KIBOW Project ~ Press Release | Events and NEWS | General Incorporated Foundation KIBOW

When I woke up in the morning on March 17, Thursday, I started writing a press release for KIBOW.

Believing that we need a strong tone, I formed the following message:

“We will never be defeated. We will rebuild the towns, rebuild Japan”

We have three things to do: Basically,

1) HOPE: We must send a message of hope to fellow Japanese people and give a place to share our feelings on the Internet,
2) Rainbow: Act as a bridge of hope between those who can help in the world and those who need help in Japan.
3) Donation: Money to rebuild the community where more than 10 thousand of people died and more than hundred thousands of houses have been lost.

For details, please look at the press release that I attached below.

We would like to show the strengths of Japan to the people around the world. Let’s do it together!

Yoshito Hori
March 18, 2011
Project KIBOW Secretariat
(Inside GLOBIS)

Press Release
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Entrepreneurs in Japan Gather to Launch “Project KIBOW” to Support Relief and Reconstruction Efforts

Sending Support and Voices from Around the World to Areas Devastated by the Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake
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We express our deepest sympathies to those who have been affected by the Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake.

To support relief and reconstruction efforts in the areas affected by this unprecedented disaster, a group of young entrepreneurs and leaders in Japan has gathered together to launch an organization called Project KIBOW. KIBOW is a coined word combining the Japanese word “kibou,” which means “hope,” with the word “Rainbow,” representing our wish to make Japan a bridge of hope between the people around the world and Japan.

(1) “Hope”
We will set up an “information hub” as a vital tool for collaboration among different organizations and for providing information on what is going on, while sending messages of hope through communications to people .Specifically, we will be constructing the hub by organically combining the twitter @KIBOWJP, theblog, Facebook, and other mediums. “KIBOW Music” which will bring music to those who have been affected byt the earthquate is in the process of being organized.

(2) “Rainbow”: Connecting to the world
We will keep people around the world updated as the situation develops in Japan through our Facebook,blog, and twitter account (@KIBOWJP), among other mediums. We will also use these information networks to provide the information on specific support activities conducted around the world.
(3) Donations
We hear many people say that they don’t know where to send donations, even through they really want to do so. People around the world are more and more concerned about nuclear radiation. However, even though they cannot physically come to Japan to help us, we can bring in funds into Japan. A contact window will be set up in collaboration with the Graduate School of Management , GLOBIS University so that people outside Japan can donate with comfort. The system will support PayPal and also accept transfers in foreign currencies.

http://mba.globis.ac.jp/topics/detail-3919.html (Japanese)
http://imba.globis.ac.jp/topics/detail-3927.html(English)

We will work in the spirit of:
“We will never be defeated. We will rebuild the towns, rebuild Japan”

We would be delighted if members of the press could distribute information on the launch and goals of this project.

■ Promoters of Project KIBOW (in random order)
Yoshito Hori, President and Dean, GLOBIS University, Managing Partner, GLOBIS Capital Partners
Kiyoshi Nishizawa, CEO of NETAGE, Inc. (Director/Founder of ngi group)
Takao Ozawa, Director of NPO Civic Force
Hiroshi Mikitani, Chairman and CEO of Rakuten, Inc.
Hideaki Inoue, CEO of Park Corporation
Takaaki Umezawa, Partner and Managing Director, Japan, A.T. Kearney, Inc.
Daigo Sato, Representative Director of NPO Charity Platform, Chairman of NPO dot-jp,
Managing Director, COO of JustGiving Japan Foundation
Yu Yumoto, Representative Director of JustGiving Japan Foundation
Maiko Tajima, The United Nations World Food Programme

■Supporters (as of March 17, 2011):
Mr. and Mrs. are dispensed with. The list is in the order of Japanese syllabary.

