In celebration of the 90th anniversary of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of New York this year, we combined two of our annual summer events, the JCCI’s “Charity Dinner Cruise” and the Nippon Club’s “Summer Festival,” into one: “Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of New York 90th Anniversary Charity Event — An Evening in Support of Ukraine.” Organized by JCCI (JCC Fund) in cooperation with The Nippon Club, the event was held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Thursday, July 7.

The MSM Jazz Trio, led by Yuko Kawasaki (vocalist), a student in the Jazz department at the Manhattan School of Music, performed during the cocktail reception.

The masters of ceremonies were Mr. Masaaki Maeda, V.P. and Assistant Secretary of JCCI/The Nippon Club and Ms. Christina Maxwell. The event began with opening remarks by JCCI’s President, Mr. Sayu Ueno (President, Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.) Inc.), the JCC Fund’s President, Mr. Hidenori Takaoka (President, Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas)), and The Nippon Club’s President, Mr. Tomonori Wada (President & CEO, Sumitomo Corporation of Americas).

The Temple of Dendur, the site of the event, was a gift from the Egyptian government to the United States in 1967 as a token of appreciation for the U.S. government’s support for the preservation of archaeological sites in Nubia. If the Temple of Dendur had not been given to the United Status, it would have been submerged by the Nile River following construction of the Aswan High Dam. The story of Dendur illustrates the importance of the spirit of mutual help that transcends national and racial boundaries.

The proceeds from the event were donated to the charity organization Americares to be used for humanitarian and reconstruction assistance in Ukraine. At the check presentation ceremony, the three presidents — Mr. Takaoka, Mr. Ueno, and Mr. Wada — presented a check for $30,000 to Ms. Sarah Lowy from Americares.

After the check presentation ceremony, the concert began with a performance by Grammy Award-winning countertenor opera singer Anthony Roth Costanzo, who played the leading role in the opera “Akhnaten,” and the musicians of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.

< Concert Program>
■ Overture to The Barber of Seville (by Gioachino Rossini)
■ “Stille amare” from the opera Tolomeo (by George Frideric Handel)
■ “Vivi Tiranno” from the opera Rodelinda (by George Frideric Handel)
■ “Che farò senza Euridice” from the opera Orfeo (by Christoph Willibald Gluck)
■ “Pour l’Egyptienne” from Six épigraphes antiques for piano (by Claude Debussy)
■ “Liquid Days” from the album Songs from Liquid Days (by Philip Glass)
■ “The Encounter” from the movie 1000 Airplanes on the Roof (by Philip Glass)

JCCI NY and The Nippon Club would like to express our sincere appreciation and gratitude to the 29 member companies who agreed to support this event. And thank you so much to our guests who participated in the event.