As part of our commitment to revitalizing Tohoku and energizing Japan, our company initiated the "Sakura Project."
- SUSTAINABLE GITES AND
COMMUNITIES - REDUCED INEQUALITIES
Issue
Without proactive efforts, the passage of time will inevitably erode the drive for reconstruction, potentially jeopardizing meaningful progress.
By 2012, one year after the Great East Japan Earthquake, more than half of Fukushima residents felt that the momentum for recovery was fading. There was growing concern that, if left unaddressed, the memory of the disaster would fade, and the circle of support would diminish.
Approach
The launch of the "Sakura Project" to revitalize Tohoku and bring energy to the entire nation.
In 2012, Sakura Project Co., Ltd. was established with the aim of preventing the fading momentum for recovery. A new variety of double cherry blossom trees gifted to Fukushima Prefecture was named “Haruka” by Haruka Ayase, the lead actress of NHK’s Taiga Drama at the time.
Planting ceremonies for these trees have been held nationwide. Additionally, every spring, projection mapping events featuring “Haruka” as a motif have been organized at locations such as Tsuruga Castle in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima, and Kawamachi Terrace in Natori, Miyagi.
This initiative, imbued with the hope that people will look at “Haruka” and reflect on Tohoku, has moved many hearts and expanded the circle of support for the region’s recovery.