World Saving Archives

Here Comes Kenji – Short Stories for a Worthy Cause this Christmas

December 4, 2020 By Michael Lambe

Kevin Ramsden is well-known in Kyoto’s expat community for his tireless and creative fundraising efforts for charitable causes. This Christmas he has come up with a new fundraising initiative: a collection of eight short stories he has both written and published himself – with all proceeds going to support the educational needs of children in rural areas of Cambodia and Zimbabwe. All the stories are set in contemporary Kyoto or Osaka and you can read a sample from the first story thanks to Amazon’s “Look inside” function. Kevin writes,

“Every 8 -10 copies sold will pay the school fees for an AIDS orphan in Zimbabwe for one year, or support one Cambodian child with the materials and teaching support they need for a year. This is not a great deal for us, but can provide a life changing moment for a little one in the developing world. You can buy either an ebook or a paperback version and know very well that you will be helping someone else. That’s got to make you feel good! Right? Anyway, check it out for yourself and PLEASE share with family and friends.”

Here Comes Kenji: and Other Stories from Contemporary Japan by Kevin Ramsden is available as both Kindle e-book and paperback from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.jp, and Amazon.co.uk. Kevin’s goal is to sell a thousand copies and if you help him reach his goal you can also rest assured that 100% of the royalties will go to fund the following good causes:

www.rsvpcambodia.com
A small NGO building schools and providing educational supplies and support to children near Siem Reap in rural Cambodia. They really need help in these difficult times so that they can maintain and build on their great work.

www.zienzelefoundation.org
An NGO committed to supporting AIDS orphans in Zimbabwe with daily necessities, school fees, and school supplies. It only costs about USD 25 to send a kid to school for a year, but these kids have no source of income and no fees means no school.

For further information on this project please contact Kevin at: readers4readers@gmail.com

Please Support EMA Japan’s Campaign for Same-Sex Marriage Rights & Sign their Petition!

November 18, 2014 By Michael Lambe

Last week the good people at Japan Today were kind enough to publish a profile piece I wrote on the Equal Marriage Alliance of Japan (EMA Japan for short). Founded in February of this year, EMA Japan is the only NPO advocating solely for legal same-sex marriages in Japan. Unfortunately, same-sex marriage is still illegal in Japan, so EMA are running a petition that aims to put pressure on politicians of all parties to support a change in the law.

I would urge you to sign that petition: LINK.

My article was the result of a lengthy interview with EMA’s President Kazu Terada, and Vice President Jeffrey Trambley. In the finished piece I tried to emphasize how denying a minority of people their spousal rights impacts negatively both practically and profoundly both on individual lives and on society at large. Here is a clip :

…the spousal rights denied to same-sex couples are many. To name but a few, same-sex couples cannot benefit from the tax deductions and inheritance rights that are due to married couples. They cannot apply for joint housing loans. In a medical emergency, a same-sex partner cannot make decisions on behalf of their loved one, and perhaps most upsetting of all, in the event of death, a same-sex partner has no legal entitlement to attend the funeral.

But beyond these legal rights and benefits, Terada believes that marriage equality would bring social validation to the whole LGBT community. “The social meaning of the right to marry could be the most important benefit. When legal discrimination ended in Denmark, society became much more open. There were fewer instances of bullying in schools because the new law sent a message of tolerance and acceptance. Parents of those with homosexual children didn’t have to worry about their future. They could be confident that their children would be treated fairly before society and the law.”

Trambley adds, “I think of closeted people working in Japanese companies and those that cannot come out to their families. It’s hard for them that they can’t be themselves. Even if a person doesn’t want to get married, to have an easier time being yourself in society, this is a major benefit of marriage equality.”

You can read the full article here: New NPO brings same-sex marriage equality into Japanese public debate.

My interview with Kazu and Jeffrey covered a lot of ground, but of course I was not able to include everything within the parameters of the Japan Today article. On a blog though, you can do what you like. So here is part of our original conversation, where we discuss how the lack of overt discrimination in Japan, paradoxically leads to a lack of action on LGBT rights…

DK: How much of the opposition to same sex marriage is tied in with traditional ideas about marriage and family?

