Japanese Cultural Afternoon for Tsunami Orphans

posted in: Events, News

Saturday 4th August 2012
A charity event featuring talks, Kimono and Tea Ceremony presentations, piano performances, traditional Japanese dance, Origami, Calligraphy and much more.

“Ball Room”
1st Floor
43 Lancaster Gate
London W2 3NA

This event is designed to raise funds and awareness for Aid For Japan and is supported by Women’s Federation for World Peace UK www.wfwp.org.uk

14:15 -14:25 Presentation by Women’s Federation for World Peace UK Mrs Taeko Duckworth
14:30 -15:30 Introduction of “Kimono and Tea ceremony- 15th century’s style” “Shinto and Bushido”
Appeal of Charity organization “Aid For Japan” Miss Akemi Solloway Tanaka
15:30 -15:35 Piano “Neighbor Totoro” Miss Keishin Barrett
15:35 -15:50 Demonstration of how to use Japanese wrapping cloth (Furoshiki) Mrs Akiko Takeichi
15:50 -16:00 Japanese traditional dance “Sakura Sakura” Miss Akemi Solloway Tanaka
16:00 -17:00 Refreshments A display of Origami, Calligraphy and other Japanese cultural goods

Classical Concert + Japanese Dance

posted in: Events, News

An enchanting evening with music and dance.

Thursday 6th September 2012
Doors : 6:10, Start : 6:30
Lumen Church & Cafe
88 Tavistock Place
London, WC1H 9RS
Tel:020 7833 1080
web:www.lumenurc.org.uk
The nearest tubes : Kings Cross St Pancras and Russell Square

Tickets : £8 (£6 Concession) Featuring the renowned musicians Fumi Otsuki( violin), Ai Sakabayashi (vox) & Wezi Elliott (lute), and The Honjo Sisters (violin).
An amazing traditional Japanese dance by Akemi Solloway

CLASSICAL CONCERT + JAPANESE DANCE
~クラシカル音楽と日本舞踊による魅惑の調べ~
日時:9月6日(木)
開場:6:10、開演:6:30
場所:Lumen Church & Cafe
88 Tavistock Place
London, WC1H 9RS
電話: 020 7833 1080
ウェブサイト:www.lumenurc.org.uk
最寄り地下鉄駅 : Kings Cross St Pancras もしくは Russell Square

入場料:8ポンド(学割6ポンド)
出演者:大槻泰史(ヴァイオリン)、坂林藍(ヴォイス)&Wezi Elliott(リュート)、本城姉妹(ヴァイオリン)、ソロウェイ田中明美(日本舞踊)

Jazz + Japan

posted in: Events, News

Fundraising for Japanese orphans from Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami An evening of Japanese influenced jazz music and straight ahead standards

Thursday 30th August 2012
Doors: 7pm, Start: 7:30pm
Jazz On The Hill
214-216 Railton Road
London, SE24 0JT
Tel: 0207 737 4011
Web: www.jazzonthehill.co.uk
Opposite Herne Hill train station
TIckets: £8 (£6 Concession)

Acclaimed line-up featuring Taeko Kunishima, Renato D’Aiello and Emiliano Franco Support acts by Shin-ichiro Abe, Mariam Takahashi and Yuko Yokoi.

JAZZ+JAPAN
~ジャズと日本音楽の夕べ~
日英で活躍する国島妙子(pf), レナートダイエロ(sax)やエミリアーノフランコ(drums)らによる演奏
日時:8月30日(木)
開場:6:30時、開演:7:30
場所:Jazz On The Hill
214-216 Railton Road
London, SE24 0JT
電話: 0207 737 4011
ウェブ: www.jazzonthehill.co.uk
Herne Hill train station 真向い
入場料:8ポンド(学割6ポンド)

Aid for Japan – Diary of events December 2011

posted in: News

The report – our activities in Japan in December 2011

20th December

We arrive at Narita Airport.

Before we left the UK, we had contacted several Japanese NPOs (non-profit organisations). They had given us a lot of good advice and helped us get in touch with the right orphanages. We brought chocolates, toys and Christmas cards for all the people we were to visit, including the staff of the orphanages.

