My Name is Tama-chan

This short biographical documentary tells the story of Yoshiomi Tamai, who was born in Osaka, Japan, in 1935. Following the loss of his mother in a traffic accident in 1964, he began investigating the state of traffic accidents in Japan. He became an advocate, critiquing the inadequacies of the healthcare and legal systems of Japan. In 1969 he founded the Association for Traffic Accident Orphans. In 1998 he took on the role of President at Ashinaga, an NGO focused on the education and social rehabilitation of orphaned students, which he continues to this day. As he and those closest to him reflect on his legacy, that same boy shines through the aged and wise civic leader who has adopted the name “Tama-Chan” – a name suffix normally reserved for children.

Written, shot, edited, and directed by Christopher Scott Carpenter.

Produced for the Japanese NGO Ashinaga, which focuses on the education and social rehabilitation of orphaned students in countries around the world. This film was screened during Ashinaga’s Kenjin Tatsujin, a conference of global thought leaders in the space of education which convenes annually to guide Ashinaga’s impact.