Walking Along the Sea in Okinawa- Photo Exhibition @Osaka, January 27-30

Photo by Makishi Osamu

The Save the Dugong Campaign will be holding its first annual photo exhibition in Osaka to spread awareness about the intangible beauty of Henoko Bay that is threatened with destruction. The Japanese and U.S. governments intend to inundate the bay with concrete as a part of its relocation plans for the U.S. military base currently occupying Futenma, Okinawa.

A Walk along the Sea in Okinawa- Henoko and Oura Bay
Photo exhibition of the work of Makishi Osamu
January 27-30- 12pm-7pm

*Talk session on the potential extinction of the dugong on the 30th from 2pm-4pm (Free entry with drink order)

 Cafe/Gallary Cassiopeia
(Map here: http://cassiopeia.moo.jp/)

Located along the tracks between Hankyu Kandaimae or Senri Stations (Five minute walk from either direction)

Information in Japanese:
http://www.sdcc.jp/pdffiles/umisanpo110127-30.pdf
http://www.sdcc.jp/plan/2011.1-postcard.pdf

Freelance photographer Makishi Osamu was born in Kose, Okinawa in 1950. After living on the mainland and working in the magazine industry as an editor and copy writer, he returned to Okinawa. He currently serves as a semi-retired scuba instructor and scuba guide in Henoko and Oura Bay.

Photo by Makishi Osamu

On a recent trip to Okinawa in December, Democratic Party of Japan leader and current Prime Minister Naoto Kan stated that the relocation of U.S. military bases to Henoko would be a "better" option, demonstrating that the Japanese government proceed with relocation plans despite Okinawan resistance.  Considered one of the last remaining habitats of the endangered dugong and other rare flora and fauna, construction of a base in the fragile and bio-diverse bay would resound in disastrous impacts on the ecosystem beyond compare (See analysis by Gavin McCormick at Japan Focus here).

U.S. and Japan governmental officials claim that U.S. bases offer hope for a struggling Okinawan economy. However, scholars, citizens, and economists alike contend that the tourism industry is by far the largest contributors to the Okinawan economy. U.S. military bases only threaten the vitality of this industry by destroying the environment and taking up potential land for the tourism industry. Valiantly, Okinawan people and their supporters have not wavered in their movement to prevent the construction of the base by holding daily sit-in demonstrations at the relocation site and other events and rallies throughout Japan, and world-wide.

The  Save the Dugong Campaign is one many organizations that has been contributing to the opposition movement for the sake of wildlife in the bay and the Henoko Bay-area residents who will be adversely affected by noise, air, and water pollution and the atmosphere of violence and anxiety that goes hand in hand with the presence of U.S. military base.

For more information about the Osaka and Tokyo-based Save the Dugong Campaign Center, visit their homepage.

Below is an informative video report (in English) on SDCC resolutions proposed to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature World Congress 2008 in Barcelona.

IUCN Congress report from the Save the Dugong Campaign Center from Mio Yamane on Vimeo.

Voices for Umekoji: One Night of Musical Protest against the Kyoto Aquarium- Friday, January 21

Kyoto’s Mayor Kadokawa has given Orix Corporation the go-ahead to build a massive aquarium/dolphinarium on Umekoji Koen, a public park, despite local protest. On Friday January 21st The Commitee to Protect Kyoto (京都を守る会) will be hosting an awareness raising musical event at Urbanguild to let people know what they can do to protest against this ridiculous decision. 

Deep Kyoto believes it is paramount that they act  on behalf of the public's interest: 

Besides issues such as the cruelty of keeping dolphins in confined conditions, the 5,400 tons of carbon dioxide that the building will exude per year into the atmosphere, and the lack of vision in developing this city with its unique position in Japanese history and culture, there is the issue of public accountability. Umekoji park is very popular with the local people but the aquarium that will be built on it is not. The plan for the aquarium was made behind closed doors between the city administration and private business with very little public input and despite strong public protest. There is something inherently wrong with a system that allows the city mayor to arbitrarily dispose of public land in this fashion.

Now, there are those who say, “Look they’re already building this aquarium. You can’t stop it now. Isn’t it a done deal?” Well, no doubt we can’t stop the Kyoto Aquarium being built. But we have to try. This beautiful city of Kyoto, is considered the “heart of Japan”. How can we not fight for it? And if we can focus enough national and international media attention upon this, perhaps the city administration will be more careful about making this kind of decision again.

