PRESS RELEASE

Following the Noto Peninsula earthquake and heavy rain disasters, students at a school with only 5 students in total have taken the initiative to create their own products. They have developed the 'OTANI GACHA' or ' OTANI CHARM' which will be sold at Nihonbashi Minami Post Office on October 23rd (Wed) and 24th (Thu).

October 17, 2024

Suzu City Otani Elementary and Junior High School has launched a project called 'Otani Gacha', where students have come up with the idea of selling handmade products using local materials through a gachapon machine and donating the proceeds to the disaster-stricken areas of the Noto Peninsula. The 'OTANI CHARM' is a product born from this project and will be sold at Nihonbashi Minami Post Office on October 23rd (Wed) and 24th (Thu).Gachapon is a unique Japanese vending machine that dispenses capsule toys or small items, and it is very popular.

OHTANI CHARM

Students and teachers

Children in the Otani district, where water supply has yet to be restored, have taken the initiative to plan and create products for their community!

Suzu City Otani Elementary and Junior High School is located at the northernmost tip of the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture. After the earthquake, the total number of students dropped to five. Wanting to "do what they can for the recovery of Suzu City," the students came up with the idea of selling products made from materials produced in Otani in a gachapon machine to introduce the charm of the Otani district to many people and donate the proceeds. The products were also made by the students and teachers. However, just as they were about to start selling in Suzu City in September, the Noto heavy rain occurred. The Otani district suffered extensive landslides and flooding, and the water supply has yet to be restored.

All 70 charms, which were originally planned to be sold over three days in Suzu City, sold out in just an hour and a half.

On October 13th (Sun), the first sale was held in Suzu City. Although the gachapon machine was scheduled to be set up for three days, all 70 charms, which were planned to be sold over the three-day period, sold out in just an hour and a half.

On the first day of sales in Tokyo, one 9th-grade student will be present.

This is the first time we will be selling in Tokyo. One 9th-grade student and two teachers will be present on the first day of sales.

On October 23rd (Wed) from 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM, a student and two teachers will visit Nihonbashi Minami Post Office.We would appreciate it if you could come and cover this event.

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Period: October 23rd (Wed) - 24th (Thu), 2024

On October 23rd (Wed) from 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM, a student and a staff member will visit Nihonbashi Minami Post Office.

Location: Nihonbashi Minami Post Office (2-2-10 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo)

*Please note that this is Nihonbashi Minami Post Office, not Nihonbashi Post Office

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■Staff

Planning and production：Students and Teachers of Suzu City Otani Elementary and Junior High School　

Supervision：Associate Professor Shun Suzuki（Kanazawa University）

College student volunteer：Students of Kanazawa University and Kanazawa Institute of Technology

Creative staff：Creative Director/Copywriter: Kie Aoyama, Art Director: Kotoko Ogawa, Photographer: Sakura Matsutani

Donation of salt：Okunoto Endenmura

Donation of gachapon machine ：Advision Ginza Co.,Ltd.,  2025PROJECT

■What is OTANI CHARM?

Suzu City Otani Elementary and Junior High School is located at the northernmost tip of the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture. OTANI CHARM is a gachapon machine created by students of Suzu City Otani Elementary and Junior High School in Ishikawa Prefecture to support the recovery of the local community. Inside each capsule, you will find handmade accessories made with sea glass, seashells, and ancient rice, as well as Otani-produced salt, all products that convey the charm of Otani Town. We named it "OTANI CHARM" with the hope that "the charm we love about Otani will become your charm." There are four types of charms, each priced at 500 yen.

Contact: ohtani.charm@gmail.com

Product

Product