KAZU: The situation in Japan is that we don’t see so much opposition to the idea of same sex marriage. The problem is more indifference. The problem is not staunch opposition per se, but the intrinsic indifference in society.

DK: Do you think a lack of outright discrimination against the LGBT community, has also led to a lack of awareness about the legal issues facing same sex couples?

KAZU: Yes, absolutely. And this is why European countries were able to achieve same sex marriage earlier. Because of outright discrimination, like Stonewall in New York in the 1969 and other cases of discrimination in Denmark in 1973, the LGBT communities were moved to action.

JEFFREY: So without a galvanizing event, it is a challenge to get people to think about the issue seriously and educate, not only the LGBT community, but society at large, that inequalities exist.

DK: Much of the Japanese media seems to treat gay identity as a source of amusement. Do you think this has helped to create an atmosphere of indifference? How should this change and what role should the media play in the future?

JEFFREY: The popularity of such celebrities such as Matsuko Deluxe shows that the media generally accepts sexual minorities only in a humorous way. Unfortunately, the existence of such celebrities and talento can lead some to assume that all gay men like to dress up as women, whereas this is a very small minority. The media does not highlight the more mainstream gay or lesbian members. Rather than indifference, the media has created a mistaken image of the LGBT community.

KAZU: First, the media itself should take up more mainstream gay and lesbian people in their stories – present a more balanced image of LGBT members of society, not just the comic portrayals. If you look at the dramas in the US and UK these days, there is more diversity in casts, often including gay, lesbians and transgender roles, portrayed in a realistic way.

JEFFREY: Yes, the diversity in American dramas and sitcoms has grown tremendously in recent years. A recent Amazon TV drama called Transparent, features the story of a transgender man in his 50s how he came out to his adult children and wife. This kind of story at present does not exist in the Japanese media portfolio. In America, the buzzword of diversity is everywhere, especially in the major networks. Americans want to see TV that reflects the society in which they live. In Japan, LGBT members exist in society, but they are as of yet not represented on the TV we watch here, other than these caricatures that are presently shown.

DK: How much popular and political support is there for marriage equality?

KAZU: We have been pleasantly surprised to find many politicians quite supportive of equal marriage. In fact, EMA has met with several prominent politicians in both the ruling and opposition parties and progress is being made towards bringing the issue forward in the Diet. The opposition parties, especially the liberal-leaning DPJ (Democratic Party of Japan), are beginning to see that in order to get back into power, supporting a platform of diversity including marriage equality, could be vital to facilitating their return to power.

JEFFREY: With the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics in 2020, Japan should strive to be a leader in human rights in Asia. We see the marriage equality issue as a human rights one. The Olympics and Paralympics are a huge opportunity for Japan to create a legacy of openness and acceptance. Especially after the negative press Russian received when its anti-gay laws were put into force, Japan should see the 2020 games as a chance to show the world the true meaning of omotenashi.

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I believe that in a fair and just society people should be allowed to live with and legally marry whoever they love, regardless of their gender. Denying people the legal right to marry is a form of discrimination, and an insidious one that has far-reaching effects on our society and in some ways harms us all. Please add your voice to the EMA Japan petition here: http://emajapan.org/donate/advocate

You can also find EMA Japan at the following links. Sign up, spread the word and don’t be indifferent.
http://emajapan.org/
https://www.facebook.com/NPOEMAJAPAN
https://twitter.com/emajapan2013

Help Send a Bright Young Tibetan, Tsewang Phuntsok, to University

July 24, 2014 By Michael Lambe

The following is from Kyoto blogger Heenali Patel,

Hello everyone!

I’d like to introduce you to somebody who has meant a great deal to me for almost 7 years. His name is Tsewang Phuntsok.

Tsewang was a 12 year old student at the school I volunteered at, in Nepal back in 2008. His family comes from a small village in Tibet- he was sent to live in Kathmandu in the hope that it would give him a better life.

