By James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)
The Japan Weather Association (JWA) has appointed Hello Kitty as this year’s ambassador in the JWA’s fight to combat heat stroke. According to the Ministry of Environment that oversees the JWA, more than 5,000 people have required ambulance services this year due to the effects of heat stroke. As a result, the Ministry has named July “heat stroke prevention awareness month” and are organizing four awareness events to be held in densely populated cities. The cities that will be hosting these events are Tokyo, Sendai, Kobe, and Fukuoka.
As part of the event original Hello Kitty summer greeting cards and heat stroke meters will be handed out, instruction classes in the use of parasols will be held, heat stroke seminars will be given, and products to prevent against heat stroke will be made available. Other activities are:
★Drop in educational and break space for children.
★ Get your photo with a Hello Kitty stand-up.
★ Airing of the easy-to-understand heat stroke prevention awareness videos on a large monitor.
★ Fuji TV’s weather forecaster Tentachi Takeshi will be in attendance at the event in Kobe.
★ Hello Kitty will be making an appearance at the Tokyo event.
Cooperating with the Ministry of Environment will be the companies of Coca-Cola (Japan) Co., Ltd., and Morinaga Co., Ltd.
Event Dates:
July 9 (Saturday) 10:00-16:00 time
Kobe Harborland Center Building, B1 Space Theater – Hyogo Prefecture
July 16 (Saturday) 10:00-16:00 time
Fukuoka City Hall, Friendship Square north side green space – Fukuoka Prefecture
July 23 (Saturday) 10:30 to 16:00 time
Tokyo, Taito-ku, Asakusa Shrine – Tokyo Prefecture
July 30 (Saturday) 10:00 to 16:00 time
JR Sendai Station campus, F1 stained glass aside space – Miyagi Prefecture
Hello Kitty is owned by Sanrio Co,. Ltd. and was created in 1974 by Yuko Shimizu. Shimizu has created such characters as Angel Cat Sugar and Rebecca Bonbon.
Source(s): twitfukuoka, netsuzero, and the Japan Weather Association (JWA).
