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Category: Village Voices 
After a long, cold winter, warmer weather is finally here, inviting us all to get out and enjoy the great outdoors. Even nonprofit fundraising is going al fresco. Australian yoga teacher Dylan Robertson is going to be offering his classes in Yoyogi Park again this year, with proceeds raised going to the Tyler Foundation, a ...
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Disaster memorials can be a touchy business. Creating a lasting and moving monument to satisfy a large and engaged community can be almost impossible. One group has hit upon a lovely and eco-friendly idea for a 3/11 memorial, though, which is sure to please. They call it the Sakura Line 311. Organizers plan to plant ...
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Forget the Tokyo Sky Tree, and even Tokyo Tower—real Tokyoites know a far more iconic symbol of the city is the Yamanote line. Now you’ve got the chance to get to know it even better, while getting some exercise and supporting a worthy cause along the way. Organized by Oxfam Japan IVG, the Tokyo Yamathon ...
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What better way to spend Earth Day than heading down to the Enoshima coast and taking part in the beach cleanup being organized by local French language and cooking school Soleil Provence. At the last of these, in October, volunteers collected a whopping 138kg of trash, from glass shards to cigarette butts and everything in ...
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This one is for the young scribes out there. MGS Publications in Nagoya is seeking essays and short stories about the lives of children in need. Submissions should be between 500 and 1,000 words and can be fiction or nonfiction, but the writer must be under the age of 18. Selected pieces will appear in ...
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If your New Year’s resolution was to try and make a difference in 2011, check out the Tokyo Voluntary Action Center’s annual forum. This year’s theme is “The Community We Make for Ourselves,” and the event offers Japanese speakers a chance to meet and network with Kanto-based NGOs, NPOs and other volunteer groups. But don’t ...
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We all know that cooking at home instead of eating out all the time is good for the body and easier on the wallet, but when you can barely tell which end of the pot goes up, the results can be rather less appealing. Culinary klutzes can sharpen their skills at the ABC Cooking Studio ...
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Sure, we’ll probably be staying under the kotatsu for the next couple of months, but dedicated outdoorsmen and women don’t let a trivial concern like the weather stand in their way. If that sounds like you, then you’re probably tough enough to take part in Oxfam Japan’s grueling Trailwalker event. Over 48 hours, teams of ...
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If you aren’t quite up to a two-day slog through the countryside, how about something a little closer to home (and with a little more booze involved)? Run for the Cure’s annual Pink Ball is coming up soon, and you’ll want to get your registration in quickly, since it’s always a popular shindig. This year’s ...
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SWEA Japan, the Japanese chapter of the Swedish Women’s Educational Association, will hold its annual Christmas Bazaar at the Swedish Embassy next weekend, with proceeds going to local women’s shelters. There’ll be crafts and activities for the kids, Lucia performances at noon, 1pm and 2pm, and a visit from the jolly fat man himself, plus ...
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Now that the weather’s getting colder, most of us are starting to look for fun excuses to stay indoors. Oxfam Japan is happy to oblige with its Pub Quiz End of Year Bash, a night of libations and trivia that’s all for a good cause. Be sure to bone up on your random knowledge, because ...
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If you’d rather stay in this weekend, you can still do some good by checking out the revamped English website of eco-goods provider eco+waza. The new portal features a special section for foreigners living in Japan, highlighting products and eco-solutions for greener living. There are also articles about the latest trends in green business and ...
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Ever wonder what it would be like to live in a refugee camp? Well, you have the chance to find out this weekend. Refugees International Japan is hosting a nationwide series of events called Journey to Hope, in which mobile education centers fashioned out of recycled shipping containers offer a glimpse into the trials of ...
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If you’re heading down to Enoshima to catch a few rays this month, be sure to stop by at PangeaSeed’s Shark Love art exhibition at Gallery-T. Over 30 artists from around the globe have contributed work to the non-profit show, and proceeds from sales will go directly to help PangeaSeed raise public awareness about the ...
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Have you ever bought a new smartphone application only to discover that it wasn’t what you were looking for? Er… yeah, that would make all of us. So hats off to Tokyo-based sustainable digital solutions company Full Circle Innovations, who are letting users take eco-minded apps on a free test-drive before buying them. People who ...
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Another popular annual event that’s fast approaching is the Tyler Foundation fundraising gala dinner and party. The theme for this year is “Rhinestone Cowboy,” so dust off your finest denim and diamonds and get ready for a rollicking good time. The event includes a gourmet dinner, live and silent auctions, games for adults and kids ...
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All right, you long-distance runners out there, it’s time to sign up for the wildly popular Tokyo Marathon. The one-month application period starts on August 1, and if you are among the lucky ones selected to participate, you can make your efforts even more worthwhile by running for charity. In past years, organizations like Children ...
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Nominations are now being accepted for the 2011 Freedom Awards, which celebrate heroes of the anti-slavery movement around the world. The honors are given out each year by Free the Slaves, an organization working to provide assistance to former slaves. People living in Japan are eligible for the Frederick Douglas Award, presented to a former ...
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Oxfam Japan’s regular quiz nights offer a trifecta of pleasures for Tokyo’s searing summer nights: you can escape the heat, support a worthwhile organization, and show off your trivia chops, all at the same time. Oh, and there are free shots of booze involved. With so much fun to be had, nothing short of a ...
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People who like to wear their convictions on their sleeve—or on their chest, for that matter—should check out the new T-shirts from PangeaSeed. The shark-saving activists have teamed up with Ecojoia, a company that helps NPOs develop merchandise to support their causes, to produce a tee featuring artwork by artist Dave Kinsey. Proceeds go to ...
