The Financial Industry in Tokyo (FIT) For Charity chooses to make a difference to its community by raising money for local community organisations which serve important but not necessarily well recognised or understood needs, and which might have only limited fund-raising capabilities so that the funds FIT For Charity provides can have an impact. It also aims to make a difference to its community by giving as many people as possible in the industry, the opportunity to support local community organisations and to encourage greater levels of participation in other charitable events.

FIT For Charity was established in 2005. It is run by like-minded individuals in the financial and related industries in Tokyo to bring the industry together to make a difference in the community in which we live and work. Moreover, FIT For Charity is intended to be a powerful expression of the financial industry’s collective commitment to making a positive contribution to the community, to foster teamwork within firms and to build relationships across the industry.

The inaugural FIT For Charity Run was held in Tokyo on Sunday, September 4, 2005. About 1,500 participants from the financial and related industries and their families and friends ran or walked 5km and 10km courses around the Imperial Palace in central Tokyo. In all, more than 50 companies were represented. The event was a great success, raising JPY 17 million. Strong interest from all sides has led to rapid expansion of scale and participation levels, allowing contributions to double in 2006 and double again in 2007. 2008 and thereafter, were equally successful years with consistently high levels of donations and an increase in participating organisations as well as the actual number of participants.

In 2011, FIT chose to support ten community non-profit organisations based either in the Tohoku or Kanto areas that provide ongoing and sustainable assistance to the Tohoku region affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, in addition to those tackling local community issues in Tokyo and vicinity.

From 2012, FIT continued forward with its original aim supporting charities based in the Kanto region, with the 2022 event seeing 4,667 participants from 79 companies raising JPY 54.8 million to support eight non-profit organisations.

The run has achieved great public awareness and increased recognition within the industry, both foreign and Japanese. The tremendous and continuous success of the FIT For Charity Run events has helped to demonstrate the commitment of companies and individuals in the financial industry to make a difference to the community in which we live and work. We hope for another successful year.