Throughout the world, a vast human potential is held back by a lack of resources and education. To address this problem, Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) awards scholarships to approximately 250 students in 11 countries each year. The program focuses on developing nations, where students may have no other way of furthering their education.
      In April this year, MC’s Johannesburg Branch held a ceremony to celebrate award-winners from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University) in South Africa. The ceremony was held at the company residence of Kazuo Korenaga, the CEO of the Johannesburg Branch and MC’s Regional CEO for Africa. Participants included staff from the Johannesburg Branch, three scholarship students and representatives of Wits University. After Mr. Korenaga opened the ceremony with a brief speech,
Mr. Korenaga presents university students with certificates commemorating their selection as scholarship students
each student received an award certificate.
      Professor Loyiso Nongxa, Vice Chancellor and Principal of Wits University, stressed the large impact of the program: “The scholarships do not only benefit the individual recipients; the effects ripple out, lifting up the students’ families, their local communities and even the nation as a whole.”
      Said one of the scholarship winners: “This scholarship allows me to continue my studies. I intend to raise my abilities so that I can contribute to the development of the country.”
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Yukimori Akanoma, Board Chairman of Japan Association for UNHCR, being presented with the fund donation by Shigemitsu Miki, Honorary Chairman of the tournament and Chairman of The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd.
Between May 24 and May 27, golf fans flocked to the Oarai Golf Club in Ibaraki Prefecture to enjoy the Mitsubishi Diamond Cup Golf 2007. The competition was close until the last hole, when Mr.Tetsuji Hiratsuka prevailed in the heated battle.
      The tournament, which went under the theme “interaction, excitement and charity,” was hosted by the companies of the Mitsubishi Group, as well as by Kansai TV and SRI sports. The total prize money was ¥110 million, with a winner’s share of ¥22 million.
      Importantly, this year’s tournament raised ¥20 million for the Mitsubishi Diamond Cup Golf Charities, thanks to the coordinated efforts of the parties associated with the tournament, including the
Oarai Golf Club, the sponsoring companies, the Japan Golf Tour Organization, the Players Association and the volunteers. Of course, the large crowd in the gallery contributed greatly as well.
      A total of approximately ¥100 million has been raised since the establishment of the fund five years ago.
      A portion of this year’s donations will go to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) via Japan Association for UNHCR. Also, a “Diamond Cup Social Services Vehicle” and a digital high-definition LCD TV will be donated to the city of Oarai.
      The 2008 tournament will be held at the Higashi Hirono Golf Club in Hyogo Prefecture.
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Sometimes, things that are normally totally unrelated come together and produce wonderful results—in this case, NYK, wheelchairs and a top-level sumo wrestler.
      The outcome of this unlikely combination? Some very happy Bulgarian children, who are now, despite disabilities, able to enjoy a new freedom of movement with new wheelchairs.
      NYK shipped the wheelchairs free-of-charge to Bulgaria, the homeland of Kotooshu, a professional sumo wrestler who has appeared in numerous NYK advertisements and promotions over the past year.
      The initiative itself, which was fronted by Kotooshu, was a joint arrangement with Volunteers Group to
Send Wheelchairs to Overseas Children, a Japan-based NPO. Established in 2004, this NPO collects, cleans and repairs used wheelchairs in Japan and sends them to children with disabilities overseas. So far, they have sent approximately 400 wheelchairs to children in four countries.
      This latest batch left the NYK Tokyo Container Terminal on May 10. After arriving in Bulgaria in June, the wheelchairs were presented to the Bulgarian Minister of Health at a special ceremony on July 25.
      Kotooshu and the NPO aim to assist as many children with disabilities as possible in Bulgaria, where wheelchairs are in short supply. Helping to load the wheelchairs into containers in Tokyo on April 24, the 203-centimeter, 152-kilo Kotooshu commented: “I’m happy that the children will be able to use these wheelchairs to freely roam and enjoy the outdoors.”
Kotooshu, sumo champion of the second highest rank (ozeki), helps to load the wheelchairs
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