"Watasu Nihonbashi" just opened in Nihonbashi, Tokyo as part of a project that aims to help the Tohoku region recover. And on March 7th, round-table discussions organized by "Samazing" (Association for Promoting the Kesennuma Concept, a City known for Sharks), which promotes a market for Blue Sharks, a staple of the Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture, was held.
When we think of eating sharks, we usually think shark fin, so eating shark meat may not be a familiar concept. In Nihonbashi, there is a long-standing fish processing plant, "Kanmo," which was established back in 1688. Its specialty, hanpen, is made from Shortfin Mako Sharks and Blue Sharks, so Kanmo has had a long-standing relationship with Kesennuma. And although we may not realize it, we often consume shark meat in the form of hanpen or kamaboko.
According to Mr. Kunihiro Nishizawa, the former editor of "Nikkei Health" and "Nikkei Premier," who took part in the discussions, shark meat is rich in collagen "so it helps promote both beauty and health, something women 50 and above, the key target group of the health market, strongly desire." He also stated that shark meat might become very popular in the near future.
During the discussions, participants got an opportunity to taste fried "toro (fatty)" shark meat. This fatty meat is found at the top base of the tail fin, right above the shark fin, and cannot be eaten unless the meat is very fresh. It's only this part of the shark that has the 3 key nutritious benefits of the shark - the skin full of collagen, the cartilage full of chondroitin sulfate, and low fat, high protein meat. Many people who tasted the toro shark meat for the first time were pleasantly surprised by its delicious taste. Some even hoped that it would become a specialty of Kesennuma.
Kesennuma accounts for over 80% of Japan's shark catch. But since the Great East Japan Earthquake, this industry has been under extreme pressure. In addition to the damages inflicted by the earthquake, the price of fishes has continued to decline. Moreover, due to the anti-shark finning campaigns organized by environmental NGOs, many foreign luxury hotels stopped serving shark fin, so the consumption has considerably declined in Japan. Samazing strongly asserts, "At Kesennuma, we have never just harvest the shark fin and throw the rest of the fish back into the sea."
Although we may think of sharks as a group of fishes, it is said that there are about "500 different species of sharks." A member of Samazing and the President of Chuka Takahashi Inc., Mr. Akira Takahashi explained, "We need to understand the different habitats, species, and properties of sharks, and determine which species must be protected, and which can be consumed as resources. That is why Kesennuma specifically refers to Blue Sharks. It's mainly the population of coastal sharks that is being affected by bottom trawling, which captures small sharks along with many other different types of fishes. Blue Sharks are found out in the open sea. They give birth to many offspring (40~50) at once, and they are at the top of their food chain, so the supply is stable." The Kesennuma longline fishing industry is currently preparing to apply for the MSC certification awarded to sustainable finishing practices for its traditional longline fishing methods.
Samazing will regularly promote its activities by, for example, introducing cuisine made with shark meat at the Kyushu Foods EXPO. There are a lot of topics that it needs to address. The association needs to communicate its awareness of the resource management of Blue Sharks. It wants people to become more interested in Kesennuma's shark cuisine, etc. The association will continue to undertake a wide range of activities with the belief that shark meat, which is full of collagen and chondroitin sulfate, will rise as Japan's society continues to age.
]]>It was March 11, 2011 that the Great East Japan Earthquake and the subsequent tsunami struck the Tohoku region of Japan. Many of these areas still bear the physical scars left by previous tsunamis. In some places there were stone markers indicating how high the waves could reach. These helped save lives. But in other areas there weren't any markers, so many people lost their lives.
Tsunamis will strike again. So the NPO, Sakura Line 311 is planting cherry blossom trees as markers to help save lives when they do. They are planting a cherry blossom tree every 10 meters along 170km of land in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture so that the colonnade of cherry blossom trees will let people know how high the water rises. They want to make sure that the future generation will know to evacuate above the tree line when there is a risk of a tsunami.
