HOPE Dinner in Nagoya

It Began 25 Years Ago In Nagoya

Twenty-five years ago, HOPE International Development Agency was founded at a meeting in Nagoya. Now 25 years later, the organization returns to where it began — the Hilton Nagoya — for the 24th Annual HOPE Nagoya Charity Dinner on Friday, March 6.

What started here has grown into an annual three-city series, with parallel dinners in Kansai and Tokyo.

But like a lot of things that last, it began in Nagoya.

Last year, 62 people attended the Nagoya dinner, raising just under ¥2.5 million for HOPE’s projects. The Kansai and Tokyo events each drew 99 participants, raising ¥4.6 million and ¥7.1 million respectively.

In an anniversary year, Nagoya has room to grow.

What HOPE Does

HOPE International Development Agency Japan (HOPE-JP) is a Nagoya-based Nintei NPO, meaning donations are tax deductible and the organization qualifies for direct grants from Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. That designation takes years to earn and isn’t common.

HOPE’s base is here, and its work reaches well beyond it. After the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, members were vital to the Nagoya supported relief and recovery efforts in Tohoku.

Internationally, the work is practical. In Ethiopia, gravity-fed water systems bring clean water into rural communities. In Cambodia’s Pursat Province, wells, agricultural support, and a livestock lending program help families build income. In the Philippines, scholarships through the Pamulaan Center send indigenous students through higher education and back to their communities as teachers and leaders.

Past dinner sponsors have included major hotel groups, international companies, and long-standing civic organizations across Japan. The event at the Hilton Nagoya reflects that mix; corporate tables, long-term residents, and people who have been showing up for years. It’s a warm and friendly crowd of people who care and want to contribute in a tangible way.

This Year’s Focus:
Southern Ethiopia

The 2026 Nagoya dinner highlights southern Ethiopia, where HOPE is expanding gravity-flow water systems while supporting women’s savings groups and small business training. The current project also includes planting 2,000 fruit trees and organizing local environmental committees to reduce landslide risk.

Executive Director Jeffrey Behr recently visited communities still walking hours for water from streams shared with livestock. That field report will be part of the evening’s program.

What to Expect

Reception begins at 18:15, with the program starting around 19:00.

The evening includes a video report from the field, updates from HOPE leadership, silent and live auctions featuring donated items and experiences, and a raffle. A full-course dinner is served in the Hilton Nagoya ballroom.

Some attend as a company table. Others come individually. Individual tickets are ¥35,000, which includes a full-course dinner and drinks. Sponsorship tiers range from two-seat packages to larger event partnerships, and prize donations are welcomed, with auction proceeds going directly to field projects.
For those who aren’t attending, learning about HOPE’s work, sharing the event, or volunteering are also ways to be involved.

Nagoya helped start this dinner.
A quarter century later, it still returns here each year.

The Details

24th Annual HOPE Nagoya Charity Dinner

Venue:
Hilton Nagoya

Date:
Fri, Mar. 6, 2026

Times:
Reception: 18:15
Program start: Around 19:00

Price:
¥35,000 per person
(dinner and drinks included).
Sponsorship packages from ¥69,000
(Tax deductible.)

Address:
Hilton Nagoya
5F Ginsennoma Room
1-3-3 Sakae, Naka-ku
Nagoya

Charity Dinner Website

Register:
Sign up via Google Form

HOPE International Japan Website
Contact:
email: dinners@hope.or.jp
Tel: (052) 204-0530

Access

By Subway:
Take the Higashiyama Line (H08) or Tsurumai Line (T07) to Fushimi Station. Use Exit 6 and walk west along Hirokoji-dori toward Hilton Nagoya. The hotel is approximately 3–5 minutes on foot.

Nagoya Subway Map

Check out our handy guide to using the Nagoya Subway:
https://www.nagoyabuzz.com/using-the-nagoya-subway/

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