Unfortunately, his life in Kathmandu was anything but better. The school where he lived was poor, dirty and managed by a corrupt individual who siphoned any funds from sponsors into his personal bank account.

I remember feeling utterly shocked to see all 100 students or so, sleeping in cramped spaces, infested with insects and rats. They had no clothes but for their tattered school uniforms- many didn’t even have shoes. I even knew a little girl who took to wearing a cardboard box. Illness and infection was common, and despite the best efforts of the cook, meals were often nothing more than porridge.

Yet, the children were bright, always happy to play- and always happy to learn. Many had a thirst for education that I’d never seen in the UK. One of these students was Tsewang- he had dreams of bettering the lot of his family, ambition, and a generous heart to match. We became friends very quickly- by the time I left Nepal, I thought of him as a brother. Me and my mum Vina Patel promised to help him pursue his education.

After I left, there was an outbreak of tuberculosis at the school. I don’t know how many of the children I had played with survived. In an act of total bravery- the likes of which I’ve never seen from any other 13 year old- Tsewang ran away from the school. With our promise to support him, he found a new school that gave him what the other could not- a decent chance at life.

My mum and I have supported Tsewang through his education for almost 7 years. Far from the undernourished child that I knew, he has grown into a strong young man- though his heart remains as beatiful as the day I met him.

Now, I’ll get to the point. Tsewang’s dream is to become a marine captain. He needs to train at the Nepal Institute of Maritime Studies in order to do this. But his fees are too much for us to pay entirely. His parents have sold what little land they own in the mountains- but even then, this only covers half the cost.

So now I’m going to try putting Tsewang’s education into the hands of all my friends, family and any other genourous soul who want to change someones life for the better.

I need to raise £2000 for Tsewang’s university fees- this will cover him for his full course, including an apprenticeship that will secure a regular paying job for him in the future. PLEASE HELP ME! 🙂 Any amount would be appreciated so much- this isn’t just helping any anonymous charity- but helping a young man who I have known and loved for a very long time!

Thank you so much!

Thank you Heenali! Well, £2000 doesn’t seem like such a difficult target. I’m sure if a few big-hearted Deep Kyotoites chip in, even just a little bit, it will go a long way to setting Tsewang on the road to a brighter future. Whaddya think?

Please add your donations at: http://www.gofundme.com/bu6824

See also Heenali Patel’s site: The Japan Philes

To Boldly Go – TEDxKyoto x George Takei & Patrick Linehan

June 4, 2014 By Michael Lambe

Once again I have to congratulate Jay Klaphake and his TEDxKyoto team of volunteers for organizing a splendid event at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies today!

It was a delight to see Patrick Linehan speak here again, this time on the effect his last speech at TEDxKyoto has had on his life and also on the lives of others. In September he told us to embrace the qualities that make us different and celebrate them. Today he told us how he is now often recognized by people who have seen this talk, and how they tell him how much they have been encouraged by it. One young lady told him he had inspired her to come out to her parents. Another young man was inspired to embrace his transgender identity. As before Mr. Linehan’s speech was characterised by its warmth and gentle humour and left us all feeling highly motivated.

George Takei then took the stage and told us of his family’s terrible experiences during and immediately after World War 2. Rounded up into internment camps at the outbreak of the war for simply being Japanese-American, they lost everything, and after enduring the hardships of the camps they had to start again after the war was over from the poorest conditions. Despite these hardships however, young George Takei was inspired by his own father’s fervent belief in democracy and by those young Japanese-Americans who despite the discrimination they faced at home signed up to defend democracy and bravely fought in the European theater of war. In particular he told us of the 442nd Infantry Regiment, the most decorated regiment in the history of the US army. In an especially memorable story, he told us of one battle where they helped to break the Gothic Line, the last major line of German Defense in the latter stages of the war. To break the line of defense, the 442nd regiment scaled a sheer cliff under cover of night and launched a surprise attack the following day. Many soldiers fell to their deaths while attempting to climb that cliff – but George told us, even as they fell they did not cry out, for they did not want to give their comrades’ position away. They fell silently. [Read more…]

Three years ago today…

March 11, 2014 By Michael Lambe

On this day of remembrance, I would like to share with you some simple memories of March 11th that have taken me three years to properly digest. I was far removed from the disaster then, but of course the events of the day made a big impression on me. I remember clearly where I was, what was on my mind and those who were about me. I remember most of all their grace, their kindness and their courtesy.

