Introduction in English (Introduction of Dawn Center)

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About the Dawn Center

Introduction of Dawn Center

The Dawn Center is an institution established by the Osaka Prefectural Government. The center is located in the northwest of Osaka Castle Park. From the windows of the meeting rooms, the donjon, or the tower, of Osaka Castle can be seen. The center, ten stories above and one story below ground, has a total floor space of 12,760m². When illuminated at night, it looks all the more magnificent. Its administration and operation is undertaken by the Osaka Gender Equality Foundation. Open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., women and men in all age groups, though most are women, visit the center. During the first nine years, since its inauguration in November, 1994, the center attracted more than four million people.

The idea for the Dawn Center originated in 1984. While it took eight years to complete the construction plan, during the preparation period, plans for center were promoted with a wide range of people, including experts in various fields, women's groups and women's organizations. Meetings were held by the "Dawn Center Promotion Committee" and the "Creative Forum," encouraging active discussion with Osaka residents about projects and facilities. Thanks to the community's cooperation, the "gender-free" viewpoint is reflected throughout the center. The name "Dawn" and the symbol for the center were selected from among many entries in a public contest held while construction was underway.

The Dawn Center serves as a base for creating a new partnership between women and men as we enter the 21st Century. Its basic concept is "a creation of a new society of women and men working together based on the independence of the sexes, allowing everyone fair and equal opportunity to participate." In order to develop the concept, the center has the "Three I" philosophy.

Identity: Independence of women in society
Information: Information network
Internationalization: International exchange

Based on the "Three I" philosophy, the Dawn Center is committed to playing a role as a comprehensive support center for women and as a place where women and men can exchange ideas.

The Dawn Center follows three pillars for promoting projects.
These are:

Accumulating and sending out information,
Providing consultation and counseling,
Sending out art and literature which expresses women's ideas.

These pillars are developed both independently and in combination.

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