This initiative, which began in the fall of 2011, has planted 767 trees as of December 2014 (please click here for a map of the progress, type of cherry blossom trees, and date that they were planted). A documentary film has also been made about Sakura Line 311's activities, and it is currently being shown at Arts Chiyoda 3331 and at the second 3.11 Film Festival being organized in satellite venues across Japan (this film festival introduces movies that feature a wide range of social issues that the Great East Japan Earthquake brought to light. The first film festival was held last year in March.)
Their goal is to plant 17,000 trees, but they still have more than 16,000 to go. There are many ways you can contribute so please take a look to see how you can help.
Help plant trees:
The spring tree planting event will be held on March 28. Although they already have enough volunteers to plant trees, you can still volunteer to help organize the event.
Donate:
Monthly supporters wanted. You can donate 1,500 yen or more per month.
Show your support by clicking "Like!" or "Share":
You can help generate free donation by clicking "Like!" or "Share" on the social contribution platform, Gooddo.
Go to live performances and buy merchandise:
The Tohoku Sakura Live Project is an organization that supports cherry blossom tree planting by organizing live performances and selling merchandise. By supporting this organization you will also be supporting the Sakura Line 311 and other cherry blossom tree planting organizations.
And currently, they are selling limited edition products at the Tokyu Department Store. A portion of the proceeds will be used to help the Sakura Line 311's activities.
Search:
For each person who searches the word, "3.11", on Yahoo! on March 11, Yahoo! will donate 10 yen to organizations including the Sakura Line 311, who are helping the region get back on its feet.
In Japan, the graduation season is right around the corner. Japanese elementary students have special school bags, which they will no longer need when they start attending junior high schools. These bags are packed full of 6 years of memories. But what did you do with yours after you graduated?
Since 2004, the NGO JOICFP, which protects the rights of pregnant women and women in general in developing countries, has begun to accept donations of these memorable school bags. Once again this year, you can donate your school bags from March 10 to May 31.
The donated school bags will be sent mainly to Afghanistan and used to promote education of children, especially girls, who do not have access to education.
Afghanistan suffered from internal conflict for 23 years, until 2001. Many schools were destroyed during the war, and they do not have enough teachers, so many children are still not receiving education. Because the Taliban had banned education for girls, 87% of girls over 15 years of age cannot read or write. Moreover, many girls get married as young as 12, 13, bear children and some even lose their lives during childbirth (Afghanistan has the highest maternal death in childbirth). If girls could learn to read and write, they will be able to read information about health and hygiene, and better protect themselves and their children.
The school bags are unique in shape and color in Afghanistan, so they soon became a symbol of this movement, of children who received donations and began going to school. Even parents who weren't very open to their children attending school at first began to want their children to go to school with those bags. Receiving these school bags opens the door to education for many children. These school bags may have reached the end of their usefulness in Japan, but they can provide a great opportunity for change to the children of Afghanistan.
In 11 years, from 2004 to 2014, 143,701 bags have been donated to Afghanistan. But there are still many children who are waiting for school bags. If you have school bags that are lying dormant in your closet, why not send them in and help children in Afghanistan go to school.
For more information about donating and distributing school bags, please take a look at the JOICFP staff blog, school bag category, and on Facebook.
*When donating school bags, please also pay for the international shipping fee of 1,800 yen.
*You can also include school supplies with the bags (please only send brand new supplies. For a list of supplies you can send, click here).
*You can also just donate school supplies. Please click here for details.
*For religious reasons we cannot donate bags made out of pigskin. Click here for ways to check to see if your bag is made of pigskin.
People who subscribe to this service at 2,980 yen (shipping fees not included) will receive a monthly delivery of the "theme of the month produce/products." Their very first issue, the November issue, will be on gibier or game meat. Overpopulation of deer in hilly and mountainous areas of Japan is causing serious damage to the regions farming activities. In light of this fact, the inaugural issue will feature stew, curry, and hamburger made from deer meat. Subscribers will also receive a report on the subject as well as respective political issues with the products. Mr. Masuzawa, the representative of this organization, explains, "Whether they're eating by themselves or with their friends and family, I hope people will enjoy the food, and also that the food will also get them thinking about political issues."
