Every year, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) sends Nengajo (New Year's card) and Shochumimai (summer greeting card) written by employee volunteers to elderly people aged 75 or older living alone in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in support of the "Heart Warming Communication Kangari" carried out by the Minato Council of Social Welfare and the Volunteer Center.
The name "Kangari" was taken from a passage in a collection of essays titled "Kotoba No Saijiki" (seasonal words glossary in English) by Haruhiko Kindaichi, indicating "the subtle hues of the eastern sky at dawn, brighter than faint light but not as hot as blazing light, and which was selected with the wish to keep in touch with the elderly people without intruding too deeply into their privacy, but not becoming too distant with them.
In June 2021, we called for employee volunteers and then collected 19 Shochumimai cards with thoughtful messages and illustrations. These cards were delivered to the Minato Council of Social Welfare.
■Comment from employee in charge of this program
We received pieces of hard work with thoughtful messages and illustrations. We hope that those who receive these cards will do well this summer, too.