One of Mitsui's guiding principles is "do the right thing all the time" and as a company they encourage CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) activities. Today, I was lucky enough to participate in a 30-year tradition of visiting a childrens orphanage, Tenshi-en, during Christmastime. It was a wacky and fun time, and of course, I took plenty of pictures to share!
First off, they didn't want me to have to find my way to the meeting point via subway, so one guy came by and picked me up in his car! (We had to meet up and drive there rather than walk due to all of the costumes and gifts we were bringing.) Inui (my driver) shows up with a sporty Audi decked out with all sorts of racing accessories, including a turbo boost!! I felt like it was something out of "The Fast & the Furious: Tokyo Drift". Quite different than the commonplace Toyotas and Diahatsus I see rolling around.
Once we arrived, we immediately unloaded all of the gifts and changed into our costumes! It was a total riot. I had no idea what to expect, what they were going to make me wear, and if it would even fit!! As it turns out, all of the girls got red Santa coats, and the guys were either Santa, reindeer, or inexplicably some kind of "Ranger". (Like a superhero or Power Ranger!)
Here's a few of us ready to meet the kids! My driver, Inui, is the blue ranger!
Goofiness all around. We are getting in to the holiday spirit!!
Katsuyama and Yuri are carrying "Christmas boots". They are like stockings in America, filled with yummy treats, and each child will get one.
The kids were so excited to see us. I don't think I've ever seen anything cuter! 40 Japanese kids screaming and yelling and so excited about their costumed visitors!!
After introductions (during which the kids said "Kerri-san kawaii!" = Ms. Kerri is cute!), we played a rousing game of charades. We each got an animal to act out. Mine was a "gorilla", and I did a darn fine job scratching my armpits and jumping around! The kids guessed immediately.
All of the Rangers. LOL. Japanese men are so darn skinny. They even have their clothes on underneath!! Check out the pink one; he is wearing the matching skirt!! By the way, when they were introducing themselves, they stuck with the theme and said "My name is green"... or blue, yellow, etc!!
Next was a wacky game kind of like Rock, Paper, Scissors. You go up to someone, challenge them to Rock, Paper, Scissors, and the loser has to get behind the winner and form a train. All of the mini trains challenge each other. At the end, the leader of the entire train is the winner!!
Here's my challenger. She beat me on the first try!
So freaking adorable. The Rangers stayed in the audience because the kids loved them so much!!
Next was a game called "Drop the Handkerchief". It's basically Duck, Duck, Goose without the touching. Everyone sits in a circle, the person who is It walks behind everyone, and if they drop the handkerchief behind you, then you get up, run around the circle, and try to catch them. If you get caught, you have to sit in the middle. It was really funny and kind of dangerous because the floors were so slippery and everyone just had on their socks or slippers. We were sliding and crashing all over the place!
Too cute!!!
Cake time!! I was eating with the girls who were 6-13. It was chocolate cake (with mystery fruit chunks inside) and a strawberry on top.
One girl brought out her English textbook, and I was asked to read a few paragraphs. They all thought it was so funny to hear an American speak English!! It definitely sounded weird to them without the Japanese accent.
Lastly, all of the kids were reunited outside in the play yard to blow off some steam!
This kid was hilarious. He loved wearing the mask, gloves, and belt, each given to him by a different Ranger!!
We left once it got dark, and everyone was asking me if we do something similiar in America. I said no, but I think we should start!! It was really cool, and I'm sure we brightened the childrens day immensely! Plus, I always jump at an opportunity to wear a goofy costume!!
In addition to the Christmas boots & cake, we also brought along many new toys and a monetary donation for the home. Everything was funded by donations from Mitsui employees in the Nagoya office. We didn't pass out the toys when we were there. They will be wrapped and given to the children later, but the most popular toy that they buy every year is several UNICYCLES!!! Hahaha! I was really hoping to get to see the Japanese kids ride these things! LOL. I'm sure they will enjoy them another day...
On my ride home with Inui (yes, I got door-to-door service), he asked if I had ever seen the American movie "Wild Speed" about car drifting several years ago. I had no idea what he was talking about. Then he said do you know "Vin Diesel"? Umm, yeah, one of my faves. Wait a minute... are you talking about The Fast & the Furious?!? YES!! The company he worked at before Mitsui produced all of the auto accessories for the F&F movies, which is why his car is so pimped out and I truly did recognize them! He actually has some of the exact same ones they used in the films!! LOL.
Every day I learn something new in Japan :)
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