Award: EFFECTIVENESS \ E06. Best Use of Advocates/Influencers/ Celebrities

In Japan, 42% of women diagnosed with recurrent breast cancer develop depression. There is the deeply rooted belief “Recurrence means Hopelessness.” Some patients experience an even greater psychological shock than at the time of their initial diagnosis. It is difficult for them to engage proactively in their treatment and daily lives. To challenge this deeply rooted belief, we redefined Kintsugi—Japan’s traditional art of repairing broken pottery with gold—as a symbol of emotional recovery for women with recurrent breast cancer.

Building on this idea, we created a short film co‑developed with patients, doctors, and advocacy organizations, featuring a renowned Japanese actor and breast cancer survivor, Kaho Minami. We released it free on YouTube as an accessible emotional care tool. Widely covered across major media, the project reached 27.45 million people, turned recurrent breast cancer into a public conversation and positioned Kintsugi as a new model for emotional care.