During his years as an undergrad, Mr. Masuzawa worked as a volunteer for a political campaign in his home prefecture, Nagano, and found that "politics influences many lives," and "although people don't tend to voice their opinions, they do have them, and if given the chance, they will share their thoughts." After he graduated, Mr. Masuzawa began to focus more and more on bringing the Internet and politics together, so he helped launch the "ONE VOICE CAMPAIGN," which helped lift the ban the use of the Internet for election campagins in 2013, and the web service "FIRST STEP," which uses SNSs to encourage people to vote. In the recent Tokyo gubernatorial elections, he worked on the candidate, Kazuma Ieiri's campaign to draft for the first time in Japanese history, a manifesto reflecting opinions from 30,000 tweets.
Through these initiatives, Mr. Masuzawa felt that "movements created on the web can grow rapidly, but because they are far removed from actual experiences, they're often temporary and die down eventually." In order to encourage people to regularly think about politics, he decided to focus on "food." Japanese people are real food enthusiasts. And Mr. Masuzawa had heard often from politicians he's come to know that they don't have many opportunities to promote local produce. Moreover, food is an important, fundamental part of everyone's lives. Although at a glance, food and politics do not seem to be too closely related, he began to think that they were actually very compatible.
The ultimate objective of Eating Politics is to urge the younger generation to take part in politics. Since the end of 2012, the voting rate for the general elections of the House of Representatives among people in their 20s fell to 37.89%, even below the already low rates of the previous generation. Mr. Masuzawa describes these rates as follows: "Ironically, the percentage of people who want to contribute to society is the highest, at 80%, among people in their 20s. Perhaps there aren't enough programs that allow these young people to act on their feelings. That is how I am beginning to feel." Food is a relatable subject for all, and such a sharable theme, so it may have the power to bring together the hopes of the younger generation to contribute to society and awareness for political participation. With this hope in mind, Mr. Masuzawa will continue to introduce topics such as "agricultural boom among the youth," "delicious emergency foods" that focuses on disaster prevention, "restoration" after earthquakes, "TPP," and special features leading up to the nationwide local elections in April next year.
You will have a chance to win the November issue gibier set if you click on the "like" button on the Eating Politics' Facebook page before the 26th of this month, so don't miss out!
Nowadays, there are more fair trade products and products that donate part of the proceeds to good causes available, so consumers have greater options to choose from, but until recently, there were no websites that specialized in introducing these products. So some of you may have had difficulties trying to get information about what products to purchase and how these products contribute to society.
The web production company, Tact, realized that it was difficult for consumers to get their hands on information that they needed to make such socially responsible purchase decisions. So they launched a new website, "buycott," on September 18, 2014 where consumers can access information about products that contribute to society, where users can post their reviews about socially conscious products they've tested.
"buycott" is a word created to mean the opposite of boycott; it means to show your support by purchasing. "buycott" has successfully bridged the distance between consumers who want to contribute to society and companies that want to share their activities with a wider audience. By providing key information, this website is helping consumers make purchases that contribute to society.
Information is introduced in 10 categories like CAFE, FOOD, LIFE, and FASHION. Some of the products being introduced include "Chicken Ramen (instant noodles)" that help provide school lunches to children in developing countries and "Gogo No Kocha (bottled English tea)," which contributes to farming activities in tea growing regions.
We often make purchase decisions based on prices and convenience, but why not take a look on "buycott" and make choices based on other factors?
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The Great East Japan Earthquake forced us to rethink our energy issues. In its aftermath, the Japanese government began promoting "Zero Net Energy Homes." These homes combine energy-savings with renewable energy to offset energy consumption with energy generation and enhanced energy efficiency.
