There is a group called LAVENDER RING, which is made up of volunteer Dentsu employees, Shiseido, and Cancer Net Japan. There are still many people who have prejudice and misconceptions about cancer. The purpose of their activities is to aim for a society where people, both those with cancer and those without, can connect with each other through compassion and live with smiles on their faces.

Some of you may know her through her collaboration with Shiseido called MAKEUP & PHOTOS WITH SMILES. The second part will introduce the process by which Lavender Ring's activities became a major trend.

When a friend gets cancer. Let's explore what we can all do together

It started with a phone call.

In October 2015, Dentsu's Hiroyuki Tsukimura received a call from his subordinate, Yasuaki Misono. He called me to tell me he had lung cancer.

"I was surprised when I heard that he had lung cancer. He was only in his 30s at the time. I couldn't relate to him being young and healthy. At that time, I wondered how I should face it. That was my honest feeling."

After careful consideration, Mr. Tsukimura decided to make the fact that Mr. Misono had cancer openly within his team. From now on, it will be necessary to support the way people work in accordance with their treatment and physical condition. This is because I believe it is important to be open in order to help each other as a team, depending on the situation.

I wanted something to symbolize my support for Mr. Misono, so I decided to make a "FIGHT TOGETHER" sticker using Mr. Misono's portrait and put it on each person's PC to express my feelings. did. When people from other teams asked me what the stickers meant and I explained them to them, they all said they wanted to put one on too. There was a strange synergistic effect in which the desire to support the team also increased the team's morale.

Overturning the image that cancer = death. Expanding the circle to a lavender ring

It was April 2017. Mr. Misono, who had continued his work with the support of the entire Tsukimura team, came up with the idea that he wanted to do something for society in the same way that they had supported him, ``Fight Together.'' Pushed by this desire, the entire team begins to move forward. He enlisted the participation of art director Taiki Kawase, and the idea to take and exhibit photos of cancer survivors quickly came to fruition. Preparations are progressing steadily, with test shooting of nine people, led by Shigetaka Hisamitsu, who is active as a futsal player despite continuing anti-cancer treatment.

In August 2017, I decided to film and interview cancer survivors at Japan Cancer Forum, one of the largest cancer forums in Japan. When shooting, hair and makeup are required. When you think of a company that has creative people such as hair and makeup and photographers, it's Shiseido. When Mr. Tsukimura approached him with the idea, Shiseido readily agreed. The project ``Makeup & Photos with Smiles,'' a collaboration between Shiseido Life Quality Makeup, will now begin in earnest.

MAKEUP & PHOTOS WITH SMILES full of smiles from cancer survivors

After a rushed preparation period, the day arrived on August 2017, 8. On the first day of the Japan Cancer Forum held in Nihonbashi, cancer survivors gathered to participate in Makeup & Photos with Smiles. Volunteers from within Shiseido, mainly members of Shiseido Life Quality Makeup, also participated and were in charge of makeup and hair.

Shiseido consultant Yasuko Sawada was also there. She creates makeup while gently talking to nervous cancer survivors about what colors they like and what kind of makeup they would like to try today. The process itself touches the hearts of cancer survivors. I was excited to see myself gradually transforming with Sawada's makeup, and I naturally found myself smiling.

After the photo is taken, the poster is completed by writing down the words and thoughts that are important to you and having them layout it. It will be printed immediately and posted at the venue. The entire wall was covered with posters of participants, which was a sight to behold. Everyone was full of life and had big smiles on their faces. The stereotypical cancer patient is not there. It blows away the impressions that cancer survivors have around the world. And then I realized. Cancer survivors are not special. They are everywhere, at work, at school, at home, and just like us.

Things you can do even during the coronavirus pandemic
MAKEUP & PHOTOS WITH SMILES conducted online

``Makeup & Photos with Smiles,'' which began in 2017, has continued to be held many times since then. In 2021, we will publish the book ``Live your life in your own way,'' which includes photo sessions to date. The publication of ``The Smiles and Thoughts of 206 People Living with Cancer'' attracted attention.

Due to the influence of the coronavirus, there was also the challenge of holding the event online in 2020 and 2021. Shiseido consultant Yasuko Sawada said, ``Of course, we were worried about the extent to which we could support cancer patients online, but we went through a lot of trial and error.There is no way you can actually touch their skin and apply make-up.'' "We have learned from our customers that we can help them enjoy makeup by showing them how they can do it themselves."

This experience led her to start online counseling, and now cancer survivors living far away can easily participate.

This year, we held a ``High school student idea festival #Thinking about cervical cancer with friends.'' A team of three to four high school students focused on cervical cancer, first inputting information from doctors and cancer survivors, and coming up with an idea for a communication plan to solve the low screening rate and lack of knowledge. It's about making an announcement. This time, a total of 4 teams, 43 people from all over the country, participated, and everything was held online, with ideas presented in the form of videos. Activities that began with the purpose of supporting Mr. Misono have expanded into a movement that encourages change in society.

Continue to sow seeds that will make everyone smile
For gentle and beautiful flowers to bloom

What if there was a cancer survivor at work, among friends, at home?

I want you to remember this. Life doesn't end even if you get cancer. Cancer survivors are still members of society, working and living normally. Although this may seem obvious at first glance, it is true that it still remains a reality that is difficult to understand. In order to change this current situation, it was necessary to convey the truth about cancer survivors. It can be said that Lavender Ring's activities have succeeded in contributing to conveying the lively image of cancer survivors.

Let me say it again. Life doesn't end even if you get cancer. It's just that a chapter called cancer has been added to my life. When someone close to you has cancer, instead of treating them as special, I wonder if you could just listen to them quietly and tell them what they can do and what difficulties they have. This experience is also an opportunity to start building a society where everyone can support each other in a rich spiritual way, whether they have an illness or not. And even if you get cancer, this is necessary for a society where you can live in peace.

There are people who sow seeds of hope in the form of lavender rings. I would like you to know more about their activities and keep an eye on them in the future. And if you'd like, they hope they can plant the seeds together. The flowers that bloom there are sure to color our society gently and beautifully.