On Sunday, October 19, 2025, the “Gambling Addiction Awareness Seminar & Family Consultation” was held at the Kosha General Building in Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture. The event, hosted by our organization, welcomed 265 attendees and concluded successfully.

The program began with personal testimonies from members of our Peer Support Division, who shared their experiences and introduced the division’s activities. A member of the Gunma Family Association also spoke about their journey. Following this, Dr. Koji Sato, Director of the Psychiatric Emergency Information Center at the Gunma Mental Health Center, gave a lecture on the role of the center and the nature of addiction from a psychiatric perspective.

Mr. Kotaro Hariki, Director of AREA Karuizawa (a facility operated by the general incorporated association AREA), then shared the story of the center’s establishment and its future outlook. His presentation highlighted the significance of recovery programs rooted in community volunteerism. The event also featured a powerful and uplifting Ryukyu Taiko drum performance by Fujioka DARC, which deeply moved the audience.
In the final session, our representative Noriko Tanaka and members of the Peer Support Division took the stage. The speakers emphasized how recovery was made possible when families learned to let go, reaffirming the vital role of family support in the recovery process.

We were also honored by the presence of Gunma Prefectural Assembly members Ms. Fujiko Kagaya, Mr. Takaaki Hongo, and Ms. Atsuko Suzuki (all from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan). A message of support was also sent by Mr. Kaichi Hasegawa, a member of the House of Representatives from the same party.