Minato City Ballet and NPO Rainbow Hill World Care Family Sign Comprehensive Business Partnership for Educational and Cultural Initiatives

Jointly Promoting the Advancement of Cultural and Artistic Education, Providing Experiential Opportunities for the Next Generation, and Creating Employment for Artistic Talent

Minato City Ballet (Minato Ward, Tokyo) has entered into a comprehensive business partnership with NPO Rainbow Hill World Care Family (Representative Director: Junko Shio, Location: Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture), which operates a certified integrated school in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture. The partnership will be effective from July 1, 2026.

This partnership primarily targets the certified integrated school "Kashinoki Gakuen (Cattraia Kindergarten)" operated by the NPO, and aims to establish a medium- to long-term cooperative framework for expanding cultural and artistic education for children, providing opportunities to experience performing arts, promoting local culture, and developing an employment base for artistic talent.

As the first phase of the partnership, dancers from Minato City Ballet will be dispatched to Kashinoki Gakuen weekly to continuously implement a regular ballet education program for the children.

Scenes from outreach performances and workshops (Dancer: Momoko Okubo) / Photo: Natsuko Goto

Areas of Collaboration in the Comprehensive Business Partnership

Based on this partnership, both parties will promote collaboration in the following areas:

- Joint development of ballet and performing arts programs for children - Regular outreach performances and workshops by affiliated dancers - Invitation of children to main performances (in accordance with the existing invitation scheme for children's homes) - Provision of viewing opportunities for parents - Joint planning and operation of cultural and artistic education curricula

As the first initiative, affiliated dancers will visit Kashinoki Gakuen weekly starting in July 2026 to conduct regular ballet lessons for the children. By having professionals who perform on the front lines of the stage continuously involved in the daily educational setting, we aim to consistently design the "first entry point" for children to encounter culture and art.

Ballet workshop conducted at Korap Orphanage in Cambodia. Photo center: Natsuko Goto (Deputy Representative of our organization)

Connecting Culture and Art with Next-Generation Development Through Collaboration with Educational Institutions

As a ballet company specializing in social contribution, Minato City Ballet has been engaged in creating social value through art, not just by performing on stage. We have continuously carried out activities for children and communities who tend to have limited access to culture and art, including overseas performances, ballet workshops at orphanages, and outreach performances and stage invitations for children's homes in Japan.

This partnership is an extension of these ongoing activities and is positioned as the first step in a full-scale collaboration with educational institutions.

We provide opportunities for children from children's homes to watch performances throughout the year. Photo: Natsuko Goto Free ballet classes held at childcare support facilities.

Experiencing authentic performing arts at a young age has immeasurable significance in shaping the foundation of sensitivity, creativity, and self-expression. By integrating artistic activities into the daily educational setting of certified integrated schools, we aim to reposition culture and art from "something encountered on special days" to "something encountered naturally in daily life," thereby contributing to the formation of the cultural soil for the next generation.

Furthermore, this partnership will contribute to the creation of stable activity opportunities for our affiliated dancers. In addition to stage performances, taking on the role of passing down art to the next generation in educational settings directly contributes to the career development of each dancer and, consequently, to the establishment of an employment base for the artistic organization. Minato City Ballet, as an organization that balances the promotion of culture and art with job creation, will continue to systematically expand its collaborations with educational institutions.

Center of the photo is Mr. Tadashi Shio (formerly Segitani). He has artistically supported our organization for many years. "Don Quixote" | Date: May 5, 2026 | Venue: Mitaka Public Hall Hikari Hall | Organizer: Yuko Takemura (Studio-SGI) | Performers: Minato City Ballet | Cooperation: Otona Ballet Academy Co., Ltd. | Sponsorship: LaBALL Co., Ltd. / Japan Association for the Promotion of Culture and Arts | Photo: Natsuko Goto

Partnership Culminating from Over 10 Years of Trust – Relationship with Tadashi Shio (formerly Segitani)

The realization of this partnership was made possible by Tadashi Shio, who serves as a ballet instructor at Kashinoki Gakuen, a certified integrated school, acting as a bridge between the two parties.

Mr. Shio is a senior colleague of our company's representative, Okawaki, from his previous ballet company. Early in Okawaki's time in Tokyo, Mr. Shio provided extensive guidance and mentorship, from the norms of the practice studio to his attitude as a stage performer, and is someone whom our representative deeply respects. The trust cultivated through over 10 years of friendship has culminated in this partnership.

Furthermore, when Okawaki founded Minato City Ballet, Mr. Shio readily agreed to participate as an honorary dancer from the time of its establishment, and currently serves as Ballet Master for Minato City Ballet, continuously supporting the progress of the organization founded by his junior.

This partnership, facilitated by Mr. Shio's introduction to Kashinoki Gakuen, is a testament to the culmination of a long-standing relationship of trust.

Children of Kashinoki Gakuen and Representative Director Junko Shio

Deep Gratitude to Representative Director Junko Shio

Ms. Junko Shio, Representative Director of NPO Rainbow Hill World Care Family, is a cherished individual who has warmly watched over the activities of our company's representative, Okawaki, in Tokyo for a long time.

