Shining a Light on 'Invisible Isolation' in Child-rearing: Sky Lantern Event for 100 People to be Held at Kobe Shiawase no Mura on April 29
Ippen Yattemiyo Project will host '100 Stories Sky Lantern Night' in Kobe to support parents feeling isolated, featuring workshops and an indoor lantern release.
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©Japan Sky Lantern Association®
The Ippen Yattemiyo Project (Representative: Coai [Ai Koseko]) will hold a sky lantern event titled "100 Stories Sky Lantern Night in Shiawase no Mura" on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 (a public holiday), at "Kobe Shiawase no Mura" in Kita-ku, Kobe City.
This event aims to provide an opportunity for people who continue to struggle alone in child-rearing without being able to ask for help to safely pause and say "YES" to themselves.
The event aims to host up to 100 participants. Through donations from participants and supporters, single-parent families and children growing at their own pace, along with their guardians, will be invited free of charge.
On the day, mental coach Akio Hiramoto will serve as the navigator for a lantern release workshop from 16:00 to 17:00. Around 17:30, sky lanterns are scheduled to rise inside the hall accompanied by the singing voice of TAKERU, a singer-songwriter from Kobe.
An Event to Shine a Light on the 'Invisible Isolation' of Child-rearing
Being unable to tell anyone about a child's school refusal. Handling work and life all alone while parenting as a single parent. Feeling lonely inside even if one doesn't appear to be in financial distress.
Worries during child-rearing are often hard to see from the outside. Precisely because it looks like one has a family, children, and is leading a normal daily life, many people find it difficult to say "I'm actually struggling" or "I need help."
"I might cause trouble if I show weakness," "I'm a mother, so I must work harder," "It's strange that I'm worried about such things." People sometimes continue to blame themselves while holding onto these thoughts.
"100 Stories Sky Lantern Night in Shiawase no Mura" is an event born to shine a light on this "invisible isolation" of child-rearing.
By looking up at the lantern lights floating in the hall, the event aims to deliver a time when people can feel that "I was not alone."
Goals of This Event
The goal of this event is not just to create a time to look up at beautiful lanterns.
It is to provide a quiet milestone where each participant can realize the thoughts within themselves, put them into words, and entrust them to the light, letting go of what they have carried until now.
Representative Coai herself has experienced the "solitude of not being able to seek help" and struggles within child-rearing for many years.
"I was supposed to be working hard to make my child happy, but before I knew it, both my child and I were being put last." From that experience, she began to want to create a place where those who are struggling alone can safely stop.
In this event, rather than separating the supporting side and the supported side, through the experience of looking up at the lights together in the same space, the event will provide an opportunity for each person to believe in their own life once again.
Sky Lantern Release Inside the Hall
In this event, instead of releasing lanterns into the outdoor night sky, sky lanterns will be released inside the Kobe Shiawase no Mura Training Center Hall.
A workshop for the lantern release will be held from 16:00 to 17:00. Participants will spend time infusing their thoughts and wishes into the lanterns.
Around 17:30, lanterns carrying the participants' thoughts are scheduled to rise in the hall along with the singing of Kobe-born singer-songwriter TAKERU.
As it is an indoor event, it is less affected by the weather, making it an easy environment for parents and children to participate. The moment the lights rise is expected to be an impressive scene for photos and videos.
*Crediting "©Japan Sky Lantern Association®" is mandatory for any productions or broadcasts using provided materials.
Free Invitations for Single-Parent Families and Children Growing at Their Own Pace
Through donations from participants and supporters, this event also provides free invitations for single-parent families and children growing at their own pace, along with their guardians.
"I want to go, but I'm hesitant because of the cost."
"We don't have the leeway for a special experience as a parent and child."
"I want a time to spend safely away from daily life for a bit."
This initiative was born from the desire to deliver the experience of looking up at the lantern lights to such people.
Navigator: Mental Coach Akio Hiramoto
The person navigating the time for participants to realize their thoughts and infuse them into the lanterns on the day is mental coach Akio Hiramoto.
Mr. Hiramoto is known as a pioneer in the Japanese mental coaching world. After studying clinical psychology at the University of Tokyo Graduate School, he has coached Olympic gold medalists, executives of listed companies, and top athletes.
