201908191Activities to collect a donation to erect a bronze statue of Kano Jigoro, who had a close relationship with Abiko, have been conducted under the leadership of Association for Protecting Culture of Abiko.  Agreeing with the purpose of these activities, AIRA raised contributions from its members and handed the collected money to the Association. (No.19-10)
Date & time: 19th  August, 2019(Mon) 11:00～
Venue: AIRA Office
Participants: Mr. Hesaki, President of AIRA
            Mr. Taiyou Misaki, President of Association for Protecting Culture of Abiko
 
With the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games just a year away, Association for Protecting Culture of Abiko (APCA),which has been acting to protect natural and cultural heritages of Abiko and accordingly to contribute to the development of new culture, invited donations widely from citizens under the slogan “Let’s erect a bronze statue of Kano Jigoro!”  The year 2020 also marks the 160th anniversary of the birth of Kano Jigoro.
Kano Jigoro gained prominence for numerous international exchange activities and the site of his second house in Abiko is one of the sightseeing spots.  In view of Kano’s achievements, AIRA joined the fund-raising activities and collected 30,000 yen from its members. The money was handed to Mr. Misaki, President of APCA, by Mr. Hesaki, President of AIRA on this day.
The bronze statue will be made using the mold of the original statue produced by a sculptor Fumio Asakura (1883～1964, a recipient of the Order of Culture) in 1936.
The bronze statue, which is going to be erected in the site of Kano Jigoro’s second house, will be watching over the torch bearers running through Abiko at the time of the Tokyo Olympic Games next year.
As for the relationship between Kano Jigoro and Abiko, please refer to the “Newsletter Abiko No.1471 dated 16th February, 2019”.
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                                          (Translated by Katsumi Nakajima)
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