From Japan

dear friends around the world

i just returned from a grassroots delivery to three shelters in Yamagata prefecture (Yamagata city, Kaminoyama city, and Tsuruoka city), currently over 1,300 evacuees all from Fukushima.

on our trip to and fro, we were met with oppositions, insults, and degrading remarks at gas stations and roadstops while cooking our humble meals. several shelter managers also showed hate. it made us seriously think and doubt our actions, so we chilled and reasoned, concluding that no matter how much we get dissed, our sole collective mission is to comfort the survivors and evacuees asap. this decision became our energy to continue stronger.

at the shelters, most adults and seniors were quietly suffering and staying silent. however, kids and teens were playing around noisily, full of joy. they were making origami/necklaces/accessories out of newspaper for the elderly, singing with them, playing with toilet paper cores as building blocks, cutting up already small candy/snacks into even smaller portions and handing them out to everyone playing restaurant, older kids comforting crying kids. many adults and seniors watching this honest display of innocent joy showed glimpses of joy. my tears flowed continuously.

having seen the physical and emotional conditions, i realized that keeping the kids happy and busy will positively affect the torn emotions of adults and seniors.

many kids yelled "we want to start a music group together!!", when asked if they wanted musical instruments. so, i have begun collecting Japanese DVDs and CDs for kids, NHK news documentaries/period dramas/famous comedy standups popular with the elderly, and surplus laptops to play these medias to deliver with our next shipment.

i am planning to volunteer as driver again next week, on Nagano - Yamagata, or Tokyo - Yamagata route.

with humble appreciation, i am accepting donations to my paypal account (islandkenji@gmail.com), to pool together financial support for those who will restart their lives from scratch when they leave shelters. every penny/pence/cent counts.

ONE LOVE
kenji


hello friends around the world

i am departing on another supplies/donated moneys delivery trip this week to shelters in Yamagata and Sendai areas. my former employer Wieden+Kennedy has been gathering supplies, such as music instruments, children's DVD + CDs, entertainment for the elderly, portable DVD and CD players, and much more.

i'm in contact with friends at several shelters, and they are dangerously short of fresh produce: vegetables and fruits. we're busy gathering canned vegetables and fruits, along with other foods, water, and daily items such as toilet papers, shavers, acrylic sponges (no need for dangerous washing liquids), water-based shampoos (again, minimal environmental impact), condoms (you'd be surprised..), menstrual items, and more.

this is not just a temporary relief movement, it is long term, so please keep up the momentum of helping and supporting.

i am accepting donations to my paypal account (islandkenji@gmail.com) to pool together financial support for my friends and families who need to restart their lives from scratch. i am delivering first batch of cash directly to my friends at shelters this coming weekend.

some of you feel uncomfortable donating to a personal account, then please donate to one of three organization at Ken Watanabe's relief effort: www.uniteforjapan.org

the dialogue about the future of nuclear energy is increasing in Japan. clearly, there is no future for nuclear energy. the world's 3rd largest economy cannot control it.

we the Japanese will show the world that there is no need for nuclear energy by producing clean energy products. we've had enough of profit-over-lives mentality of the polarized powers. knowledge is our power, so powerful that it can crush the vise of those who have sold their souls to money and vanity.

we are prepared to drop the quality of our lives to secure a bright and clean future for the next generations.

unplug.

ONE LOVE
kenji