Hiroshi Aoi President, Marui Group Co., Ltd.
Keiichiro Asao, Member, House of Representatives
Arakawa Masaaki, Professor at Gakushuin University
Tetsuro Ii President, Commons Asset Management Inc.
Junichiro Ida, President, Sanyo Foods. Co., Ltd.
Shinji Isshiki, Representative Director, Yoyogigakuen Inc.
Masakazu Iwakura, Nishimura & Asahi (Senior Partner & Executive Management Committee Member),
Professor at Hitotsubashi University, Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy
Daisuke Iwase, Co-Founder, Representative Director, Lifenet Insurance Company
Etsuko Okajima, President, ProNova Inc.
Izumi Okabe, President, Taikyokusha Inc.
Kenji Kasahara, CEO and Founder, mixi.inc.
Yoshimitsu Kaji, International Media Strategy Officer, Cabinet Office Public Relations Office
Hirokazu Kiuchi, Representative Director, Wagoen
Shujiro Kusumoto, President, Café Company Co.
Hideaki Kubori, Representative attorney of Hibiya Park Law Offices and professor at Omiya Law School
Takashi Kojima, Representative Director, Nichinoken Kanto
Hirohisa Sato, President, BALNIBARBI Co., Ltd.
Masahiko Shibayama, House of Representatives member
Masaaki Taira, Member, House of Representatives
Takuro Tatsumi, Actor
Mamoru Taniya, President, Asuka Asset Management Ltd.
Dai Tamesue, 400-meter hurdler/Representative Director, Athlete Society
Shinichiro Tomitaka, Psychiatrist, Panasonic Health Care Center Tokyo
Yuki Naito President, Drecom Co., Ltd.
Niwa Tamon Andrew, Director of Programming Division and Supervisory Producer, BS-TBS, Inc.
Yoshiji Hamada, President, Masuya Co., Ltd.
Hiroyuki Fujishiro, Journalist and Steering Committee Representative and Program Director, Japan Center of Education for Journalists
Kazuhiro Fujihara, Visiting Professor at Tokyo Gakugei University; Special Advisor to Osaka Prefecture Governor; former Principal of Wada Junior High School in Suginami-ku and former Fellow of Recruit Co., Ltd.
Daisuke Honjo, President, ITO EN, LTD．
Chikatomo Hodo, President, Accenture Japan Ltd.
Hiroyuki Matsumoto, President, Japan Agri Management Co., Ltd.
Haruo Miyagi, Representative Director, NPO corporation ETIC.
Shingo Miyake, Editorial Board Member (Securities Department and Politics Department), Nikkei Inc.
Kenji Miyako, Representative Director, Altas Co., Ltd.
Toshiko Mori, Professor, Harvard University and FAIA architect
Hiroo Mori, Senior Managing Director, Mori Building Co., Ltd.
Noriyuki Yanagawa, Associate Professor at Graduate School of Economics, Faculty of Economics, the University of Tokyo
Nagamitsu Yamada, Master of Wabisukido
Minoru Yoshikawa, Vice-President, Restir Inc.
Akihiro Watanabe, Representative Director and CEO, GCA Savvian Group Corp.
Hidetoshi Watabe, President, Watabe Wedding

■ Message from the Project KIBOW promoters:
In light of the disastrous earthquake in northern Japan, a group of entrepreneurs in Japan, have started Project KIBOW to support recovery and relief efforts related to this crisis.

Our message is that “Japan will not give up. Japan will prevail.” Japan currently faces fear and tremendous uncertainty, in addition to a long road to recovery. However, we are certain that the country will never give up and we want to let people know that the world is watching and supporting the efforts of the people in Japan. For this very reason, through a worldwide network like Facebook, we want users to let people in Japan know that there is hope.

KIBOW is a coined word combining a Japanese word “kibou,” which means “hope” in Japanese, and the word “Rainbow.” The spelling has changed to incorporate the word “Rainbow” in the spirit of a project that aspires to serves as a bridge of hope between people around the world and Japan.

“We will never be defeated. We will rebuild the towns, rebuild Japan”

There is a long way to go. But we will turn this tragedy into an opportunity to reform and improve Japan, and we ask for your support. We believe that everybody can make a significant contribution in offering comfort to those who are grieving.

■ Reference (Background to Project KIBOW):
Launch of Project KIBOW(Yoshito Hori Blog, Views from an Entrepreneur)

■Enquiries about this release should be directed to the following.
General: Our Facebook page
Press: Project KIBOW Secretariat (Inside GLOBIS)
E-mail: pr@.globis.co.jp
(Note: Before publishing an article about us, please contact pr@globis.co.jp )