Just a reminder to everyone Tokyo-side that this weekend there will be a charity music and reading event at Infinity Books in Asakusa. Proceeds go to Support Our Kids which sends Tohoku teens on homestays abroad. The event kicks off at 3pm. There’s also Shakin’ it Back, an anthology of poems and stories collected to support victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake, Tsunami, and Nuclear disaster.
Hope to see you there!
attachment-536832681 Back in 2011, the local and expat artistic community alike wanted to do something to help the survivors of the March 11th earthquake/tsunami/nuclear crisis in the Tohoku region of northern Japan. Some staged charity events; others went north to volunteer with the cleanup. Some did both.
For my part, I read a short essay at a charity reading even, Shakin’ It Back, at What the Dickens in Ebisu. “In Bloom” was inspired by the bravery and self-sacrifice I witnessed in some of my students the day we had to evacuate the main school building and spend the night in the gym, uncertain, what lay ahead of us…
Now, three years later, clean-up and recovery efforts continue. As a fund-raising effort, some of the performers from the original Shakin’ It Back event have contributed their poems and prose pieces to an anthology, available as an ebook from amazon.com.
Two readings are being planned, both at Infinity Books‘ new brick-and-mortar location in Asakusa. The first event will raise funds for Support Our Kids, which sends Tohoku teens on homestays abroad. The second event will once again support Japan Heart, the original recipient of the What the Dickens event, which provides healthcare and life support to Tohoku survivors, as well as people in Myanmar and Cambodia.
The first reading is scheduled for Sunday, April 20th from 3 – 10 pm. The second reading will be in May (TBD).
I plan to be at one or the other – perhaps both! Hope to see you there!
On the third anniversary of the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake – and the tsunami and nuclear mayhem that followed – the Japan Times reports that 267,000 people are still evacuees nationwide, and that 97,000 people in the most affected areas still live in makeshift accommodation.
I included in the previous post links to charities working in the Tohoku region. Back in 2011 I participated in a music and spoken word event, Shakin it Back, at What the Dickens in Ebisu. Now, an anthology of work read at that event has been published for the Kindle, mostly through the efforts of Taylor Mignon – one of the organizers of the original event. There’s a short essay of mine in there, “In Bloom”, which I wrote in response to how my students – who had to evacuate the school – handled themselves on a day that tested the mettle of everyone affected. Half the proceeds of the book sales will go to organizations who continue to work with victims of the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear crisis.
Also, please remember that even now, three years on, the Tohoku region is still recovering from the disaster. Here’s an aggregate of current news stories from The Japan Times about the region.
Wanna help out? Donations and relief work are ongoing. Here’s a list of local and international agencies working in Tohoku. Read their project descriptions, choose one, and lend a hand…
As part of their ongoing effort to raise awareness and money for the survivors of the Great Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami (they were instrumental in organizing the recent trilogy Musicians for Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Vols. 1 -3, at What the Dickens in Tokyo, as well as doing volunteer work in the disaster area), my buddies The Complaints Department have released their video Walking Hand in Hand which includes their original – and catchy – post-punk tune, as well as images from the disaster area. Powerful stuff.
Here, in his own words, is the band’s lead singer Nate Gildart:
Some of you already know about the charity song my band has released on iTunes and Amazon MP3, with ALL PROCEEDS being donated to grassroots charities working in the Tohoku (northeastern) region of Japan. It can be sampled on YouTube, as well as on iTunes. If you like it, please download it and pass it on to friends and family. This isn’t a callous effort to promote the band; we questioned whether we should release it at all. 皆さんにメールを送ってすみませんが、チャリティーのためですから許してください。2011年の11月に僕のバンドはiTunes& Amazon MP3にチャリティーソングをリリースしました。『手をつなぎながら』と言う曲です。売上金は全て東北で活躍しているNGOに寄付します。好きだったら友人、家族などに教えてください。バンドの宣伝の為ではなく、チャリティーの為です。
There is still a lot to do in terms of reconstruction, but 2012 will bring better things to Japan. まだまだ、たくさんの仕事がありますが、2012年に日本は一歩一歩進んでいく！
ダウンロードは：
Download at:
Official Web Site: http://www.thecomplaintsdepartment.net/
iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/jp/album//id482075047?l=en
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYJpeR6ix54&feature=youtu.be
Big Sushi, Little Fishes: a japan blog 