LifeWear Special Ambassador (Japan) Haruka Ayase Makes Surprise Visit to Wajima in the Noto Peninsula
Delivering HEATTECH to People Affected by the Earthquake
The Heart of LifeWear Vol.3
Jan 02, 2025
NEWS
In Japan, UNIQLO will donate a total of 100,000 items of HEATTECH clothing to children living in orphanages around the country, and to those affected by the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake.
On Sunday, December 15, LifeWear Special Ambassador (Japan) and well-known Japanese actress Haruka Ayase visited the Wajima region of the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture to deliver items of HEATTECH to people affected by the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake. At the event, Ayase-san spent some valuable time with the residents, exchanging message cards with children and taking commemorative photos.
Ishikawa Prefecture’s Wajima district was one of the areas hardest hit by the earthquake. Visiting the Noto Peninsula for the first time since the disaster, Ayase-san listened intently to residents’ accounts of the current situation in the affected areas, and observed the steady progress of reconstruction.
Ayase-san also visited a site with temporary housing to deliver HEATTECH in person, and spoke with a couple living in the shelter. “I spent some valuable time talking directly with the residents, and learning about the current situation in the affected areas,” she said.
Afterwards, Ayase-san made a surprise appearance at a temporary bathhouse for victims of the disaster, adjacent to the temporary housing. There, she helped to distribute articles of HEATTECH to the approximately 300 assembled residents. Her unexpected visit was met with a warm welcome and many broad smiles from the residents.
Residents received HEATTECH items from Ayase-san with smiles on their faces, thanking her for coming to such a cold area, and saying that they will continue to do their best.
During Ayase-san’s visit, a special message board was set up with heart-shaped cards — a reference to the initiative’s name, "The Heart of LifeWear"— for people to write messages expressing their hopes and dreams, or things they wanted to achieve. Ayase-san also wrote a card while interacting with the children, posting the message, "May everyone’s smiles increase day by day!”
On the day of the event, the weather in Wajima was stormy, with heavy rain and strong winds. But the rain stopped just as Ayase-san arrived, with a double rainbow appearing in the sky over Wajima. It was a moment when everyone at the venue felt a ray of hope for the ongoing reconstruction of their home.
In addition, on the day of the event, UNIQLO Japan COO Tomohiko Sei donated articles of HEATTECH, accepted on behalf of the district by Wajima Mayor Shigeru Sakaguchi. The two talked about reconstruction efforts in the area. Mayor Sakaguchi said, “After the earthquake on New Year's Day, as we were trying to move forward, we were hit with heavy rains. Even though our hearts were discouraged by this twin disaster, the support we have received has helped us to remain positive.”
UNIQLO will deliver 45,000 articles of HEATTECH to all those affected by the earthquake in Wajima and other areas of the Noto Peninsula, which is about to face another harsh winter.
Haruka Ayase commented:
“I know the situation is still very difficult, but when I met with the disaster victims, their smiles and laughter filled me with energy. I sincerely hope that wearing HEATTECH will provide them a little warmth, and that everyone’s smiles will increase each day.”
UNIQLO, together with its Global Brand Ambassadors, will continue its donations of HEATTECH and other clothing around the world this winter, as part of The Heart of LifeWear initiative.
This clothing donation is part of the “What Makes Life Better?” initiative.
For more information, see: https://www.uniqlo.com/whatmakeslifebetter
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