For more information, click on this link to access the Deep Kyoto page or follow the links below for details on the (de-)construction:

• Raw Feelings for a Fish Tank (Chris Rowthorn writing in Kansai Scene)
• Fury at Kyoto Aquarium Plan (my piece for Japan Today)
• Why you can’t read my KVG article on the Kyoto Aquarium online…
• Our Protest Against the Kyoto Aquarium at Kiyomizudera
• Think Outside The Tank (a selection of local opinions)
• Information in Japanese here: 京都水族館（仮称）と梅小路公園の未来を考える会
• Sign a petition against the aquarium!

Advice from Takayuki Okazaki (岡崎享恭）-Opportunities for students to travel abroad in Japan

Many students in my classes express an interest in travelling abroad and learning a foreign language, and some of them do not know where to start. After speaking with Takayuki Okazaki (岡崎享恭) a lecturer of English at Kyoto Sangyo University (京都産業大学） I got some ideas for resources that I can share with my students.

Mr. Okazaki seriously decided to start studying English after he visited his sister in Seattle, Washington. She herself was doing an exchange program. After being able to use some of the English he learned in high school in conversations with Seattle-ites, he decided that he wanted to study more so that he could communicate with more and more people around the world. After a year abroad at Leed's University, and a an exchange program in the Carolinas, he graduated from Kobe University and decided to get his Master's degree at the University of Hawaii in Second Language Aquisition. From there, he became the first ever Japanese person to be hired to teach at the English program there for students coming from other countries. After that, he worked for Peace Boat where 岡崎享恭 coordinated the Global English and Spanish programs onboard. He is currently a full time lecturer at Kyoto Sangyo University (京都産業大学） and has also taught a varitety of classes (see　岡崎享恭's English Social Issues syllabus here and other syllabi) at Shibaura Institute

Some of the advice he gave for the students was:

1. Try out Peace Boat. It is a 3 month trip around the world and you can even enroll in a language program on board for Spanish or English. Here is a short description with photo of him in action on the boat explaining the three phrases of the day!, and another photo of him talking about his NGO work in eradicating poverty.

2. If you are enrolled at a university, find out what kind of exchange programs they have! You can earn credit while studying in another country and learning a new language at the same time. Here is information about one of the programs at Kyoto Sangyo University for an exchange with Hawaii.

Peace and Human Rights in Palestine- Anna Baltzer lecture @Kyoto University Tues, November 16

A Palestinian Protester with hopes that peace will come
(Photo Courtesy of Annainthemiddleeast.com)

Anna Baltzer serves as the voice of the voiceless. The granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor, and a Jewish-American human rights activist, she speaks on behalf of the Palestinians and Israelis alike searching for a peaceful solution to the war and aggression confronting the people living in Occupied Palestine and Israel. As part of a speaking tour throughout Japan, this Tuesday, November 16th, Anna will address an audience at Kyoto University about the occupation of Palestine and the search for peace and respect for human rights in the region.

Anna writes on her blog about how she first learned of the Palestinian Occupation:

Like many Americans and many Jews, I grew up with a positive view of Israel as a peace-seeking democracy. Israel symbolized to me the one protection that Jews had against the type of persecution that had plagued families like mine throughout history. I saw the Jewish state as a tiny and victimized country that simply wanted to live in peace but couldn’t because of its aggressive, Jew-hating Arab neighbors.

In 2003, during a backpacking trip through the Middle East, I began to meet Palestinian refugees from 1948. I didn’t know who the Palestinians were, or where Palestine was, and through my new acquaintances I began to hear a narrative about the history and present of Israel/Palestine that was entirely different from the one I had learned growing up in the United States.

My first reaction was disbelief, and anger. Families told me stories of past and present military attacks, house demolitions, land confiscation, imprisonment without trial, and torture. It seemed that these actions were not carried out for the protection of Jewish people, but rather for the creation and expansion of a Jewish state at the expense of the rights, lives, and dignity of the non-Jewish people living in the region. It was hard for me to believe that Israel could act so unjustly.

Not believing what I heard, I decided to do some research to prove myself right. Immediately, I was shocked to find how much I didn’t know about the situation on the ground. Not knowing who or what to believe anymore, I decided to go to see the situation with my own eyes. Since I returned, I’ve dedicated my life to informing fellow Americans and others about what I found, and what they can do to support a just peace for all peoples in Israel/Palestine.

After spending eight months as a volunteer with the International Women's Peace Service* in the West Bank, she has written countless articles about the Palestinian experience in Israel, and has detailed her experiences in her critically acclaimed photo reportage, Witness in Palestine (available for screening). She also supports the work of a the Palestinian group, Slingshot Hip Hop, who utilizes hip hop as a "tool to surmount divisions imposed by occupation and poverty."