Take solar power generation systems and electric vehicles, for example. By working together, these systems, which are already being implemented, create energy for charging EV batteries, but in case of emergencies, the batteries can be used to supply energy. Having said that, due to the delay in widespread adoption of EVs and high battery costs, these systems have yet to be widely installed.
Against this backdrop, the incorporated NPO, "Sending Storage Batteries to People without Access to Electricity" has launched very interesting initiatives. They promote independent power generation (which doesn't rely on utility companies, and encourages energy self-sufficiency) in developing countries and in Japan using "revived batteries."
Mr. Ichiro Suzuki, the representative of this NPO, learned about the technology that revives used batteries from Mr. Katsuo Okada, the "Battery Professor," who has studied lead storage batteries for 40 years. If done well, used batteries may be given another life at low costs.
Last year, Mr. Suzuki and his team began conducting surveys in Kenya to launch an electrification project that uses batteries revived with this technology. Approximately 30 million people in Kenya, and 600 million people across Africa live without electricity. By providing revived batteries to areas without electricity these people will have light as well as power to charge their mobile phones.
It's not only the developing countries that need these revived batteries, however. Three and a half years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake. So the batteries of solar street lamps donated to afflicted areas have begun to deteriorate. Learning about this situation, Mr. Suzuki and his team decided to use the crowd funding service to launch the project, "Revived Batteries for Afflicted Areas in Miyagi/Higashi Matsushima," to provide revived batteries to these areas.
Mr. Suzuki explained that in Japan, many batteries are being disposed of as waste. "But these batteries can still be used. If revived batteries become more widespread, this may help alleviate the energy issues our world faces today. I urge individuals, corporations, and organizations to donate their batteries so that areas without access to electricity will be able to generate energy independently."
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In the opening ceremony, a local children's chorus in the Koagiro region, and an opera singer from neighboring city Yokosuka, performed after ribbon cutting. Participants then took a walk along the valley or the seaside and tidal flat to observe the nature. On the seaside and tidal flat course, participants walked along a path, listing to the bullfrog's croaking from the pond and observing the fiddler crabs (uca lacteal) and sand bubbler crabs (Scopimera globosa) that were busily waving their claws on the sand beach facing the inlet. All over the mud flat, there were tiny mud balls left after dotillid crabs (Ilyoplax pusilla) ate, and crabs were darting in and out of small holes. The gatherings for observing red-clawed crabs releasing their larvae zoeas on this mud flat are held on the night of the spring tide form July to August.
Along the walk, we could hear the chirp of cicadas and the song of the Japanese bush warbler and see black kites hovering overhead the dense green forest and various kinds of dragonflies flying in the valley below. As a rich ecosystem protected despite its location in a metropolitan area, the Forest of Koajiro needs to be passed on to future generations.
Good Aging Yells is an incorporated non-profit organization that undertakes a wide range of initiatives to help create a society that is more comfortable for LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) people. Every summer, they operate the "Colorful Café" in Hayamacho, Kanagawa Prefecture, and they launched an LGBT friendly share house, the "Colorful House," and a running event called the "Colorful Run" in 2013.
And as their next project, they opened Japan's first LGBT friendly complex facility - "Colorful Station" - on May 17 in Jingumae, Shibuya with the hopes of creating an LGBT friendly town. On the first floor of this Colorful Station you will find an Asian café, "irodori." The second floor is an LGBT friendly community space, "FLAT," and there is also a gallery space that takes advantage of the walls in the facility. The Colorful Station is co-operated with K.K. New Canvas. Mr. Fumino Sugiyama, the president of New Canvas, who is dedicated to creating a new platform for all to express individuality, is a former athlete of the Japan women's national fencing team and author of the novel, "Double Happiness" in which he discusses his personal experience with gender identity disorder.