Three years ago today, when disaster struck north-eastern Japan, my girlfriend and I were safely snoozing on a train in Wakayama. On our way back to Kyoto, or so we thought, we had spent the day previous at a hot-spring resort in Katsuura. A sleepy little fishing village, I had been struck on arrival by the markedly unfriendly stares of the locals and their gruff responses when we asked for directions. Most atypical for Japan I thought, especially in a small country town where people are usually extremely friendly. But then I realised that just two stops away by train was Taiji cove: the frontline in an increasingly intransigent face-off between angry animal rights activists and equally stubborn dolphin hunters. As most of those activists were foreign, I imagined my presence might be treated with suspicion by local fishermen who felt their lifestyle to be under siege.

We were in fact deep in the heart of whaling country. A signboard in the bay advertised boat tours to watch the whales, whereas the hotel shop’s refrigerators laden with meat in varicolored cuts, encouraged us to eat them or take some home as souvenirs. Viewing these I considered the gap in mutual understanding between those who would consider this the norm, and those who would reel back in horror and disgust. Clearly this was not a problem to resolve on a single day trip however. I fled to the hotel’s ocean-side hot spring baths and spent the afternoon, gazing at the Pacific, letting my mind drift away on the waves.
[Read more…]

Volunteering in Kameoka

September 26, 2013 By Michael Lambe

Last weekend I joined Rob Mangold and his IDRO crew on a relief trip to Kameoka, which was hit hard by the last typhoon to sweep through Kansai. After linking up with some regular volunteers at Kameoka’s Volunteer Center, we drove out into golden fields where a landslide caused by heavy rain had filled up the drainage ditches. Our job was to dig them out. Here are some pictures from the day: a mix of standard shots and 360 spherical images from the Ricoh Theta. If you click on the spheres you can view the images in a perfectly immersive 360 degrees. [Read more…]

Flood Relief in Arashiyama

September 19, 2013 By Michael Lambe

Yesterday, I had planned to spend the day running round Kyoto’s most iconic sites, taking immersive 360 degree images with my new Ricoh Theta camera… However, inspired by Tito’s flood relief poetry, and Rob Mangold’s posts on Facebook I decided to join them and Joel Stewart for a spot of volunteering in Arashiyama. I was encouraged by the community spirit there that inspired so many people to turn up on their own initiative and offer a helping hand.

Rob & Stephen — IDRO Japan members, caught by Sankei News Service on September 17th, working to clear the Nishiki restaurant in Arashiyama, after torrential rains from Typhoon 18 caused the Katsura river to over-run the island. With Rob Mangold and Stephen Gill (Tito).

Here are some pictures from the Kubo restaurant that we were working at yesterday. They are a mix of standard shots and 360 spherical images. If you click on the 360 spheres you can immerse yourself in the full volunteer experience!

The first job that we had to do, was shifting a pile of garbage and debris to one side, which would have been simple enough except Joel found this little fellow in there. “Hey Michael. Look at this,” he said.

Pretty, isn’t it? It was a “mamushi” pit viper that Joel calmly informed me is poisonous, before coolly removing it to some bushes, out of harm’s way. Once that was done and the garbage shifted we got on with some digging.

Here’s the front of the Kubo restaurant. What could be saved was piled up in front of the building while we cleaned out the inside. Flood damaged belongings had to be thrown away.

Here’s a 360 shot of a flood soaked tatami mat being carried out of the building. They are incredibly heavy. Click on the picture for a fully immersive view.

Officials bring a film crew to visit flood damaged houses. I believe Joel and I appeared on the evening news for all of 3 seconds, though I didn’t see it myself. Click on the image for a full view.

The team. One of the good points of the Ricoh Theta is you can take a group shot and include yourself, simply by standing in a circle.

