Friday, September 28, 2007
2HJ t-shirts finally available!
Be the first in your neighborhood to wear a stylish 2HJ t-shirt!
The front of the shirt bears 2HJ’s logo, the “rice man.” The back shows our website address and tells the world what we stand for: Food for all people.
Price: 2,000 yen
Sizes: S, M, L
Color: White
Stop by and pick one up at our office, or send an e-mail to to order! While you’re at it, why not add a neat 2HJ magnet to your order?
(Be sure to specify size, quantity, and shipping address.)
Monday, September 24, 2007
Reaching out to Japan’s hidden poor
I recently read a book* about the situation of Japan’s working poor. It contained the stories of a young person living in an Internet cafe and unable to improve his situation no matter how he tries, a single mother with several part-time jobs raising two children and getting only four hours of sleep a day, and a married couple over eighty years old but still unable to receive their pension, forced to collect cans instead. The book was based on a television program, which I imagine many people saw.
We at Second Harvest Japan have made it our mission to provide food to those living in financial poverty. Most people interpret this as “supporting the homeless.” This is not necessarily incorrect, but harsh financial conditions are a reality for many who are not homeless as well, and supporting those people makes up the majority of our operations. In fact, we hope to extend the reach of our support to such people even further.
Government reports place the number of homeless people at approximately 25,000 (Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare survey). This figure alone would be impossible to ignore. Consider, however, that roughly 440,000 seniors are said to be unable to receive their pension (Social Insurance Agency survey, 2004). There are also 1,230,000 households headed by single mothers, more than 80% of whom hold jobs, but the average yearly income of which is 2,250,000 yen. (Some single mothers make little more than 1,000,000 yen annually, despite holding two part-time jobs.) Homeless people may still live in the most obviously unforgiving conditions, but the absolute majority of Japan’s poor are far less visible—even “hidden.” Hearing the voices of those suffering outside the public eye and finding ways to connect them with support networks are the challenges we now face.
From this November until the end of the year, Second Harvest Japan will be working in partnership with Curves Japan to hold a nationwide food drive. The direct target recipients of the project will be this hidden majority of Japan’s poor. It is my hope that we will be able to use this project as an opportunity to begin creating a nationwide network of local facilities from which those without food security can easily obtain the food they need.
Writer: Yusuke Wada, 2HJ Resource Coordinator
*NHK Special “Working Poor” Program Crew (2007) Working Poor: The Sickness Undermining Japan, Tokyo: Poplar Publishing Co.
Link to News story »Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Harvest News: 2007 Summer Issue
Harvest News, Second Harvest Japan’s newsletter, contains stories and information related to 2HJ and food banking in Japan. Download this color version to share with friends, family, and coworkers!
Contents for the 2007 summer issue include:
-Delivering food to women and children
-Coordinator Jason Kueh
-Going to bed fed
-Global FoodBanking Network
-Morgan Stanley and 2HJ
-Food banker for a day
-2HJ news bites
Click to view Harvest News 2007 Summer [PDF: 601 KB]
Link to News story »Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Morgan Stanley and 2HJ: A different kind of long-term investment
It is with these terms that the relationship between 2HJ Japan and Morgan Stanley in Japan could be described best. 2HJ was in its early days, and Morgan Stanley Japan was setting up its local Corporate Responsibility and Volunteering program, when a then-employee—Yumiko Yamada—suggested 2HJ as a partnering organization for the program to the company’s executives.
No sooner said than done—and ever since, Morgan Stanley has been a reliable and supportive pillar of 2HJ’s donor base, and has demonstrated on multiple occasions that beyond being a donor, they are a facilitator of opportunities, as the following examples illustrate:
Highlights of Morgan Stanley’s contributions
[1] Source: http://www.fitforcharity.org/home-en.htm
A memorable highlight in the relationship was on the occasion of waste disposal—of sorts. Morgan Stanley had just bought a Kyoto hotel, which was to be refurbished from its foundations, so the company had to get rid of the entire interior. While most things were destined for disposal, some items, including industrial sized kitchen gear, beds, and blankets, were still in too good a condition, and called to be put to a second use.
The beds and blankets have gone to welfare agencies served by 2HJ, which in turn have shared them with their registered clients. And the industrial-sized pots from the hotel’s kitchen have gained new popularity and are now indispensable items each time we get ready to serve the 500+ homeless people that week after week patiently line up for a warm meal at our Ueno Park soup kitchen.
Writer: Pamela Ravasio
Link to News story »Tuesday, July 31, 2007
2HJ delivers food to women and children
Among the various recipients of 2HJ food deliveries, there is a privately run shelter for women and children. This shelter admits female victims of domestic violence or human trafficking as well as women who have become homeless due to various circumstances. Because of the imminent danger of relentless pursuit by their husbands, it is not possible to disclose the shelter’s address, name, or other details.
The shelter mother, a talented cook, prepares a nutritious meal three times a day. Depending on what she receives from 2HJ’s fortnightly delivery, she comes up with a custom tailored menu. If for example she receives the same vegetable in large quantities, she uses techniques such as pickling to guarantee that not a single item is wasted.
“We can afford the daily groceries we need, but thanks to 2HJ we are able to provide a more diverse menu,” a staff member explains. Furthermore, for institutions like this one, that rarely receive any government support and rely heavily on members’ donations to keep operating, “Being able to save tens of thousands of yen on our monthly food budget really helps us a lot. Instead, we can spend that money on baby formula, diapers, and other items.”
Here, food is a means of support not only to the body, but also to the minds of the sheltered. Whether they were restricted by a violent husband or by financial hardship, many of them had not been free to eat what they liked best for a long time. “They look beyond happy,” says the staff, “to have so much food in front of them and to be told, ‘It’s your choice. Eat whatever you like.’”
The shelter’s “graduates,” i.e., those who find an apartment and start an independent life, can choose to take part in 2HJ`s Harvest Pantry, which sends them urgently needed food items through a parcel delivery service. Since almost all of them are living their lives relying on public welfare, food is something a single mother with growing kids is always “grateful to receive—every little bit helps.”
Additionally, Fujimamas, a restaurant located in Omotesando, prepares a free meal once a week for the women living in the shelter. A 2HJ volunteer picks the meals up and delivers them without failure, even during New Year’s or Obon. The women are all happily looking forward to this weekly event and wondering, “What kind of dinner will we get today?”
From the staff’s explanations, I have come to realize that food is not only something that fills one’s stomach: For these women, who have encountered hard experiences, food is also a modest support that encourages them to recover their dignity and independence.
Writer: Etsuko Ohara
Photo: Patricia Decker
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