This is not what our students wear to class every day!

Four elementary school children, two priests, a princess, a Dutchman, and an alien, just to name a few, attended this year’s Hitotsubashi ICS Auction. Held typically in October every academic year, the event is both a Halloween social and a fundraiser, with students, professors, and even alumni donating and bidding on items for auction. The proceeds fund the student budget for the year.

The auction is held every year by the newest Hitotsubashi ICS class. It consists of two parts: a silent auction, where descriptions of donated items are posted and bidders sign their names and bids; and a live auction, where announcers bring up each item in front of the costumed audience and take bids through raised hands. When coveted items come up, bidding can be fierce: dinners at exclusive, members-only “ryotei” restaurants, yacht trips, and microbrewery beer tastings at the Dean’s home were just a few of the popular items offered at the most recent auction.

The recent ICS Auction earned a grand total of ¥1,038,610.

As with every year, the class is donating 10% of the proceeds to a charitable cause: this year it will be the Northern Japan Earthquake Relief Fund, to help those affected by the March 11 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.