Heading home the Katsura river was still a brown churning muddy soup…

That was just one morning’s work: a good work-out and much more fun than what I usually do for a living! There is still more to be done though, in Arashiyama and also other affected areas such as Kameoka and Fukuchiyama (which was completely inudated). If you have the time and would like to help, check out the IDRO Japan page on Facebook or contact them directly at idrojapan[at]gmail.com.

See also: http://www.idrojapan.org/

On Herbs, Serendipity & Fair Trade in Kyoto

August 19, 2013 By Michael Lambe

Za’Atar is an Arabic spice mix “made from mixing dried za’atar leaves together with varying combinations of other spices such as sesame seeds, thyme, marjoram, sumac and more.” We bought a jar at the IDRO Japan charity sale last year, and then found ourselves wondering what to do with it. I can’t remember who donated it, but they suggested we mix it with olive oil and use it as a dip. We duly tried that and found ourselves unimpressed. But then Mewby hit on the idea of making savory bread with it, in one of these babies (see below)- and a new taste sensation was born!

If you don’t have one of these home bakeries – you should get one! They are awesome and so easy to use – but that’s by the by. Savory bread with Za’Atar mix was so delicious that by this weekend we had used up our jar and were wondering where we could get another. We knew some of the Fair Trade stores in Kyoto might have it but after calling a couple of the more central ones we had had no luck… Maybe we would have to order it online? Then yesterday, by pure chance when wandering up Uraderamachi, we stumbled across the Sisam Fair Trade store – and they had it! Now that’s lucky!

Now let’s make some more of that highly addictive Za’atar bread!

Useful Links

Sisam is a chain of stores committed to supporting developing countries, traditional handicrafts and the environment through the sale of fair trade products. They sell a wide range of ethnic and interior goods I have yet to explore. Uraderamachi is that oft overlooked passage between Shinkyogoku and Kawaramachi. The Sisam store is located south of Round One’s back entrance. Here is a map. They moved there from Rokkaku Street about a year ago I believe. They also have their main store on the north side of Imadegawa a short walk east of Hyakumanben. And here is a map for that.

Za’atar is produced by Sindyanna of Galilee: a non-profit organization, led by women, and promoting Palestinian fair-trade products. Their goods are distributed in Japan by Palestine Olive. Other distributors world-wide are listed here: LINK.

Sailing Without the Wind: A Performance by Peter Golightly & Bruno the Bad Boy

July 11, 2013 By Michael Lambe

Billed as a “evening of music, dance and life”, this show looks to be amazing and it bears a very important message…

Peter Golightly has kindly written to tell us more about it:

“I’m a long time Kyoto resident and I’ve been doing the dance singing theater thing for better than 30 years here. Bruno has been around for about 18 years. He’s a performance artist who started as a go-go boy with Japan’s first western style drag show “Diamond Night” before turning activist in the late 90’s.

We’ve been working with a group called “It Gets Better” a support group that uses video testimonials to reach out to at risk youth to let them know that even though things may seem hopeless,　”It gets better”. Our target group is LGBT youth, but the program reaches out to anyone who may be thinking that life isn’t worth suffering through.

This performance is kind of a pre-performance to a project that I’m working on with the US Consulate (I’ve recently met with the Embassy staff as well). I’ve written a play called “Medea’s Daughter” and we’re working to have it performed at the Consulate later this year. Bruno will be performing several of my songs as a part of this coming project which we are calling “Conversations With Sappho”. “Sappho” being the protagonist in my play. “Conversations”, because we are proposing a panel discussion as part of the event.

“Sailing Without the Wind” is a two part performance, with both Bruno and I singing songs of pain, hope, love and triumph. Our song lists range from standards (Wonderful World, Close Your Eyes), to Japanese Pops (Makka na Taiyou, Tsubasa Kudasai), to Modern Pop music (Adele’s Someone Like You), to my original songs. Bruno will be singing primarily in Japanese, and I in English, but we each cross over quite a bit.

