Thursday, September 10, 2009
Movie Screening
The documentary “Sour Strawberries – Japan’s hidden guest workers” was shot in March 2008 by a German-Japanese film crew in Tokyo. The movie shows migrants fighting for their rights as workers and citizens. The persons concerned are always at the centre of interest. While describing their situation, they are the protagonists of the movie. Contains interviews with NJ workers on their treatment, with input from people like migration expert Dr Gabriele Vogt, Dietmember Kouno Taro, Keidanren policymaker Inoue Hiroshi, labor rights leader Torii Ippei, Dietmember Tsurunen Marutei, and activist Arudou Debito, who gives us an animated tour of “Japanese Only” signs in Kabukicho.
http://www.debito.org/?page_id=1672
Link to News story »Wednesday, September 09, 2009
「LIVING WITH ART アートと食の共演」
An Evening of Fine Art and Fine Dining
For Charity Benefit for Second Harvest Japan http://www.2hj.org
Silent Auction of 12 Artworks
DATE Tuesday, September 15 18:00-21:00
VENUE Mario i sentieri
Nishi Azabu 4-1-10 Minato-ku 03-6418-7072
Price Y 11,500 paid by September 10, Y 12,500 at door
RSVP by September 10 (080-3150-3610)
Info 080-3150-3610 / http://www.theasiancollection.com
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Voices from Saturday Volunteers
“The program is accessible and it is easy for first-time participants to join the activities because each shift is about 120 minutes long.”
“May hat’s off to staff members and volunteers for their constant outdoor work regardless of weather, even in the rain!”
“”I felt the activities were very practical. By providing a new route for excessive products and building unprecedented links between suppliers and consumers, 2HJ activities can be seen as a business model as well as an economic activity. Sometimes volunteering is too skewed to “aid the poor” based on idealism, but it was wonderful for me to be able to volunteer without expecting any gratitude from the people who were helped since the 2HJ program is clearly a part of economic activities.”
“Time went by so fast because I was having so much fun. At Ueno park people receive the food with such beautiful smiles and as I watched the people hold the food so preciously, I couldn’t help but reflect on myself and how I can be so wasteful at times. I also had so much fun getting to know the other volunteers. Although I came in with the mindset of ‘giving time’, it seemed like in the end, I gained more from the experience than being able to give.”
“My perspective on the homeless changed entirely. Before, I used to think to myself, ‘the homeless are people who have nothing to do with me’. However, now I realize that the homeless are all humans who live in the same society, the same way I do.”
“Before, I used to distance myself from volunteerism as I never had such a positive impression of it, imagining it to be somewhat dull. However, at Second Harvest their work is so concise and simple and the people so lighthearted. More importantly, there lies a fundamental feeling of care that vibrates amongst the people there.”
“I think it is beautiful that there are so many people supporting the activities of Second Harvest. I thought to myself that I could see the world slowly becoming a better place.”
“I think that when people think of the word ‘volunteerism’, many imagine a world of difficulty and self-giving, a world reluctant to go near because of the fear of not being able to break away. Granted, there are such worlds out there but the environment of volunteering at Second Harvest is nothing like that. At Second Harvest, I think they are aiming to create a world that is ‘large and welcoming’ instead of what people tend to imagine the world of volunteerism as which is ‘deep and limited’”.
“The concept of giving help to all people in need is difficult and with such broad intentions it is also hard to find people who want to be supportive and involved. It is thus inevitable that such world of volunteerism is being reduced when the intentions are so distant and unimaginable. Instead, having the sentiment of ‘change being something that results from every body giving just a little’ will surely increase the number of supporters and will strengthen this world of volunteerism.”
“I think that it is clever that Second Harvest divides the activities into three shifts, giving the volunteers the choice of when they want to work. I am very content with my weekends whenever I help with the activities. Providing such volunteer opportunities is a rather new and modern concept and I was impressed by the balance and stability that Second Harvest is able to sustain.”
“From the perspective of a business that is a donor of Second Harvest, I have always been impressed by their professionalism—they take their time to preserve and protect the image of the companies they receive donations from, the soup kitchen is run under a solid and effective system, and all recipients at the soup kitchen are registered in an organized manner.”
“Everything was a new experience for me and I became so captivated that I can’t really put into words what I experienced yet. However, I did feel that there was no sense of ‘giving and receiving’, but rather, every body simply doing what they were meant to be doing.”
“To be honest, I was simply astounded by the amount of ‘unneeded’ food there was. When people thanked me when they received the food, there was only one thought that came to my mind: ‘thank you for receiving this precious food that was going to go to waste otherwise’. It is ironic to be thanked in situations like this, as I wanted to thank them for letting me be able to enjoy and be content with every second of my time there.”
“Food demand and supply ratio, waste ratio, unemployment, poverty, homelessness, and ‘net café refugees’—on one hand, these words describe the realities of communities of people living at the edge of society. However, on the other hand, there are crowded department stores, expensive foods, high-end brands, an entirely different side of the same society that exists in Japan today. My experience at Second Harvest was an opportunity for me to finally face the reality of the unfairness and hidden despair that exists in society and has become a starting point for me to give thought to the current situation in Japan.”
