hope this place will become a community space where laughter never ceases and people of all kinds can converse.

■Toyo Ito (architect)
With the current difficult situation still continuing, I am happy that the creation of this children's playground will help to lift the spirits of the residents. In addition to being a place for reconstruction, these spaces are small units of public architecture and serve as the primary starting point for people to come together and think about new ways of living. We hope that not only children, but also parents will come here to relax and reconnect with each other.

Jun Yanagisawa (architect)
I visited here for the first time on July 12, 2014, and when I told the mothers that we were building a sandbox, I was surprised to see them cry tears of joy. From then on, I thought long and hard about what kind of sandbox would make the local community happy, and created it. It is the children and parents who play here who breathe life into this building. The wood's scent will linger for a long time, so we hope that the space will continue to be used for many years to come by the local community for various purposes, such as concerts and roundtable discussions.

■Mr. Katsunobu Sakurai, Mayor of Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture
This initiative has given hope not only to those with children, but to the entire city of Minamisoma. We would like to express our gratitude to the many people from all over the country who joined forces to support Minamisoma City and its children. I can imagine children having fun in the sandbox every day under such a wonderful building. Our mission is to support the recovery of Minamisoma City, which is supported by many people, and we will continue to move forward towards recovery while supporting the growth of children.

All members of the "Everyone's Playground Project" hope that "Minamisoma Everyone's Playground" will become a community space where children and adults alike can gather together to play, laugh, and chat, not only for the children of Minamisoma City, but also for families such as parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren, and local residents.

Overview of the "Everyone's Playground Project"

■Project name: Everyone's Playground Project in Minamisoma
■Project members (in alphabetical order): Toyo Ito, TSUTAYA Co., Ltd., T Point Japan Co., Ltd., Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture, The Pokémon Company, Jun Yanagisawa, Yahoo! Corporation, LIXIL 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 Sunday, May 15, 2016
■Special project page:
<Everyone's Playground Project in Minamisoma>

<Bring a smile to the children of Tohoku by presenting your T-CARD>

■Support method:
<Social Contribution T-CARD: Pokémon Design T-CARD>
　・Card issuance period
　　(1) TSUTAYA in-store issue period: Friday, July 18, 2014 to Friday, October 31, 2014
　　(2) Online publication period: Saturday, November 1, 2014 to Friday, July 31, 2015
　・100 yen of the 500 yen (excluding tax) card issuance fee will be donated
　・Half of the T-POINT saved by customers each month will be donated
<Various donations>
　T-POINT donations, Yahoo! Online donations, BOOKS FOR Everyone's Playground Project
<Contributions through cause marketing initiatives by T Point Japan>
　Social media campaign matching donations, T-POINT Ladies Golf Tournament related campaign donations, charity product exchange campaign donations
<Materials provided by project members>
　LIXIL (windows, interior fittings, toilets, washbasins, baby seats, baby rests, faucets, handrails, toilet paper holders, electric water heaters, mirrors, tiles)
■Donation process: The "Everyone's Playground Project" will use all donations to cover construction costs and donate the completed facility to Minamisoma City.
■ Construction cost: Approximately 48.8 million yen
　　*The construction was made possible with the support of volunteers in providing construction materials and carrying out construction work.
■ Number of buildings constructed: 1
■Design: Toyo Ito + Jun Yanagisawa
■Construction and cooperation: Shelter Co., Ltd.

Overview of Minamisoma Everyone's Playground

■ Facility name: Minamisoma Everyone's Playground
■ Construction site: 13 Hiromachi, Kashima District, Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture (south of Kashima Elementary School)
■Structure: wooden
■ Total floor area: 153.34㎡ (approximately 46 tsubo)
■ Construction start date: Friday, July 10, 2015
■Delivery date: Sunday, May 15, 2016
■Opening date: Sunday, May 15, 2016
Opening hours: 9:00-16:30
Closed: Wednesdays
■Operated by: Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture
■ Management structure: 2 people
■Features: A playground shaped like a circus tent that stands out against the Minamisoma landscape. Once inside, you will see a powerful wooden structure rising towards the sky, a new symbol of Minamisoma that combines strength, calmness and kindness.

Materials related to this matter

Minamisoma Everyone's Playground has been completed successfully

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