Accompanying both of our sets is my long time collaborator Kaoru Nakanishi on the piano (though most people may know his face from the DJ booth at various Kansai club events including Diamond Night at the Metro), and Junji Ishida on the violin. Junji is an even older friend who I am happy to be reconnecting with.

In addition to the two 30+minute sets, Junji will do a one man mini-set using his violin and an elotronic looping system. Bruno will conduct one of his notorious “Kamishibai Sing-a-longs”, and Peter will perform his latest performance art piece, “Sailing With out the Wind”, a tri-lingual (Swedish, Japanese, and English) song, dance and marionette piece.

There are two shows 2:00pm and 6:30pm. Each performance lasts about two hours. There will be a 20 minute break between Bruno’s show and mine, and drinks and “T” shirts and copies of my children’s book/play “Monster Time” will be sold.”

Thank you Peter! I’m very much looking forward to catching your show!

Performance Details:
Date: Sunday July 21st
1st Stage Opens: 1.30 / Starts: 2.00
2nd Stage Opens: 18.00 / Starts: 18.30
Location: Rokkaku N Building 6F (Between Tominokoji and Yanaginobanba on the south side of Rokkaku St. Here is a map.)
Advance Tickets: 2300 yen / On the Door: 2500 yen (Grade schoolers ¥1000, JR. high~ high school students: ¥1500, College students & Seniors: ¥2300)
Contact: petergolightly[at]hotmail.com

Ten Year Plan to Reafforest Kyoto’s Mount Ogura Goes Ahead

June 18, 2013 By Michael Lambe

Good news today! The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (BTMU) has thrown its weight behind a plan to restore the natural beauty of Kyoto’s Ogurayama. The ten-year reafforestation project aims to undo the damage wrought by human neglect and the recent of blight of diseases that are killing off much of the native oaks and pines. Mount Ogura has been famed since Heian times as the “Poets Mount” and is celebrated in the tanka anthology Ogura Hyakunin Isshu (100 poems by 100 poets). It’s nice to know that volunteer groups such as People Together for Mount Ogura (PTO) are no longer fighting these problems on their own.

Full article on the BTMU site here: Start of the Ogurayama Restoration Project in Kyoto
Get involved with PTO’s conservation activities here: Let’s begin with what we can do!

Kyoto Marathon Fundraiser for Fukushima Kids

March 6, 2013 By Michael Lambe

The second anniversary of the 3/11 disaster is coming up, and many people will be considering how best to observe the occasion. On March 10th Russell Trott will run the Kyoto Marathon to raise funds for Fukushima kids. All monies raised will go towards a camp near Kyoto organized by Go! Go! Waku Waku. There the kids will be able to escape the worst affected areas of Fukushima for a little while and play outside without fear of radioactive hotspots. You can see pictures from a past camp here.
Please help with a donation if you can and spread the good word.
Here’s the link to Russell’s Indiegogo campaign. Perks are available for your donations.

Anti-Nuclear Rally, Maruyama Park, Kyoto – Saturday March 9th 2013

March 4, 2013 By Michael Lambe

The only Japanese nuclear power station to have been restarted since the nuclear disaster of March 2011 is the one at Oi in Fukui, just 60km from Kyoto and only 30km from our drinking water supply, Lake Biwa. (Stephen Gill)

There will be a big anti-nuclear rally at Maruyama Park this Saturday (March 9th). As usual with these events it looks very much like it will have a festival feel. People will gather for speeches, performances etc from 12. The main rally is at 1.30 and the march commences at 14.45. Details (Japanese only) at this site: http://nonukeskyoto.jimdo.com/

Thanks to Aileen Mioko Smith of Green Action Japan for sharing this news.

Of related interest are these recent articles from Fresh Currents writers Winifred Bird and David McNeil.

