LINE 125 Addition of 631 New Host Parents for NTT West Group Afuhi Project

Hollyhocks are used for decoration at the Aoi Festival, which originated some 1,500 years ago. In the past, wild hollyhocks used to grow everywhere including the precincts of the Kamo-wakeikazuchi Shrine. However, due to global warming and changes in the natural environment, and particularly damage in recent years caused by deer that feed on them, they can no longer be found in the shrine or in the nearby forests and surrounding areas.
It was against this backdrop that we began since February 24, 2011 to engage in planting and host family activities as part of the "NTT West Group Afuhi Project" together with AFUHI Project and Kamo-wakeikazuchi Shrine.

Under this project, employees of NTT West Group and their family members would adopt hollyhocks and grow them at their workplace or home. Grown-up hollyhocks are then multiplied by root division every year in May and planted in the hollyhock forest in the precincts of Kamigamo Shrine.

This year, 631 people have joined as new host parents.

At Kagoshima Business Unit, a host parent appointment ceremony was held on June 1.
At the ceremony, a briefing was given on the "Afuhi Project," and Mr. Nakajima, head of the Business Unit, handed the "hollyhock seedling" to each host parent. He also thanked the host families and hopes they will put in effort so that the hollyhocks can be multiplied by root division by the next year.
Meanwhile, at the briefing session on "how to grow hollyhocks," the new host parents listened eagerly to learn about the vegetation of the hollyhock plant.

Each and every employee and family member of NTT West Group who is part of the hollyhock host family will strive to reproduce as many hollyhock plants as possible by next May while bearing in mind the goal to protect our global environment.

URL??a href="http://www.afuhi.jp/" target="_blank">http://www.afuhi.jp/

Organizing companies

NTT West Group companies

No. of participants

631