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Toastmasters International, an international non-profit organization that enables people to cultivate their communication and leadership skills, is proud to announce that Yamanashi Prefecture’s first Toastmasters club, Kofu Toastmasters, will hold a “workshop of global leaders and speeches” for Kofu citizens in the Kofu City Hall at the large conference room on June 29.

This event has been scheduled following the adoption of the project proposal The Kofu Global Citizen Forum, “Let’s enjoy becoming a global leader!”, at the 500th anniversary’s commemorative event (third term) sponsored by Kofu 500th Anniversary Celebration Committee.

This free event will celebrate the 500th anniversary of Kofu’s establishment and discuss the way we will raise global citizens in Kofu City. In this event, participants will learn the essential points about individual development while attending our workshops. By participating in this event and listening to Japanese and English lectures, participants can learn and improve their communication skills. Furthermore, they can acquire skills that are useful for individual development in communicating with people from different cultures and backgrounds. This event will be conducted primarily in Japanese, but English will also be used at times. This event is open to the citizens of Kofu and people from around the city.

Mr. Yoshihiro Kawano, the founder of Kofu Toastmasters, says, “We invite one of Kofu City’s most active global leaders and the author of World Class Speaking (Japanese book), Professor William Reed of Yamanashi Gakuin University, as a special guest. Professor Reed will present a keynote speech. In addition, we will also hold a speechcraft workshop with all the workshop participants. Besides, Mr. Naoki Tamura, the winner of the all-Japan speech competition and the semifinalist at the speech contest world convention, and Mr. Kimochi, an English Rakugo artist, are also planning to give speeches.

Volunteer members of Kofu Toastmasters are in charge of the operation of this event. We will also receive assistance and cooperation from Toastmasters International (D76 Japan Branch).

What is “the 500th Anniversary of the Establishment of Kofu”?
In 2019, Kofu City will celebrate its 500th anniversary since its foundation in 1519 (Eisho 16), when Nobutora Takeda held residence at Tsutsujigasaki, Kofu. Further, in 2021, the city will celebrate the 500th anniversary of Takeda Shingen’s birth. The Kofu 500th Anniversary Celebration Committee celebrates the Kofu based on the philosophy of “learning from the past, looking to the present, and connecting to the future.” Hence, we wish to celebrate its 500th anniversary in Kofu City. The people of Kofu love and honor their home district. Kofu City will be looking at different aspects regarding town planning for its future.

Kofu City has many sister and friendship cities, which are as follows:
Des Moines, Iowa (USA); Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques (France); Lodi, California (USA); Chengdu, Sichuan (China); Yamatokoriyama, Nara (Japan); Cheongju and North Chungcheong (South Korea). They will also celebrate Kofu 500th anniversary.

Kofu 500th Anniversary Celebration Committee
18-1 Marunouchi, the 6th floor, Kofu city 400-8585, Japan
Homepage: https://www.kofu500.com/

Kofu Toastmasters Club
Toastmasters studies English communication and leadership at Kofu City. If you are interested to know further details concerning this activity, please inquire at the contact information provided under “Participant Contact” as stated below. As meeting places may change, please check the information from the website prior to each event.
Meeting day: 2nd Saturday of every month, 14:00 to 16:30 (The next meeting will be hold on Kofu City hall at May 25))
Venue: Yamanashi Prefectural Library (near the north exit of JR Kofu Station) , Yamanashi International Association or Kofu City Hall.
Homepage: https://inspireyoshi.wixsite.com/kofu-toastmasters
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ToastmastersKofu ; Language: English

Toastmasters International District 76 (Japan)
To know more about Toastmasters International, log on to https://www.toastmasters.org/
From a humble beginning in 1924 at the YMCA in Santa Ana, California, Toastmasters International has grown to become a world leader in helping people become more competent and comfortable in front of an audience. Moreover, Toastmasters International is a world leader in communication and leadership development. Members can improve their speaking and leadership skills by attending one of its 16,600 clubs located across 140 countries, which constitute our global network of meeting locations. As of August 2018, Toastmasters has more than 357,000 members worldwide, including 4,000+ members in Japan, and 193 clubs globally.
To know more about District 76 (Japan’s branch), log on to http://district76.org/
Toastmasters’ global motto is “Toastmasters: Where Leaders Are Made.”
Each club will continue to contribute in order to improve the communication and leadership abilities of the nation its located in.

Participant Contact
Kofu Toastmasters
kofu-tmc-guest@googlegroups.com

Media Contact
District 76, Toastmasters International
PR Manager Ami Aoyama
toastmasters@district76.org
http://district76.org/