Winifred Bird, has recently published two new articles with her colleague Jane Braxton Little on the contaminated forests of Chernobyl and Fukushima. They give a good overview of the likely long-term effects on both ecosystems and the dilemma that local authorities face in how best to manage them. LINK

David McNeil has an excellent interview in the Independent with one of the “Fukushima 50”:

They displayed a bravery few can comprehend, yet very little is known about the men who stayed behind to save Japan’s stricken nuclear plant. In a rare interview, David McNeill meets Atsufumi Yoshizawa, who was at work on 11 March 2011 when disaster struck. LINK

UPDATE (7th March): Stephen Gill informs me that there is a further event on Monday March 11th – the anniversary of the disaster. Demonstrators will gather at the Bic Camera plaza (beside Kyoto station) from 6.30 and march from there at 6.45 twice around the KEPCO offices. So if like me, you can’t make the big event on Saturday, this is your chance to show your solidarity and make some noise. For an insight into why this issue is still important check out this video: Fukushima: Human Impacts

AN URGENT APPEAL TO SUPPORT GREEN ACTION JAPAN!

January 28, 2013 By Michael Lambe

Please donate to Green Action here:
http://www.greenaction-japan.org/modules/entop2/

From Beyond Nuclear:

During the critical first days and months of the Fukushima nuclear
catastrophe in Japan, many of us turned immediately to Aileen Mioko
Smith (pictured far left with Sachiko Sato and Kaori Izumi) and her
organization, Green Action-Japan. Through her depth of knowledge on the
nuclear issue, organizing skills, and essential translations between
English and Japanese, Aileen played a crucial role in globally
networking the U.S. and Japanese anti-nuclear movements.

Today, Green Action-Japan needs your financial help to keep its
important work ongoing.

Without Aileen’s relentless efforts for more than a decade to delay the
use of plutonium (MOX) fuel, the three reactors that melted down at
Fukushima could have been loaded with 33% plutonium cores,
significantly worsening the radiological catastrophe that has unfolded.
(Only Unit 3 had loaded MOX fuel, at a 6% level.) Aileen has also
helped oppose the Rokkasho reprocessing facility and the Monju breeder
reactor.

Please make a generous donation via Green Action’s Paypal button today.
Green Action-Japan and Aileen Mioko Smith play an essential role in
connecting our campaigns and sharing knowledge, information that will
help us end the Nuclear Age.

Please donate here:
http://www.greenaction-japan.org/modules/entop2/
———–
Donation drive can be found at these sites:
Beyond Nuclear
http://www.beyondnuclear.org/home/2013/1/24/an-urgent-appeal-to-support-green-action-japan.html

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Beyond-Nuclear/7014589542

Twitter
https://twitter.com/BeyondNuclear/status/294548085433057280

https://twitter.com/BeyondNuclear/status/294550087600861184

TA Project Camp – The Wrap-Up

October 22, 2012 By Michael Lambe

Here’s guest contributor, Sara Ai Coe, with an update on the TA Project’s summer camp for Fukushima children.

Last time I wrote about the TA Project for Deep Kyoto, I was the outsider looking in. I was so inspired by the passion of the guys involved, that I wanted to write and share this wonderful project. Shortly after, I was invited to join them and it’s been an invitation I’m so thankful I accepted. So now I will write this as an insider, as a member of the TA Project and share the experiences of the TA Camp 2012.

It’s now over a month since the camp and this write-up is well past its expiry date. A thousand apologies. We’re yet to close the lid on ‘TA camp 2012’. We’re still going through paper work, reports and of course the thousand thank-yous we owe people around the world.

We started this project with no charity experience. We all work full time jobs, so for all of us to come together and plan this camp was a little miracle. But we were driven by one common goal: to invite the kids from Fukushima for a four-day camp so they could play freely without any risk from radiation.

The four-day camp took place in the countryside of Osaka Prefecture at a place called Nose. Just about an hour out of Osaka city, the concrete jungle is replaced with green mountains and rivers. This place looked like something out of a Ghibli film. It was the perfect place for these 12 kids to run wild and reconnect with nature. It was also the perfect place to reconnect with nature for the TA team who usually spend their weekends in the concrete jungle getting ‘cemented’… what ever that means… that sounded better in my head.
We really underestimated the energy these kids have. Even the most energetic and hyperactive team member (a.k.a Takumi) was left with an empty fuel tank every day. They would get up before 6 am, eat breakfast, go swimming, go canoeing, go swimming, eat lunch, go swimming, go cut some bamboo trees, go swimming, eat dinner… You get the idea.

