Fiscal Year 2024 Annual General Meeting and Reception for Affiliate Members
The Yamaoka Memorial Foundation held their annual general meeting and social gathering for their sponsors on June 6th 2024 in Osaka.
This event is held once a year to explain to corporate and individual members the objectives and daily activities of the Yamaoka Memorial Foundation and thus deepen their understanding for it.
First Mr. Yamaoka, CEO of the Yamaoka Memorial Foundation, gave an opening speech. He explained that the Foundation's activities, which have been ongoing since the Foundation was first established, are part of the Yanmar-Group wide "HANASAKA" initiative to "make people and the future flourish." These activities include public brass band concerts or science and technology lectures. After that, Mr. Yukino, Managing Director of Yamaoka Memorial Foundation, reported on last year's business and explained the plan for the current year. In the second half of the event Willi Huber, composer and performer of the traditional German string instrument zither, gave a lecture on the “development and history of the zither”. The lecture was followed by a special concert in which Mr. Huber and members of the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra performed an ensemble with the zither. Familiar German songs were played. The song "Do-Re-Mi" from the movie "The Sound of Music" made the crowd so cheerful, that some people even stomped their feet to the rhythmic tune to enjoy the song.
During the break after the meeting, Mr. Huber continued with a solo performance on the zither, giving the members the opportunity to enjoy the sound of the zither and deepen the exchange with other members.
At the social gathering Mr. Oda, superintendent of the Nagahama board of education, gave a toast and thanked the Yamaoka Memorial Foundation for the "Instrument Clinic," an event held in Nagahama where professional musicians gave lessons to brass band students. Concluding the social gathering, Mr. Hamaguchi, director of Yanmar Holdings Co. Ltd. and supervisor of the Yamaoka Memorial Foundation, made a closing speech. He said that he would like to continue to develop these kinds of activities to nurture the potential of the young generation. The meeting closed in a cheerful atmosphere.
