OREANDA-NEWS. ITOCHU Corporation opened ITOCHU AOYAMA ART SQUARE in the CI Plaza, a commercial facility adjacent to ITOCHU’s Tokyo headquarters, in October 2012, with the objective of training future generations, contributing to the local community, and promoting arts and culture in Japan and abroad through the medium of art as part of ITOCHU’s social contribution activities. Since that time, various exhibitions have been held at the facility.

ITOCHU will hold a new event starting Monday, November 11, 2013, titled “Tomo ni ikiru” (which means “Coexisting”), a special exhibition that brings together the works of the female calligrapher Shoko Kanazawa. Despite the difficulties of having Down Syndrome, Ms. Kanazawa’s calligraphy, created straight from the heart and infused with great love, exudes a warmth within its power that continues to captivate the viewer.

The Great East Japan Earthquake has resulted in a strengthened awareness both of the human connections that bind us together and the connection between humans and the environment. It is this kind of society that Ms. Kanazawa’s message, “Tomo ni ikiru”, addresses. This universal idea also resonates with the company mission of having a responsibility to ensure a prosperous future in which we transcend the boundaries of neighbors, regions, and countries to coexist with the world and our planet Earth.