We also underestimated the amount of food these kids can eat. They can eat everything and anything. We had to get creative by catching some crabs and fish in the river and frying them as snacks (true story). Luckily on Day 3 we had our personal chef Muchi arrive with his amazing, fantastic and divine cooking skills (I can’t praise this guy enough). Muchi being an Italian chef, the kids were able to delve into some gourmet meals.

The biggest objective of the camp was for the children to play. Each day was planned with activities from day to night. Activities included canoeing, making lanterns, cutting up bamboo trees (how wild is that?) making chopsticks, fishing, but I think the children’s favorite activity was going swimming in the pool. They were pretty disappointed on the last day when they found out that they were not only NOT allowed to go into the pool but they had to actually CLEAN it.

‘Playing’ was the theme but we also wanted to make sure these kids cleaned after themselves and showed some manners. The boys in the group even learned a new phrase from Taji: ‘Ladies first’… It didn’t go down too well with the boys, but we’re hoping maybe it will be useful for them in the future.

We were so caught up with making sure these kids had a good time playing, that we regret not really having a proper talk to them about what happened in Fukushima. Because even though they are all smiles, we know that deep down they have been going through a hard time. Even with the brief conversations we had, some expressed that they hate going to sleep because they think about death, and also others expressed how terrified they were hiding under the desk when the earthquake hit. We’re thinking a little talk session is something we can incorporate for next time.

Another great thing about the camp was that we were able to experience the kindness and generosity of our friends and people whom we’ve never met. We really wish we could thank each and every one of you. Thank you to those who contributed to the Indiegogo campaign (a big thanks to Gerald and Voice Kobe for their very generous donation). Thank you to those who donated in our donation boxes. Thank you to those who spread word about our campaign on Facebook, Twitter, blogs and other mediums. Thank you to those who contributed prizes to the Indiegogo campaign. Thank you to those who contributed food (meat, rice, cake, cookies). Thank you to those who came to our camp and lent us your time, skills and love. And thank you to those who continually supported us with words of encouragement. You guys kept us going and made the camp that much more amazing for everyone.

No doubt both the children and the TA members made some great memories from this camp. However we don’t want it to end with just memories. Now we’ve made a connection with these kids, from here we aim to build a relationship. And the key to a strong relationship is communication. We want to keep in touch with the children, hear about what’s going on in their lives and hear about their progress. We also plan to visit them in Fukushima in the next few months. We’ve been talking about going there and surprising them with a winter bbq. We also want to build a strong relationship with the people who continue to support us. We want to keep people updated with our progress, our plans and also present more opportunities for people to get involved.

Although we still haven’t 100% digested TA Camp 2012, we’ve started talking about a TA camp 2013. From what we learned from this one (and we learned like a zillion things) we want to create something bigger and better for 2013. We want to invite more children and we also want more people to be involved. We’re even thinking of a change in location. One child even requested we have a winter camp in Hokkaido next year… Great idea kid, but I think we’ll have to start fundraising like right now!

In the last few months we’ve really started noticing that Japan is changing; from the nationwide ‘Anti Nuclear Power’ protests, to people fighting for their right to dance with the ‘Let’s dance’ law change. It seems like more people are standing up for what they believe in and fighting for their future. It’s beautiful and empowering. And we’re really happy that we’re part of this change. We really hope more people will start leading Japan to a brighter and stronger future. Thank you for your support.

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Sara Ai Coe:
Product of a crazy Japanese mother and Kiwi father, Sara moved to Japan in 2009 after leaving her job at a television network in little ol’ New Zealand. Having a serious case of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), she juggles 3 jobs, but her main job is being a promoter and booking manager at an independent record label in Osaka. Sara enjoys telling stories and she tells them through photography, audio documentaries and writing. Her guilty pleasures include: procrastinating, wearing socks to bed, Kanye West and drinking copious amounts of coffee.