【Hana-me Report】Amazon Japan

On Tuesday, October 17, 2023, we held a breast cancer seminar “Hana-me” for the employees of Amazon Japan at their Tokyo head office and Sapporo office. The theme was “The Basics of Breast Cancer,” a 45-minute session learning about the basics of breast cancer, breast cancer screening, and self-check.

This was our first Hana-me seminar with Amazon Japan, joined by a total of 74 employees, with 24 participating in person and 50 online.

The seminar began with an interactive presentation including several pop-up quizzes. It was great to see many participants actively engaging and taking notes.

Photo) During the presentation

Following the presentation, we did a group self-check workshop using silicone breast models. The same workshop was also held at the Sapporo office, which was connected online. The participants showed keen interest in the breast models, some expressing surprise after touching, saying, “I might not be able to find the lumps at all!”

Self-check explained in words may seem straightforward, but putting it into practice correctly can be quite challenging at first. With the instructor’s guidance, I heard relieved voices saying, “Ah, it’s done that way!” They were able to locate the lumps in the breast models by practicing the method themselves.

Photo) During the Self-Check workshop: Looking for lumps inside the silicone breast models.

I was pleased to see that more than half of the in-person participants were men. After the seminar, we received many insightful questions for their families and communities.

I hope that this seminar taught the participants about the prevalence of breast cancer, deepened their understanding, and resolved their concerns and questions surrounding the disease. I also hope the participants will share what they learned through this seminar, and encourage their colleagues to prioritize their health, and get their breasts screened.

Thank you to everyone at Amazon Japan!