Link to News story »Volunteer Interview No.2
For the second interview of our series of Volunteer to Volunteer Interviews, Watanabe-sensei talks to Friday morning participant, Cylinda Marquart about her interests in cooking and Second Harvest Japan.
Q: Why are you interested in Food banking?
A: I like food banks because I don’t like wasted food. Watching the news at night we hear about food shortages all over the world, while in developed countries we have so much food that we are throwing it away. Food banks are one way to make sure that we make good use of our resources and spread around our wealth to those who need a hand. As a child, my family and I helped out at soup kitchens for the homeless. Everyone was full of smiles and gratitude as they served and shared a meal together. At university, I’d often have “The Dollar Lunch” at a church across the street from my school. The church received food donations from local supermarkets and food distributors and cooked cheap, delicious and nutritious lunches for college students and the poor. No one was ashamed to be eating a cheap lunch, but instead they were happy that the food wasn’t being thrown away. In the last few years I’ve gotten involved with “Share Our Strength” an American food bank that wants to eradicate childhood hunger in the US. http://strength.org/
Q: Food seems to be really important to you; did something growing up make you feel this way?
A: I come from a multi-cultural family that includes French, German and Chinese. Because of my father’s work we often met other families from different countries. With so many different cultures, the one ‘universal language’ people could share was food. There would be parties with people eating American-style fried chicken and potato salad, next to Korean kimichi and German sauerkraut. I’ve seen pictures of my third birthday party, and I’m eating sushi. Food was also important to me because it was the only way I could communicate with my maternal grandmother, who is from Hong Kong. Through her very complex and elaborate Cantonese-style cooking, I had my first gourmet experience.
Q: Tell us about your time in Japan and thoughts about the food culture here.
A: I moved to Japan from Taiwan, where I had been working in publishing and broadcasting. My life had been quite fast-paced and marrying and moving to rural Fukuoka gave me time to slow down. My first friend was my neighbor who brought me vegetables from her hatake (field) and home-style Japanese food like nikku jagga and tsukemono. Ikeda-san’s food was all organic, seasonal and of course, locally-grown. Because of Ikeda-san’s perfect ingredients and all the care she took in growing vegetables I became more and more inspired to put the same kind of energy into my cooking. Ikeda-san’s secret ingredient was ‘love’; it was the same love I tasted in my grandmother’s cooking and also what I try to bring to my vegetable chopping at 2HJ.
Q: What do you do at 2HJ?
A: About two or three times a month I join the Friday morning cooking crew in chopping vegetables and preparing the ingredients for Saturday’s meal distribution. From time to time I’ll bring friends to 2HJ so they can practice their cooking skills, too. The mornings go by very quickly as we stand around the tables chopping and laughing, telling stories and adding that special ingredient to all of our cooking.
Cylinda is a writer & editor that has been living in Japan for five years. Last year she started food consulting and a personal chef service. Check out her blog of recipes and food philosophies at: http://lovesoupcooks.typepad.com/
Please read other voices from Saturday volunteers.
Link to News story »Monday, June 15, 2009
Volunteer Interview No.1
2HJ is holding an interview relay involving volunteers who are active in the Friday and Saturday programs. The premier interview features Mr. Yoshiyuki Watanabe who is one of our regular volunteers on both Fridays and Saturdays.
Former principal’s motto is “Let’s have fun!”
Yoshiyuki Watanabe, 69, has a nickname of “Sensei (teacher)” because he was a principal in Tokyo before he retired nine years ago. In his 37-year career in teaching, he worked at a Japanese continuation school in New York as well. It was a news show on TV-Asahi broadcast in April, 2008, that he learned about 2HJ.
The first volunteer work he did at 2HJ was to deliver food with Mr.Haijima, one of 2HJ staff who happened to be his pupil. Later, he helped with food delivery to care facilities. And now, Watanabe joins preparation for the soup kitchen every Friday and the soup kitchen activities on Saturdays. On Friday, he cuts vegetable all day long, and on Saturday, he sets up the working area so that other volunteers can work smoothly. He also shares his “grandpa’s knowledge” about how to handle kitchen tools and food.
“I am so happy that I can do things for others, while learning something new. It’s also nice to be able to meet various people,” Watanabe says cheerfully. He hopes that more people can help each other by having the spirit of “co-existence.” In order to do so, “we have to enjoy doing volunteer work,“ he says.
“I’m hoping that 2HJ establishes a nationwide network sometime soon,” says Watanabe who sat in on a food bank meeting held in Yamanashi. After he and 2HJ staff delivered food donated from companies in Tokyo, the car became full of potatoes and turnips from Yamanashi on the way home. Watanabe says that 2HJ faces some challenges, such as securing more drivers and cars, but his dream is growing as he warmly watches young leaders grow.
Link to News story »
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