Okawaki's journey in Tokyo was by no means smooth. Even when continuing performing arts activities became difficult due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Representative Director Shio supported our company with unwavering kindness. She has made significant contributions to the continuation of our activities by attending every main performance to offer support, providing performance opportunities, and offering financial assistance through ticket sales.

Moreover, her words of encouragement, "You're doing great! I'm cheering for you," which I received every time we met, have been an invaluable spiritual pillar during the many difficult times our representative has faced.

Our company has continuously received extraordinary support from Representative Director Shio. This partnership marks a turning point towards a reciprocal relationship, allowing us, from the position of having received support for many years, to give back to the children of Kashinoki Gakuen through cultural and artistic education. We express our deepest gratitude once again for her long-standing kindness and are determined to repay those favors to the next generation through this partnership.

Minato City Ballet Group Representative: Yutaka Okawaki

Representative's Comments

▼ Representative of Minato City Ballet, Okawaki

I vividly remember my early days when I first came to Tokyo. I was completely lost and full of anxiety, but it was my senior from my previous ballet company, Tadashi Shio, who patiently taught me so many things, both in the practice studio and on stage. For over 10 years since then, we have maintained a precious friendship, and he continues to be an irreplaceable senior to me.

When I decided to establish Minato City Ballet, Mr. Shio readily agreed to participate as an honorary dancer from the time of its founding, and he continues to support this organization, founded by his junior, as Ballet Master. The fact that he remains so deeply involved with a ballet company created by his junior is something I am truly grateful for and proud of.

And it was Mr. Shio who, this time, stood between Kashinoki Gakuen, a certified integrated school, and us, and facilitated this comprehensive business partnership with Representative Director Junko Shio and our company, creating this connection. This partnership, which has taken shape from a relationship of trust cultivated over more than 10 years, is an extremely significant one for me personally.

I have received immense support from Representative Director Junko Shio for a long time. My journey in Tokyo has not been smooth and has involved many twists and turns, but especially during the difficult period of the COVID-19 pandemic, Representative Director Shio watched over our company with unwavering kindness, attended every main performance to offer encouragement, and provided significant cooperation through performance opportunities and support with ticket sales.

Most importantly, the words of encouragement I received every time we met became an irreplaceable spiritual pillar for me when I felt like giving up. I sincerely feel that without those words, Minato City Ballet might not exist today.

Until now, our company has only been in a position of receiving from Representative Director Junko Shio. Therefore, I am truly honored to finally be able to build a relationship where, as a ballet company, we can give back to the children of Kashinoki Gakuen, a certified integrated school.

Every week, our dancers visit the school and bring ballet to the children – children encounter authentic performing arts in their daily lives, their sensibilities are awakened, and they touch upon unknown worlds. And in the accumulation of these experiences, new employment opportunities will also be created for the dancers. I am confident that this partnership is a step with profound significance for the children, their families, and all of our dancers.

Minato City Ballet intends to continue systematically expanding its collaborations with educational institutions, contributing to the promotion of cultural education for children, the development of culture and art itself, and the creation of employment for dancers. With deep gratitude for the guidance and support received from my seniors and benefactors over the years, we will steadily move forward from here.

Partnership Overview

Partnership Name: Comprehensive Business Partnership for Educational and Cultural Initiatives Partner Organization: NPO Rainbow Hill World Care Family Representative: Representative Director Junko Shio Location: 2-1-15 Oyumino, Midori Ward, Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture Target Facility: Kashinoki Gakuen (Cattraia Kindergarten), a certified integrated school Official Website: http://www.kashinoki-kids.com/ Partnership Effective Date: July 1, 2026

▼ Positioning of the Partnership

This partnership deepens the existing support and cooperation relationship, establishing a medium- to long-term cooperative framework that includes cultural and artistic education for children at the certified integrated school, outreach performances and workshops, invitations to main performances, provision of viewing opportunities for parents, joint planning and operation of cultural and artistic education curricula, and the creation of employment for artistic talent. Through collaboration with educational institutions, we will jointly promote cultural and artistic education for children, the development of culture and art, and job creation.

▼ First Phase Initiative

Starting in July 2026, our affiliated dancers will be dispatched weekly to Kashinoki Gakuen, a certified integrated school, to continuously implement a regular ballet education program for the children.

Partner Organization Overview

▼ NPO Rainbow Hill World Care Family

Representative: Representative Director Junko Shio

Location: 2-1-15 Oyumino, Midori Ward, Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture

Operating Facility: Kashinoki Gakuen (Cattraia Kindergarten), a certified integrated school

Official Website: http://www.kashinoki-kids.com/

Minato City Ballet, as a ballet company specializing in social contribution, is engaged in creating social value through performing arts. In addition to domestic and international performance activities, we continuously carry out activities to deliver the power of art to more people through outreach performances and invitations to children in children's homes, collaborations with educational institutions, and providing opportunities to those with limited access to culture and art. Moving forward, we will pursue a new model for ballet companies that functions long-term, based on the three pillars of artistry, social contribution, and sustainability.

Contact Information for Inquiries

Lifestyle Order Made Co., Ltd. Contact: Okawaki Public Relations Contact Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.t-saj.org