Just after the Kumamoto Earthquake, students at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) launched a project named “Move for Kyushu” to aid victims of the earthquake. Students at Ritsumeikan started several activities such as fund-raising at many places around Kyoto area in addition to Ritsumeikan campuses.

One of those students, Renna Kajiwara (third-year student, College of International Relations) launched another project named ‘Super Smile Project.’ The project’s aim is to gather many photos of people smiling to create a poster.

Renna and her colleagues not only from Ritsumeikan but also other universities were involved in this project with hope for cheering up the people at Kumamoto.

It took more than three months to complete, because they received so many photos not only from Japan but other countries!

Finally, they prepared three types of posters full of smiles and Renna brought them to Kumamoto City Office by herself. She could just send them to the Kumamoto City Office, but she thought that it was important to deliver the posters directly. As Mayor Onishi of Kumamoto City was busy attending the municipal assembly, she could not make an appointment with the mayor. She handed over the posters to his secretary.

Miho Nakamura (third-year student, College of Letters) who is the representative of Move for Kyushu Ritsumeikan Chapter says that she and other members hope that these posters bring energy into the people in Kumamoto. If these posters make the people happy, then she and all the members involved in these projects are really happy, she added.

We hope that the areas affected by the Earthquake will build back better.