Canon holds the “Charity Book Fair” every year to provide assistance to the youth of Asia for their educational needs, medical care and self-reliance. This is a charity activity that employees, including those of domestic companies in the corporate group, can participate in easily and that throughout the year calls for donations of books and CDs for an in-house bazaar. Inaugurated in 1997, the program has been ongoing for ten years as of 2007.

During the one-year period of FY 2007, 7,800 books and 300 CDs and DVDs were collected to be sold at a bazaar. The fair held at Canon’s head office in Shimomaruko, Ota Ward, Tokyo, from October 15 to 17, 2007. 880 employees visited the bazaar over its three days. This event raised about 800,000 yen in proceeds and matching funds from the company for charity.

On the Sunday prior to the fair, 17 volunteers – employees, their family members and staff members from Bridge Asia Japan, one of NPOs receiving support – participated in preparing the venue, spending half a day arranging the many books and CDs collected. Following this, the participants listened attentively to Bridge Asia Japan’s report on their activities, such as support for education on the environment for children in poverty-stricken areas of Vietnam and assistance for refugees in Myanmar.