At the Asian café, "irodori," you will find a rainbow colored flag, which represents the LGBT movement, but other than that, you will not find any materials in the relaxing woody environment that explains the concept. Mr. Sugiyama said, "We wanted to change society's awareness by creating a nice café that had great food, that was open to everyone, that just happened to have LGBT staff working there." This café created with the desire to attract all kinds of people regardless of age, sexuality, or nationality also features a homemade wooden chair for kids and a children's book corner making it comfortable for families with children as well. But many people also simply come for the delicious food featuring menus like keema curry with lots of coriander.
"In today's society, the word 'minority' is often used simply because people are different from the majority, making their lives harder. If you're an LGBT, it can even be difficult getting a job. Being an LGBT and poverty is still interconnected. If there is more work available, life will become easier, so at irodori, we try to provide opportunities for work" explained Mr. Sugiyama.
There are so many different types of people now, but policies and systems in place in Japan have not kept up with this diversity. Numerous western countries have policies in place for same sex marriages and ensure such couples have rights, but Japan's policies, on the other hand, is in need for a reform. But what perhaps is first and foremost important is for each and every one of us, regardless of whether we are LGBT or not, to recognize that "it is only natural to be different." irodori helps us realize this. So if you happen to be in the area, please stop by.
When you were little, did you ever not want to go to the bathroom at school because you felt embarrassed?
Or have you ever felt relieved to be alone.
Toilets have made our lives more hygienic and more comfortable. Nowadays, there are heated toilet seats, and we can go about our lives without even having to look at excrement. I'm sure some of you enjoy cleansing with the warm water spray.
But if we look across the world, only a small handful of people are enjoying a hygienic, comfortable lifestyle with clean toilets. There are approximately 2.5 billion people across the world living without toilets. One in four people living in developing countries defecate outdoors.
But when people defecate in the open, they are actually polluting their water source from where they get their drinking water. Defecating in the open poses additional problems for women. Because they need more privacy, they become more and more reluctant to go out, and there are many little girls who can't go to school for this very reason.
That is why new ideas for toilets are necessary.
This summer, a special exhibition on "Toilet!? Human Waste & Earth's Future" is being held at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (from July 2 to October 5, 2014) in collaboration with a children's science magazine, which encouraged people to submit their ideas for new toilets.
Around the world, toilets are continuing to evolve. For example, there are toilets that can be used in water scarce regions, toilets that can finds new use for urine and excrement, toilets with innovative shapes, and toilets for people who are physically challenged.
[Innovations for waste management]
In developing countries, many areas do not have sewage systems, so excrement and urine flow directly into rivers causing epidemics.
To address this issue, a new toilet that does not require sewage infrastructure was invented. This toilet collects urine and excrement separately, and reuses them. Urine, which is nutrient-rich, can be diluted and used as liquid fertilizer. Excrement can also be transformed into fertilizer by mixing it with ash and sanitizing it over a period of 6 months. Excrement and urine can be safely returned to earth in a way that benefits plants.
So this toilet offers 3 key solutions - improves hygiene thereby reducing infectious diseases, creates fertilizer that increases crop yields, and reduces spending on chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Urine and excrement, which was thought of as waste, can now become part of the cycle where "fertilizer" helps "grow plants" that "people eat."
[Innovations for toilet shapes]
During the Heian period in Japan, princesses wore 12-layered kimonos, and their hair was very long, trailing behind them as they walked. They also used portable wooden toilets known as "okebako." These toilets contained sand or ash inside for deodorization.
In Europe, there were chair-shaped toilets, which were used as regular chairs when not being used as toilets.
Portable toilets still exist today. For example, there are portable toilets for people who are receiving nursing care at home. These toilets also feature numerous ingenious functions. For instance, at a touch of a button, the armrests on the toilet descend making it easier to move from the bed to the toilet. And by using springs, toilet lids may be opened without applying much force.
Portable toilets are also very useful in times of emergency. After the Great East Japan Earthquake, sewage systems in the affected areas were disrupted. And in areas where power outages persisted, many people were afraid to go to temporary toilets. Nowadays, mothers with small children use portable toilets at home.