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If you think that slavery and human trafficking are things of the past, stop by one of the monthly seminars hosted by anti-trafficking organization Polaris Project. July’s event will see Sonoko Kawakami of Amnesty International Japan deliver a lecture titled “Labor Exploitation—Labor at ¥300 per hour: the Trainee System.” The talk is limited to 30 ...
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Do you know a young person who’s working to create positive change in society? How about nominating them for the 2010 Mario Savio Young Activist Award? Named after the late free speech activist, the annual award honors a person between 16 and 26 who is campaigning for “social change, [and] promoting the values of peace, ...
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June 12 is World Day Against Child Labor, and a group of local NGOs, under the umbrella of the Japan NGO Center for International Cooperation (JANIC), is holding a symposium and screening to mark the occasion. The event includes a presentation on the current state of child labor issues, as well as discussions concerning the ...
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Another surefire way to boost your spirits is with a big glass of wine. Make sure it’s a good one by attending this year’s Wine Challenge Gala Dinner & Charity Auction at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo. The event features three days of wine tasting and judging, culminating in a black-tie dinner and auction attended by ...
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If you need a lesson in looking on the positive side of life, head over to a music- and dance-filled fundraising event for Rose Colored Glasses International. The Tokyo-based NPO helps underprivileged children in the Philippines through a variety of programs that promote education, shelter, health and nutrition. The upcoming event at Ebisu pub What ...
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The author of last year’s highly acclaimed true-crime chronicle Tokyo Vice leads a discussion about the scourge of human trafficking in a fundraising event in Marunouchi next week. For An Evening with Jake Adelstein, the writer is joined by representatives of Polaris Project, a US-based NPO that combats human trafficking through advocacy work, outreach and ...
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An upcoming performance by one of the Pacific Rim’s most acclaimed ballet companies will have the added benefit of raising money for needy children in Africa. The Austrian Ballet Company will perform the classic Don Quixote as well as the kid-friendly Urashima Taro, which employs interactive elements to tell a well-known Japanese legend. Organized by ...
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The largest environmental exposition in Asia is set to take place this month right here in Tokyo. The N-EXPO, or New Environment Exposition, focuses not only on the three Rs, but also on resource recovery, air pollution control, water and soil preservation, waste disposal, and new forms of energy. Of course, a big draw for ...
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Now that the warmer weather is here, it’s time to get out of the house—or closet-sized apartment, as the case may be. The 11th annual TELL Charity Walk and Runathon benefits the Tokyo English Life Line, which provides support and counseling for the international community. Registration is available on the day, so take your choice ...
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Celebrate Earth Day with local NPOs at a beach clean-up on the Shonan coast. In addition to beautifying area waterways, the biannual volunteer effort helps collect data that’s accumulated as part of a national report on the state of Japan’s beaches. Participants should bring gloves, closed-toe shoes (no sandals) and whatever plastic bags they have ...
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The long-awaited arrival of spring may already have you in high spirits, but if you need more reasons to smile, check out one of Tokyo Comedy Store’s popular improv workshops. TCC director Chris Wells will school you in the concepts of blocking and accepting, status and story-building—you might even pick up the knack of speaking ...
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To celebrate its one-year anniversary, Human Rights Watch Tokyo is hosting the first annual Voices for Justice. This lavish charity dinner at The Westin Tokyo honors those who have spoken out against repression and abuses of human rights. This year’s honoree is Elena Milashina, an investigative journalist for Russia’s preeminent independent newspaper, Novaya Gazeta. Despite ...
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If you’re not all partied out from hanami, head to Yoyogi Park for the Spring Love extravaganza (a.k.a. Harukaze). Organized by local NGO Peace Not War Japan, the event features free music and dance performances, discussions on peace and nonviolent social action, and loads of eco-friendly goods and food; there’s even face painting and games ...
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If you were thinking about throwing away your old mama-chari, why not put it to good use instead? The Tokyo chapter of Bicycles for Humanity sends secondhand two-wheelers to poor communities in Africa, where they’re used by villagers who must otherwise walk long distances to work, school or clinics. Though the Tokyo B4H is only ...
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For many people, springtime means job hunting, but for some cash-strapped youngsters, coming up with the money to buy an interview suit can be a problem. That’s why the ladies at Foreign Executive Women Tokyo and their friends organize an annual business wear drive. The group is currently seeking donations of suits, blouses, belts, handbags ...
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Nissan Motor Co. is hoping to show off its eco awareness and tech savvy with an unusual photo contest. Called “Inspired by Zero”, the competition asks participants to download a digital image from the contest website and tweak it to give it a “zero emission message.” Hopefuls then upload their fiddled photos to a Facebook ...
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This year is the 20th anniversary of Refugees International Japan, which means it’s also the 20th birthday of their annual Art of Dining event. Inspired by the belief that sitting down to enjoy a meal at a beautifully set table is a universal pleasure, the event invites celebrities from various disciplines and countries to design ...
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International Women’s Day is just around the corner, and to mark the occasion, The Pink Cow in Shibuya is hosting a shindig in support of anti-human trafficking organization Polaris Project. Women constitute a large percentage of those who are victims of forced labor and sex work in Japan, and Polaris is dedicated to helping them ...
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Once again, a fun-minded altruist has combined a love of booze with a love of helping others. Beer for Books arranges events at bars and restaurants, then donates one dollar per drink to the Room to Read organization. With each dollar, RTR can provide a school or library book in a developing country. If you’d ...
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