TOKYO, JAPAN--(Marketwired - Sep 22, 2014) - New York Times Bestselling Author Craig T. Bouchard launched in Japan today his most recent book, "The Adventures of Ai," its compelling video game and accompanying music to benefit 20 charities worldwide. The book is translated and available in Japanese, and is set in both modern and ancient Japan. The "The Adventures of Ai" story details the lives of Mr. Bouchard's friends in Hiro, Japan in 1990, including the Kenzaburo Hara Family, Jinsei Hitonari Tsuji, Minami Kaho, the Kunpei Higashi family, and others. Interwoven in the narrative are the fantasy adventures of an 11-year-old girl named Ai, who takes a journey into the mountains of Northern Japan in the year 1514.
The Adventures of Ai debuted to rave reviews in the United States in July and has been translated into Japanese, Mandarin, Arabic and Spanish. The book, video game and music are distributed in partnership with Apple, Google, Samsung and Amazon.
The Adventures of Ai movement includes a global video game competition that began September 9 and ends December 31, 2014. In the early stages, Japanese players have taken commanding team and individual leads in the world rankings. The game leaderboard can be followed on www.adventuresofai.com.
Mr. Bouchard commented on the level of competition, "When the game was designed, I anticipated the Chinese and American kids being extremely competitive. The strength of the Japanese has taken players all over the world by surprise."
The project benefits 20 charities around the world, including Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, James R. Jordan Foundation International and Misericordia in the United States; Operation Smile in China; Magic Bus in India; the Children's Leukaemia and Cancer Research Foundation in Australia; and Child Cancer Foundation in New Zealand. The College Women's Association of Japan and the Working Youth Society are Japanese beneficiaries.
The winning country's charities receive 10 percent of the "Adventures of Ai" global net revenue. Additionally, "Adventures of Ai" will donate 10 percent of its net revenues, in each country, to that country's participating charities. Countries participating in the World Charity Cup include Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and the United States.
"We grow up believing the world is too big for any one person to make a difference. That's simply not true. I wrote The Adventures of Ai to challenge the kids to be philanthropists," said Mr. Bouchard. "The truth is we can all make a difference. To parents: let's unlock the potential of girls and boys in the far corners of the world. To kids: please play the game hard to benefit sick kids in your country. But remember: It's one world, one team."
To learn more about the World Charity Cup, please visit www.adventuresofai.com.
To learn more about College Women's Association of Japan, please visit www.cwaj.org.
To learn more about the Working Youth Society, please visit www.kinrouseishounen.org.
About College Women's Association of Japan
CWAJ's mission is to support higher education, nurturing future leaders who will contribute to a better world. Over the past 60 years, more than 800 Japanese and international women students, including many from developing countries; members of the visually impaired community; and young print artists have benefited from CWAJ's scholarship program. CWAJ is also helping communities suffering long-term damage from the tsunami and earthquake in the Fukushima region through a scholarship for nursing students; the donation of a medical van to support mental health; and English education and art programs for children. CWAJ is an international women's volunteer organization dedicated to promoting education, art cross-cultural understanding and having fun!
About Working Youth Society
The Working Youth Society has been conducting business in Japan for 44 years since its inception on December 10, 1969. It contributes to the promotion of the welfare and healthy development for young people through the development of their business skills. The society works internationally to support its mission, and carries out exchange programs to educate the next generation.
About the Adventures of Ai
The Adventures of Ai is an ebook written by international entrepreneur and New York Times best-selling author Craig Bouchard. The story is a part non-fiction and part fiction fantasy subtly designed to prepare pre-teen girls and boys for the pressures they will encounter as they grow up. Incorporating art, history, poetry, music and mathematics, the unique novel encourages children to unlock their potential. Released in six languages, The Adventures of Ai is a story of empowerment that transcends boundaries.
The book's corresponding video game is based on the novel and created by Kalani Streicher, producer of the ground-breaking games Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and the Indiana Jones games for Lucas Films. Titled Ai's Adventure, the game is an engaging experience featuring a soundtrack produced by 15-time Grammy Award winner Humberto Gatica, the game is available for iOS, Android and Kindle. For more information, visit www.adventuresofai.com.
About the World Charity Cup
When children play Adventures of Ai, their scores are recorded on the Adventures of Ai website for the benefit of their country total. Ten percent of net revenues earned in each country during the competition will be donated to the participating charities within that country. In addition, ten percent of the global revenue from the book, game and music earned during the competition will be donated to the charities in the country that records the highest average player scores. Thus, any country can win the "World Charity Cup," and every child playing the game matters.
Contact Information:
For more information, please contact
Jessica Hasson
jessica@pulppr.com