In corporate training, he has worked with SoftBank, Honda, MUFG Bank, etc.
The Ippen Yattemiyo Project (Representative: Coai [Ai Koseko]) will hold a sky lantern event titled "100 Stories Sky Lantern Night in Shiawase no Mura" on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 (a public holiday), at "Kobe Shiawase no Mura" in Kita-ku, Kobe City.
This event aims to provide an opportunity for people who continue to struggle alone in child-rearing without being able to ask for help to safely pause and say "YES" to themselves.
The event aims to host up to 100 participants. Through donations from participants and supporters, single-parent families and children growing at their own pace, along with their guardians, will be invited free of charge.
On the day, mental coach Akio Hiramoto will serve as the navigator for a lantern release workshop from 16:00 to 17:00. Around 17:30, sky lanterns are scheduled to rise inside the hall accompanied by the singing voice of TAKERU, a singer-songwriter from Kobe.
An Event to Shine a Light on the 'Invisible Isolation' of Child-rearing
Being unable to tell anyone about a child's school refusal. Handling work and life all alone while parenting as a single parent. Feeling lonely inside even if one doesn't appear to be in financial distress.
Worries during child-rearing are often hard to see from the outside. Precisely because it looks like one has a family, children, and is leading a normal daily life, many people find it difficult to say "I'm actually struggling" or "I need help."
"I might cause trouble if I show weakness," "I'm a mother, so I must work harder," "It's strange that I'm worried about such things." People sometimes continue to blame themselves while holding onto these thoughts.
"100 Stories Sky Lantern Night in Shiawase no Mura" is an event born to shine a light on this "invisible isolation" of child-rearing.
By looking up at the lantern lights floating in the hall, the event aims to deliver a time when people can feel that "I was not alone."
Goals of This Event
The goal of this event is not just to create a time to look up at beautiful lanterns.
It is to provide a quiet milestone where each participant can realize the thoughts within themselves, put them into words, and entrust them to the light, letting go of what they have carried until now.
Representative Coai herself has experienced the "solitude of not being able to seek help" and struggles within child-rearing for many years.
"I was supposed to be working hard to make my child happy, but before I knew it, both my child and I were being put last." From that experience, she began to want to create a place where those who are struggling alone can safely stop.
In this event, rather than separating the supporting side and the supported side, through the experience of looking up at the lights together in the same space, the event will provide an opportunity for each person to believe in their own life once again.
Sky Lantern Release Inside the Hall
In this event, instead of releasing lanterns into the outdoor night sky, sky lanterns will be released inside the Kobe Shiawase no Mura Training Center Hall.
A workshop for the lantern release will be held from 16:00 to 17:00. Participants will spend time infusing their thoughts and wishes into the lanterns.
Around 17:30, lanterns carrying the participants' thoughts are scheduled to rise in the hall along with the singing of Kobe-born singer-songwriter TAKERU.
As it is an indoor event, it is less affected by the weather, making it an easy environment for parents and children to participate. The moment the lights rise is expected to be an impressive scene for photos and videos.
*Crediting "©Japan Sky Lantern Association®" is mandatory for any productions or broadcasts using provided materials.
Free Invitations for Single-Parent Families and Children Growing at Their Own Pace
Through donations from participants and supporters, this event also provides free invitations for single-parent families and children growing at their own pace, along with their guardians.
"I want to go, but I'm hesitant because of the cost."
"We don't have the leeway for a special experience as a parent and child."
"I want a time to spend safely away from daily life for a bit."
This initiative was born from the desire to deliver the experience of looking up at the lantern lights to such people.
Navigator: Mental Coach Akio Hiramoto
The person navigating the time for participants to realize their thoughts and infuse them into the lanterns on the day is mental coach Akio Hiramoto.
Mr. Hiramoto is known as a pioneer in the Japanese mental coaching world. After studying clinical psychology at the University of Tokyo Graduate School, he has coached Olympic gold medalists, executives of listed companies, and top athletes.
In corporate training, he has worked with SoftBank, Honda, MUFG Bank, etc.