“Sompo Japan and Nipponkoa’s Smiles Delivering Troupe!” Sends Out Encouragement to Children in a Disaster-Hit Area

Tokyo, Japan, May 18, 2014 --(PR.com)-- On March 16th and 17th, Sompo Japan Insurance Inc. (President: Kengo Sakurada; hereinafter, “Sompo Japan”) and Nipponkoa Insurance Co., Ltd. (President: Masaya Futamiya; hereinafter, “Nipponkoa”) hosted puppet shows jointly with the NPO Aichi Puppetry Center in a disaster-hit area, Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture. The shows drew an audience of approximately 120 people, mainly children with their parents.

The show performed was “Daruma-chan and Tengu-chan” and “Choki Choki Ba Ba”. During the events, handmade gifts and message cards from employee volunteers all over Japan were also given to the audience.

Dates: March 16th and 17th, 2014
Venues: Osanai Hall (Unosumai-cho, Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture)
Aoba Building (Omachi, Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture)
Kamaishi City Heita Kindergarten (Heita, Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture)
Kasshi Childcare Support Center (Kasshi-cho, Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture)

Background: Sompo Japan owns Himawari Hall, a theater devoted exclusively to puppet shows in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture. The company has been conducting community outreach activities jointly with the Aichi Puppetry Center, the NPO that operates this theater.

After the occurrence of the Great East Japan Earthquake, Sompo Japan and the NPO Aichi Puppetry Center formed the “Sompo Japan’s Smiles Delivering Troupe!” that performed puppet shows continuously from March 2012 in Kamaishi City for the people living in temporary housing complexes.

With the hope of bringing together Kamaishi City community and filling the theater with the children’s laughter, in March 2014, Sompo Japan and Nipponkoa performed a puppet show in Kamaishi City in partnership with the Aichi Puppetry Center and the Akkerakan Puppet Theater Troupe,* which performs shows in Himawari Hall.

*Akkerakan Puppet Theater Troupe: Specializes in puppet shows for kindergartens and preschools in Tokai-City, Aichi Prefecture.

Description of Activities
The puppet shows performed by the Akkerakan Puppet Theater Troupe drew an audience of around 120 people, mainly children and their parents, and every audience greatly enjoyed the performance.

Furthermore, handmade gifts (felt balls that children can play with even indoors) and message cards made by Sompo Japan and Nipponkoa employee volunteers from all over Japan were given to the audience.

For both children and voluntary participated employee's, the experience was valuable with impressive outcome.