A community chest fund-raising campaign begins every year on the morning of October 1. Throughout Japan, volunteer groups appear on the streets and in front of train stations singing out requests for donations from passersby. These groups are made up mostly of middle and high school students. Some of the volunteers wear collection boxes around their necks. When someone makes a donation, another member of the group attaches a red feather to the donor's chest, and then all members say in unison, "Thank you for your cooperation." The purpose of the community chest campaign is to provide assistance to the less fortunate by eliciting good will from others. Collecting street donations is just one part of this campaign. The concept of a community chest is said to have begun long ago when a Swiss priest tied a box to a tree with the words "give and take!" written on it. Those with spare money could leave a donation, and those in need could take money from the box to help buy daily necessities like food and clothing. The community chest, which is currently most active in the United States, was introduced into Japan in 1947 by an Irish-born Catholic priest named Father Edward Joseph Flanagan and gradually spread throughout the country. The symbol of Japan's community chest, a red feather, comes from the United States and stands for courage and good conduct. The campaign in Japan has raised over 530 billion yen through 1997. This money has been used to support various welfare organizations and facilities. Street fund-raising lasts just a few days, but other campaign activities continue through December. In 1998 over 2 million volunteers worked under the slogan, "Together We Live," toward the goal of raising 2.5 billion yen by the end of the year. Photo: A professional Sumo wrestler and an actor help raise funds. (Kyodo)

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