[Innovations for bathrooms]
Sen no Rikyu, known as having had the most profound influence on the Japanese art of tea ceremony and as an excellent provider of hospitality, was also very interested in toilets. He developed a new toilet, Suna-secchin for the warlord, Hideyoshi Toyotomi, which resembled a beautiful rock garden with small boulders and gravel.
The bathroom environment continues to evolve both in terms of comfort and functionality. Bathrooms in schools are brighter and cleaner, and even fun to use. Some have large mirrors, shelves for your belongings, and the walls and floors are painted in fun colors.
Multi-purpose toilets in public facilities are also equipped with numerous functions convenient for a wide range of people like mothers and fathers with babies or physically challenged people. So innovations for toilets come in all shapes and sizes. Why not download an application and submit your unique ideas for toilets? (Deadline is July 30). Best ideas from all the concepts submitted will be showcased at the special exhibition on "Toilet!? Human Waste & Earth's Future" to be held at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (from July 2 to October 5, 2014).
It's not necessarily wrong to buy cheap, fashionable clothing. But it's important to wonder how such low prices can be sustained and what kind of conditions these clothes are made in, just like we care about where our food comes from and how it's made. To raise people's awareness for fair trade, Ms. Momoko Miyahara, who currently resides in the Setagaya ward, self published the book, "Mukli's Rainbow T-shirt - A Story About Fair Trade" in May of this year. Ms. Miyahara, now a mother of two who worked at the fair trade brand, "People Tree," explained that to realize low prices, "People in factories are forced to accept poor working conditions. Consumers have the power to change this. I created this illustrated book so children can learn about the situation in a fun and easy way."
The lead character of the story wants to make a large rainbow colored T-shirt. He heads towards the neighboring town in search of someone who could help him, where he discovers the "black factory" and the "white factory." People at the "black factory" tells him, "We can make your T-shirt for a very low price in just 3 days!" and people at the "white factory" says, "It'll take 3 weeks because we make our T-shirts with hand-woven organic cotton fabric," and it would cost twice as much. Unable to make a decision, Mukli decides to visit each factory to see what lies behind these prices.
A lot of pesticides are used on the black factory's cotton plantation, and the workers in the factory look very ill. And they are forced to work day and night. At this factory Mukli met a young girl, Maya, who couldn't attend school because she had to work. On the other hand, at the "white factory," the workers looked happy and proud of the work they were doing. So which factory did Mukli choose? And what happens to Maya? Children may read the story with butterflies in their stomach, and even begin to think about how the clothes they're wearing was made.
Ms. Arisa Yoshiuchi of the Ochanomizu University Senior High School, who has incorporated ethical fashion in the home economics consumer education curriculum, explained how education has had a positive effect. "Young people have flexible minds capable of accepting new knowledge and experiences. They may not necessarily be interested in fashion, but they have shown interest in the ethical aspect. We believe that it's important to offer opportunities for them to learn about ethical issues during the early stages of their lives."
The ability of clothes made in a happy environment to make other people happy - Mukli also discovers this in the story. I believe fair trade is fundamentally supported by the social conscience of consumers. And I hope that through this book, mothers and fathers will provide opportunities for children, who have receptive minds, before they even reach high school at a much younger age, to learn about the ethics behind fashion.
]]>Japan's Ministry of the Environment has embarked on a mission to stop the slaughter of abandoned cats and dogs. This project, which hopes to create a society where people and animals can live happily, was launched in November of 2013. People may want pets because they are cute and cuddly, but often times, they are unable to take full responsibility, so they abandon them or take them to animal welfare centers where, if no one comes for them, these animals are put to death by gassing. Pet shops and breeders who abandon pets if they're unable to sell them for a profit are also treating precious life very carelessly and without respect. These are issues Japan, a country said to have poor awareness for animal rights and welfare, currently faces.
