PalSystem Kanagawa to Hold "Pal-Art" Exhibition in Kawasaki City on May 12th (Tuesday) and 13th (Wednesday) for Regular Exchange through Art Leasing Contracts for People with Disabilities

PalSystem Kanagawa Consumers' Cooperative (Headquarters: Shin-Yokohama, Kohoku Ward, Yokohama City; Chairperson: Junko Fujita) will hold unveiling events for "Pal-Art," an exhibition of art by people with disabilities, in the afternoons of May 12th (Tuesday) and 13th (Wednesday) at its Miyamae Center and Aso Center distribution bases in Kawasaki City. The artworks will be rotated every three months through a leasing contract, introducing the diverse personalities of the artists and fostering continuous interaction with support organizations alongside local residents.

**Pre-introduction at Two "Community Hub" Centers**

"Pal-Art" is an art exhibition system first introduced at the Shin-Yokohama Headquarters in March 2026, with the aim of creating opportunities for people with disabilities to be active. With the goal of establishing it at various locations within the prefecture, these two distribution centers have newly entered into annual leasing contracts with local support organizations. Both centers open their meeting rooms monthly and host community-building events such as health mahjong. It was preferentially introduced at these two centers, ahead of all 13 distribution centers, as a spot where many local residents can appreciate art.

**PalSystem Kanagawa Event Report**

The unveiling event will feature artworks by artists active at "Hirama," a daily life support service operated by Tomokawasaki Social Welfare Corporation (Nakahara Ward, Kawasaki City; Chairperson Kenji Kuwahara), and "Tama Fre!", an employment support service operated by Tama Fureai Group (Tama Ward, Kawasaki City; Representative Tadashi Suzuki). Artists active in both organizations will also be introduced, and participants will interact with each other while appreciating "Pal-Art" by "Pals" (friends/community members) from the region.

"Hirama," which interacts with the Miyamae Center, creates an environment where everyone can enjoy art together, regardless of their prior contact with disability welfare, by holding events such as "Machikado Para-Art Exhibition" and "Hirama Atelier Art Class." It is an organization that steps out into the community to connect people through art.

"Tama Fre!", which collaborates with the Aso Center, is operated by a medical corporation and provides comprehensive, community-based support, accompanying each individual according to their unique characteristics of disability. Artists are active in various ways, such as drawing art on the windows of community interaction hubs.

These unveiling events at both centers will serve as a catalyst to spread "Pal-Art" throughout the region.

**"Pal-Art" Unveiling Event Overview**

Contents: Introduction of artists and support organizations, photo session, interaction with artists, etc.

**■ Miyamae Center Unveiling Event**

[Date/Time] May 12th, 2026 (Tuesday) 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM (Reception starts at 1:15 PM)

[Venue] PalSystem Kanagawa Miyamae Center 2nd Floor Meeting Room (1-9-2 Nogawahoncho, Miyamae Ward, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture)

[Access]
- From Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line "Kajigaya Station": Take Tokyu Bus "Kaji 01 route" bound for Saginuma Station, get off at "Nogawa Nakamori" bus stop, 1 minute walk.
- From Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line "Miyamaedaira Station": Take City Bus "Jyo 11 route" bound for Ida Hospital/Shinjo Ekimae, get off at "Nogawa Nakamori" bus stop, 1 minute walk.

**■ Aso Center Unveiling Event**

[Date/Time] May 13th, 2026 (Wednesday) 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM (Reception starts at 1:45 PM)

[Venue] PalSystem Kanagawa Aso Center 2nd Floor Meeting Room (5-2-14 Ozenjinishi, Aso Ward, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture)

[Access]
- From Odakyu Line "Shin-Yurigaoka Station": Take Odakyu Bus "Shin 23 route" bound for Azamino Station, get off at "Nikko Zuido" bus stop, 1 minute walk.

**Utilizing Employment Adjustment Grants for Further Engagement**

Leasing fees will be covered by employment adjustment grants for people with disabilities. PalSystem Kanagawa receives these grants because 21 employees with disabilities are actively working, exceeding the legally mandated employment rate of 13 people. These funds will be used to introduce "Pal-Art" to visitors at various offices within the prefecture, creating a mechanism for further engagement of people with disabilities.

Adjustment grants will also be utilized during artwork exchanges, and support organizations contracted at each base will be commissioned for this work in the future. During exchanges, interviews and interactions introducing artists and their works are also planned, aiming for a new system where individuals who find regular employment at workplaces difficult due to the characteristics of their disabilities can also be active.

**Signboard Utilizing Local Resources**

The signboard installed in the exhibition corner was made from thinned bamboo from the bamboo grove on the Miyamae Center premises. It was created by users of IKIIKI Company (Choujamachi, Naka Ward, Yokohama City), a Type B employment continuation support service operated by the Yokohama Mobile Service Council NPO (Choujamachi, Naka Ward, Yokohama City; Chairperson Kazuhiro Hattori). This initiative utilizes local resources as part of the cooperative's activities that also consider the local environment.

PalSystem Kanagawa will continue to work hand-in-hand with people from diverse backgrounds living in the community, aiming to create a regional society where everyone can thrive.

**PalSystem Kanagawa Consumers' Cooperative**

Location: Shin-Yokohama Traffic Building, 3-18-16 Shin-Yokohama, Kohoku Ward, Yokohama City; Chairperson: Junko Fujita
Capital Contribution: 11.98 billion yen; Members: 368,000; Total Business Volume: 57.02 billion yen (as of March 2025)