16th TOPPAN Charity Concert (January 2025)

The 16th TOPPAN Charity Concert was held at Toppan Hall on January 31, 2025.

Two up-and-coming young musicians, violinist Ryota Higashi and pianist Kaoruko Igarashi, combined as a duo, performing famous works by composers including Mozart and Brahms. Between pieces, the artists spoke about the aims of the concert and their memories of previous performances at Toppan Hall. In the context of the concert’s support for literacy education, Kaoruko Igarashi touched on her experiences of reading as a child, entertaining the audience with a heartwarming story. After the concert, audience members took in exhibits and displays about the SMILE Asia Project in front of Toppan Hall.

To fulfill its responsibility as a good corporate citizen, TOPPAN works to strengthen mutual understanding through interaction and engagement with local communities as well as continuously striving to support the arts, culture, sports, and education.

TOPPAN Charity Concerts have been held every year since 2008 to contribute to society by supporting efforts to raise literacy rates in developing countries. Proceeds from the concerts are donated to the Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU) and used for the SMILE Asia Project, which supports literacy education for women in Cambodia, particularly those who are pregnant or raising young children.

All proceeds from ticket sales and donations collected at the 16th TOPPAN Charity Concert will be donated to the ACCU’s SMILE Asia Project.