Thanks to the dedication of local governments and NPOs in recent years, some of these animals have been returned to their homes or have found new homes, but nearly 80% of cats and dogs that are abandoned at the animal welfare centers, or approximately 162,000 animals are killed each year. This is an inexcusable number of lives. Citing the movie, "7 Days of a Sunflower and a Puppy," Mr. Hideki Makihara, the Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of the Environment who is in charge of this project, described the pain and suffering of the civil servants, who must work in these animal welfare centers.
The Ministry of the Environment has been making preparations and held numerous discussions in order to help alleviate this situation and ultimately stop the slaughter of cats and dogs. But the key to the success of this project lies in the owners and their sense of responsibility. The ministry will draft measures and publish a detailed plan in June.
As part of these activities, the Ministry of the Environment launched on the 10th of April this year a website that helps owners find information about pets they have lost, or information about cats and dogs you can adopt. This website will help connect people across Japan, who want to find their pets or would like to adopt a pet. There are local governments that even provide photographs. I can't help but hope that the cats and dogs that look truly sad in these photographs will find a permanent, loving home.
By the way, Tokyo has launched the "TOKYO ZERO Campaign" on May 13. This campaign aims to completely stop the slaughter of cats and dogs by Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. I hope that these initiatives will help change our society for the better.
]]>In the fashion industry, low pricing and short product lifecycles have become prevalent, so people and even in many cases children in countries that manufacture these products like Bangladesh and China are forced to work for unfairly low wages, long hours, and in unsafe, hazardous environments. I'm sure it's still fresh in your memory, but only about a year ago, on April 24, 2013, a garment factory building in Bangladesh collapsed and over 1,100 people died.
We've begun to see words like "ethical," "eco," "fair trade," "organic," "sustainable," and "guilt free" in the fashion industry. But many consumers may not have a concrete image of what this all means.
On May 10, a one-day school that teaches people about various aspects of ethical fashion, the "Ethical Fashion College" opened (located at the IID Setagaya Manufacturing School). The subject on opening day was "cotton" and this year, the World Fair Trade Day was on the same day, so it really was a perfect day to start thinking about ethical fashion. The school is organized by the denim brand, "Lee," that has been committed to organic materials and fair trade, and ACE (Action against Child Exploitation), a non-governmental, NPO based in Japan that addresses the issue of child labor around the world, and the classes welcome the fair trade brand, "People Tree," and an organization that encourages girls to take action, "Over the Rainbow," fashion journalist Ms. Yoshiko Ikoma, and other companies, organizations, and individuals promoting ethical fashion. The school also offers workshops that provide opportunities to experience tie-dying, yarn spinning, working with fabrics, as well as other enjoyable programs like fashion shows, movies, and yoga.
Spending time at this school may change the way you choose your clothing.
A message from Mr. Hidekazu Hosokawa (Lee Japan), the principal of the Ethical Fashion College.
On February 27, ARTS for HOPE organized an exhibition and briefing session on its activities at the 3331 Arts Chiyoda, an art center built in an renovated school located in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. This organization, which we've introduced in one of our news articles in the past, began organizing art projects immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake at temporary housing, day-care centers, kindergartens, etc. By organizing over 300 projects, ARTS for HOPE has helped bring smiles and hope to many people.
Soon after the earthquake, they organized projects for people of the region such as the Happy Doll Project, which encouraged people to engage with one another while creating cute dolls, and the Happy Painting Project, which helped children open up emotionally and physically by having them draw and paint on a large canvas big enough to cover the entire floor. Initially their activities had focused on projects that had a great healing power that could be held anywhere. But as the Tohoku region began to recover, they started to organize bigger, more participative projects like an overnight Art Camp with children from, for example, Miyagi, Iwate, and Fukushima prefectures and Art Renovation projects at children's centers, parks, and indoor parks.
In the beginning, the project was more like a caravan run by the representative, Ms. Masako Takahashi, and a few staff, but in the last 3 years, they have gained more supporters including large, renowned companies. Now there are branches in Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima, and 550 volunteers help organize activities day to day.
