PROMOTIONend of the 1990s he was enjoying great
success with American and European audi-
ences. Since 2010, Chan has been inundated
with requests to perform in China, but the
demanding schedule hasn't worn him down.
“I’m often asked if I’ll keep performing after
- If I’m fortunate enough to be offered
more opportunities, then I just have to do it,”
he says, adding with a laugh that although his
enthusiasm should be waning, he’s actually
becoming more energized.
Celebrating Memories
In Chan’s busy life, how important is a watch?
“For me a watch is not just for telling time. It’s
for fashion and also for capturing memories,”
Chan says. “One of my dreams as a child was
to own a nice watch. My father, my godpar-
ents and others gave me watches as presents,
and I’ve bought watches to reward myself for
achievements. So each watch has its own
story. And since watches are small they don’t
take up much space, I can line them up and
reminisce about each story.”
Three Dreams
Chan says he has had three dreams. The first
one was realized in 2002 when he was given
his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The second is ensuring children around the
world get an education and third is making
world peace a reality.
His first dream began when he launched
his acting career at age seven. His formal train-
ing in Peking Opera and martial arts paved the
way for success as an action star in his 20s. He
later found fame in Hollywood with hit movies
such as “Project A” (1983), “Police Story” (1985),
“Rumble in the Bronx” (1995) and “Rush Hour”
(1998), receiving numerous awards for his act-
ing, directing and stunt work. His accomplish-
ments were further recognized when he was
awarded an honorary Oscar in 2016.
Lifetime of Giving
To realize his second and third dreams, Chan
has been practicing philanthropy for more
than 30 years. In a 2007 interview with the
National Association of Professional Martial
Artists magazine, he told a story that speaks
volumes about his character:
“I once visited a children’s hospital bear-
ing gifts. When a patient asked me what
was inside the wrapped present, I couldn’t
answer, as I had delegated all the shopping
to my staff. It was embarrassing that I didn’t
know. Overcome with guilt, I made sure to
personally shop for the children’s gifts before
I visited again the following Christmas.”
A powerhouse in the film industry, Chan
has created numerous monumental works,
by-products of his relentless determination
and knack for getting things done. He dem-
onstrates the same determination in pursu-
ing his two other dreams.
In 1988, Chan established the Jackie Chan
Charitable Foundation, donating mats and
other supplies to a martial arts school in
Moscow and another school in South Africa.
The foundation also holds lectures at U.S. and
Cambodian universities. More recently Chan
has been building schools in remote areas of
China through his Dragon’s Heart Founda-
tion. He is a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF
and UNAIDS, and is a member of the Ameri-
can Red Cross National Celebrity Cabinet. He
also established the Jackie Chan Civil Aviation
Foundation in China, performs at charity con-
certs and speaks at events. In 2011, he orga-
nized a fundraiser to help victims of Japan’s
earthquake and tsunami victims.
Chan’s business interests are diverse as
well. In addition to owning a stuntman train-
ing school, he is co-owner of Nobu restaurant
in Beijing, and even has a chain of movie the-
aters named after him.Follow Your Convictions
Chan routinely makes Forbes’ list of the
world’s highest paid actors. As one of Asia’smost successful film stars, he shared his
secret to success:
“Whatever you do, let your conscience
guide you in following your convictions,” he
says. “Help as many people as you can. To me,
making a good movie is most important. If I
were preoccupied with making money, being
famous or winning awards, then awards and
money would never come. I think business is
the same. Focus on one thing and do it for
the people. If you try to cheat others just so
you can make quick money, you’ll end up
with nothing.”
Chan says his meeting with Handa was
meant to be.
“Mr. Handa has been successful in many
industries and has helped many people
through his philanthropy,” Chan says. “It is
because of this that we met. I feel like I’ve
made a new friend, which means I’m con-
tinuing to expand my circle of contacts, and I
think that’s wonderful.”
In hindsight it seems like this friendship
was inevitable. Together these kindred spir-
its will surely be a powerful force in helping
Chan’s dreams come true.Contact information:
Misuzu Corporation
81-3-3247-5585
http://www.misuzu.comChan and Handa speaking on stage at a HANDA Watch World event last December. HANDA Watch World
opened a new shop in February, its first store in Nagoya, The Banana Watch Shop. (Nishiki 3-5-14, Naka Ward,
Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture TEL: 81-52-961-8163). In the Tokyo area, HANDA Watch World’s headquarters in
Nishi Ogikubo is called Tokei no Koibito Kissu wa Te ni Shite (“Wristwatch Lovers Kiss on the Hand”) and its
store in Kichijoji is named The Uchu (“Space”) Watch Store.