In Japan there is a very strict data protection law. Many Japanese NPOs do not have or give out information about individual orphan cases, so instead they pass the donation money to education authorities of a city or prefecture to give to the orphans.

**Aid For Japan’s purpose of this trip was to find the orphans of the Tsunami.

NB/ In Japan we do not use the word “Orphanage”. Usually the term “Jido Yogo Shisetsu”, meaning a living space for children who do not have parents or who cannot live with parents, is used.

21st December

We visit “La Salle Home” (Jido Yogo Shisetsu) near Higashi-Sendai station: http://www.h-lasalle.ed.jp/sendai/sendai01.htm

We brought 74 presents.

The director, Mr. Rodrigo Trevinof was very kind to us and gave us the appropriate information. We shall continue to support this place using the donations from Aid For Japan.

Had a meeting with a professor of Sendai University also the founder of “Kodomo Mirai Kikin”trans. Children’s Future Fund (for after the disaster). He offered his expertise on the subject of growth and maintenance of Aid For Japan.

22nd December

A morning meeting in Sendai city

Attendees included: Head of Welfare of the Child Care sector of Miyagi prefecture, Head of the Childrens’ Counselling sector of Miyagi prefecture, Chairman of the Foster Parent Association of Miyagi prefecture, a wife of the Chairman of the Foster Parent Association of Sendai city.

We left Sendai city station for Ishinomaki city, the worst struck place by the Tsunami where many were killed. However, because of the aftermath of the Tsunami there were no good train connections, so we had to use a bus.

It took one hour and a half to reach Ishinomaki, and two hours and a half to come back to Sendai.

People are still cleaning up the streets and tidying the broken buildings. It smells like sludge a little.

Held a meeting with the Vice Head of the East Area Childrens’ Counselling sector of Miyagi prefecture. (The head was not in the building because of a business trip).

We met the founder of the charity “It’s Not Just Mud”, Jamie El-Banna who is from London volunteering in Ishinomaki: http://itsnotjustmud.com/ We hope that we can help each other in the future.

23rd December

We visit“Asahiga Oka Gakuen” (Jido Yogo Shisetsu) in Kesennuma city, Miyagi prefecture: http://www6.ocn.ne.jp/~asahigao/

We brought 67 presents.

We must remember that going to Kesennuma is very difficult since the Tsunami. From Ichinoseki station only one train and bus run every two hours!

24th December

We visit “Iwaki Ikueisha” (Jido Yogo Shisetsu) in Iwaki city, Fukushima prefecture: http://www.iwaki-shakyo.com/net/iwakiikueisya/index.htm

We brought 40 presents and joined their Christmas party.

26th December

A meeting at the Children’s Counselling Centre building in Sendai city.

This is our second meeting with the heads and other staff members.

We returned to “La Salle Home” (Jido Yogo Shisetsu) near Higashi-Sendai station with special presents; stuffed toys from England and a personal letter we wrote to one orphan from after the Tsunami. Her parents, grandparents and younger brother died because of Tsunami. She is an 11 years old girl.

27th December

Met with knowledgeable people in Tokyo, who gave us useful advice for our future activities with orphans of this disaster.

Thoughts after our trip

When we met with the officials who work for Miyagi prefecture, they and we agreed that it is very difficult to work without the support or affiliation of an official organisation, due to the strict Japanese laws on data protection. Aid For Japan therefore needs to work together with a good Japanese organisation that understands our aims.

The officials introduced us to “Higashi Nihon Daishin-sai Miyagi Kodomo Ikueikikin Jyourei”trans. East Japan’s big disaster children’s future foundation of Miyagi.

Information can be found here:

http://www.pref.miyagi.jp/kosodate/01kosodate/kihukouza/jourei.htm
http://www.pref.miyagi.jp/kosodate//01kosodate/kihukouza/kihukouza.htm

This organisation is similar to our charity and they deal with Miyagi prefecture’s children who were victims of the disaster.

Altogether three prefectures were detrimentally affected by the Tsunami and Earthquake on the 11th March 2011 (Miyagi, Fukushima and Iwate). However, if we want our charity to be most effective for the orphans then we had better decide to focus our efforts on only one prefecture. This will probably be Miyagi prefecture, so that we can work closely with a Japanese organisation and to avoid complications that may impede our future progress.

1 31 32 33 34 35