It has been 3 years since the catastrophic disaster. So far over 14,000 people have taken part in these projects, and the staff have traveled nearly 1.4 times around the Earth. Having said that, recovery is still underway in afflicted regions, and people's hurts have yet to heal. Helping recovery is an endless endeavor. The staff at ARTS for HOPE will continue to deliver smiles and hope to people in afflicted areas.
*If you didn't get to go to the exhibit and briefing session, you can take a look at the report (pdf) from here, or please watch the video.
]]>"Hackathon," derived from the words "hack" and "marathon," has become a familiar term in the IT world, but it is still a relatively new word for the rest of the world. "Hacking" can refer to illegally accessing someone's computer, but initially it didn't have a negative connotation. It simply referred to computer savvy people who wrote programs and created software and hardware. And a hackathon is a marathon like event in which hackers get together to compete against each other on one specific theme. In many cases, hackers propose various ideas for the chosen theme, and then each team works on a software or hardware and presents the end product. Often times team get into heated debates and work all through the night, so it's very demanding, but it's also very creative and inspirational - discovering new ideas and working together.
This event was hosted by the World Bank. You may think, why the World Bank? But the World Bank provides funds to developing countries, and it believes that it's important to use knowledge about disaster prevention, so that it may be integrated into development plans and investment programs. The "Tokyo Disaster Risk Management Hub" was recently established to take advantage of the expertise Japan has. And ever since the former Chief Executive of the World Bank, Mr. Robert Zoellick announced the "Open Data Initiative" in 2010, the World Bank has promoted the free and open access to data. Many documents that were subject to fees in the past are now available to all free of charge. And now they have launched "The Developing World x Disaster Response and Prevention" program to promote the active use of such data.
Despite the heavy snow, many pre-registered participants came to take part in this event held at Tokyo University's Komaba Research Campus. People from all generations, nationalities, genders, and from different fields took part in the 2-day hackathon to debate over and develop software and hardware useful in preventing and reducing disasters in developing countries. To support this intensive and lengthy contest, sponsors provided refreshments like pizza and energy drinks. This is another aspect of the contest that makes hackathons so much fun.
On the afternoon of the second day, the teams presented prototypes of their ideas and the judging took place. Each team researched in advance what products, technologies, and communication tools developing countries really need, narrowed down their choices, and created a working prototype that could be made from cheap, accessible materials. The prototypes ranged from a measuring instrument, alarm system, game, filming equipment, radio stations, to maps, and more.
Out of 16 teams, 1 team, who created the web application, "Save the Baby" won and secured a ticket to the global contest. Many mother-child health books with vaccination and growth records were lost to the tsunami in the Great East Japan Earthquake, so this application aims to digitize such records. In developing countries, phones are the most accessible device, so these records can be entered into the system using phones by following the audio guidance, and the system also lets you confirm the safety of mothers and their babies.
Pioneering initiatives undertaken by the large international institution, World Bank, and the ideas presented by innovative hackers have begun to gradually bear fruit. We may soon see these ideas hard at work in times of disasters.
Kumamoto also hosted the "8th International Fair Trade Towns Conference" from March 28th to the 30th. This is the first time that this conference was held in a non-European city. People from all corners of the world came together to discuss how fair trade towns are doing and where they should be heading. Alongside the conference, fairs allowing producers from Asia and Africa to introduce their products, fashion shows, student councils, playing card competitions, and many other events were held. On 25th and 26th of March, the Fair Trade International Symposium was also held in Tokyo, providing a platform for representatives from different countries to talk about fair trade and fair trade towns. General public were also able to take part in these conferences.
In Japan, citizens in Nagoya, Sapporo, Zushi, Utsunomiya, Ichinomiya, etc. are working hard to become fair trade towns. There are also hopes that this conference held in Japan will spur this movement in other Asian countries. London, the world's largest fair trade town provided fair trade coffee, tea, and other products at all venues of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Tokyo will be hosting the Games in 2020, and I hope that Tokyo will have become a fair trade town by then, and be able to organize an ethical Olympic Games.
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