Bunkyo Gakuin University, Social Welfare Corporation Saport 21, and Pacific Philharmonia Tokyo Collaborate to Address the Experience Gap for Children; "Smile Concert" for Children's Music Cafeteria to be Held for the First Time at Jinai Hall; Providing Experiential Opportunities for Children's Physical and Mental Nourishment Through Food and Music

Bunkyo Gakuin University (President: Tsutomu Fukui) will provide special cooperation for the "Smile Concert" of the Children's Music Cafeteria, organized by Social Welfare Corporation Saport 21, to be held on Saturday, June 27, 2026, at Jinai Hall on its Hongō Campus.

In recent years, the "experience gap," where children's opportunities to engage with culture, arts, and nature vary due to their family environment and economic background, has become a serious social issue. In response to this challenge, this event is being held as a first-time initiative, a collaboration among Social Welfare Corporation Saport 21, Pacific Philharmonia Tokyo, and our university.

On the day of the event, as part of the "Children's Music Cafeteria" project developed by Social Welfare Corporation Saport 21, the focus will be on "exposure to the arts, which tend to be postponed in daily life." We will offer "encounters with culture and arts (mental nourishment)" through authentic live performances by a professional orchestra, and "secure food (physical nourishment)" in the form of a complimentary snack gift after the concert, provided free of charge to children. Our university will actively participate by leveraging its educational assets to develop this initiative. We aim to provide opportunities for local children to cultivate rich sensibilities while working towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Goal 4 "Quality Education" and Goal 10 "Reduced Inequalities."

Background of This Initiative

What is "Children's Music Cafeteria" (Why the combination of food and music?)

The "Children's Music Cafeteria" is a project launched against the backdrop of over 30 years of support activities for refugee children and children with foreign roots by Social Welfare Corporation Saport 21. The corporation aims to provide continuous support for children's physical and mental well-being by combining "secure meals" with "live music that nurtures the soul."

This project is a new initiative launched by the corporation from fiscal year 2026, with Mr. Yoichi Hino, Representative Director of Silver Bucks Principal Co., Ltd., as the initiator, and is operated in collaboration with Pacific Philharmonia Tokyo. ■ Significance of Our University's Active Participation

Our university signed a partnership agreement with Pacific Philharmonia Tokyo in 2024, and has been working to promote cultural and artistic development and well-being through music. We have previously created opportunities for children to experience high-quality music, such as outreach lessons in string quartet for music classes at Bunkyo Gakuin University Junior High School, and concerts for kindergarten children at Bunkyo Gakuin University and Bunkyo Kindergarten.

Outline of the "Smile Concert" Children's Music Cafeteria

Date and Time: Saturday, June 27, 2026, 14:00 start (13:00 doors open)

Venue: Bunkyo Gakuin University Jinai Hall (1-19-1 Mukogaoka, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo) 1 minute walk from Todaimae Station on the Tokyo Metro Namboku Line

Organizer: Social Welfare Corporation Saport 21

Special Sponsor: Silver Bucks Principal Co., Ltd.

Special Cooperation: Bunkyo Gakuin University

Capacity: 500 people (Registration may close once capacity is reached)

Participation Fee: Free

Target Audience: Children aged 4 and above are welcome.

URL: Please apply from the following URL:

https://teket.jp/18369/70252

Program: ① Authentic orchestra performance and instrument introduction

② Distribution of "food" souvenirs from orchestra members to children (after the performance)

Scheduled Repertoire:

- Grieg: Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 (with narration)

- Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1

- Mozart: Divertimento K.136

- Joe Hisaishi: My Neighbor Totoro Medley, and others

Orchestra: Pacific Philharmonia Tokyo

Established in 1990. Centered around self-produced performances including regular concerts, the orchestra engages in a wide range of performances such as music appreciation classes, opera, ballet, recordings, and broadcast appearances. They actively participate in concerts of popular music, movie/anime, and game music, expanding their collaborations with artists from diverse genres. Since 2018, they have been holding the "Nerima Regular Concert" in Nerima Ward, where the orchestra was founded. In 2022, upon the appointment of Norichika Iimori as Music Director, the orchestra's name was changed to "Pacific Philharmonia Tokyo." With the mission of delivering music to children as a key operational guideline, they strive to convey the harmony unique to an orchestra, where numerous players synchronize their breaths to create a single sound, by staying close to communities and educational settings and steadily accumulating daily performances.

Conductor: Naokazu Kawai

After graduating from Tokyo University of the Arts, he has conducted performances with numerous orchestras, including the original Japanese premiere of the musical "The Phantom of the Opera" and "West Side Story" for the Shiki Theatre Company, Sapporo Symphony Orchestra, Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra, Gunma Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra, Pacific Philharmonia Tokyo, Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa, Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra, Central Aichi Symphony Orchestra, Chubu Philharmonic Orchestra, Japan Century Symphony Orchestra, Osaka Symphony Orchestra, Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra, Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra, and Kyushu Symphony Orchestra. He is also a leading ballet conductor in Japan, having conducted performances for major ballet companies such as Matsuyama Ballet and Momoko Tani Ballet. He has also dedicated himself to youth development, serving as the Music Director of the Junior Orchestra Hamamatsu. From 2005 to 2020, he served as a professor at Shobi University, guiding future generations.

Currently, he is the Executive Music Producer for Hamamatsu Open Art, a committee member of the Toda City Arts Promotion Council, and an Honorary Professor at Shobi University.

He received the 4th "Hamamatsu Artist Recognition Award" and the Reiwa 7th (2025) Sōichi Kanno Music Award (Music Culture Contribution Division).

MC: Mako Kotoba

Graduated from the Musical Theatre Course, Department of Performing Arts, Osaka University of Arts. From childhood, she extensively studied dance, voice training, and acting. After graduation, she moved to Tokyo. She has performed in musicals such as "Zubon Captain" and "Hula Girls," and has energetically expanded her expressive range from small theaters in Shimokitazawa to live performances across various genres. Currently, she also works as an MC for children's events and concerts at commercial facilities. Her bright personality, which is said to instantly brighten up the entire venue, is highly regarded, and she is trusted by many.