Anna is not alone in her struggle for peace in Palestine. In fact, she is just one of many Palestinians, Israelis, Jews, Muslims, Christians, Americans, and other people from diverse backgrounds working for a peaceful solution. By working side-by-side with Palestinians and speaking out against the occupation, Anna gives us hope that there will one day arise a non-violent, peaceful solution that will allow the people in Israel and Palestine to live in peace with one another once again. She also gives us hope that the voices of the countless numbers of Jews and Christians and Muslims and peoples of all faiths working together to overcome the painful violence that characterizes the lives of people in Palestine and Israel, will be heard.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Exclusive - Anna Baltzer & Mustafa Barghouti Extended Interview Pt. 1
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Rally to Restore Sanity

"Israelis will never be free unless the Palestinians are also free"- Mustafa Barghouti in a joint interview with Anna Balzer on the Daily Show

Event information
--------------------------------------------------

[Date] Tuesday, November 16, 2010, from 18:30 to 21:30 (doors open at 18:00)
[Venue] Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies,
Kyoto University, Yoshida Minami campus, Basement Lecture Hall (Map)

Registration - Advance registration is required at: anna.in.kyoto [at] gmail.com

★Please register in advance so handouts and brochures can be prepared
Brochure fee: 1000 yen

[Languages of event] English and Japanese (Japanese translation is provided)

For all enquiries, contact: anna.in.kyoto [at] gmail.com

ACCESS:
★ Yoshida Minami campus is the south campus, on the opposite side of the road from the main campus with the famous clock tower. The closest entry point to the site is from the west gate of Higashiooji Street. Enter the west gate, go straight and then turn right towards the venue: a modern five-storey building. The venue is in the eastern side with glass facade on the first storey. The building houses the Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies. Please check the map before visiting. An image of the building can be found here and here (the photograph of the building is on the right).


*The International Women's Peace Service welcomes human rights volunteers. Click here for more info.

U.S. Military sells Manga in Japan to promote the Security Alliance

TOKYO: The US military is using manga to teach a new generation in Japan about the importance of the countries' half-century security alliance.

A new comic book series features an American boy called Usa-kun - a word play on USA and ''usagi'', Japanese for rabbit - who wears a hooded jacket with bunny ears and befriends a Japanese girl, Anzu Arai.

In the first issue of Our Alliance - A Lasting Partnership, to be published online today, the boy tells Anzu that he has come to defend her home, as they are ''important friends''.

The United States is publishing the Japanese-language comic as the countries mark the 50th anniversary of the security treaty, and two days before the 65th anniversary of the US dropping an atom bomb on Hiroshima.

 Over the past year, Japan's new centre-left government strained ties by publicly toying with the idea of moving a controversial US airbase off the southern island of Okinawa.

In the four-part comic series, the two characters ''explore and learn about the US military in Japan and its role in the US-Japan alliance''. The manga format was ''a very common way of communicating'', said Major Neal Fisher, of the US Forces' public affairs office in Japan.

''A lot of people love manga … Manga is a very light-hearted way to carry information'' on where the US bases are, what they do and how they co-operate with the Japanese forces, he said.

The US, having led the occupation of Japan after World War II, has 47,000 troops stationed around the country.

The comic will be published on www.usfj.mil/manga.

Agence France-Presse
http://www.smh.com.au/world/latest-us-signals-are-in-manga-20100803-115h6.html

Charity Concert for Nepalese Orphanage @Kyoto Sat, Nov 13

Keep your calendars open for "Get on the Mat!" a charity concert for Nepalese Orphans to take place in Kyoto on Saturday, November 13 at Honen-in Temple.

Performances include shakuhachi/calimba player Robbin Lloyd , +RAW- elements featuring Max and yun-han and Shohei Kuratsu on sax (click here to listen to one of their collaborations), and accordion/trumpet duo Garage.

This is one of several annual events to raise money for the Laliguras Children's Home in Kathmandu, including a concert and a charity walk (organized by Kevin Ramsden).

According to event organizer and +RAW- elements member Max Dodds:

'Get On The Mat!' is part of a series Kevin started years ago and has included Get On the Desk/Bus/etc., which refers to the goal of the charity event at the time. The children consist of five boys and five girls, most of whom are orphans and had nowhere to go. We provide all of their expenses: food, clothing, health, education and shelter. Part of the proceeds will also go into a fund we are starting to build a school in Kathmandu. This is a long term goal; however, we are committed to meeting the needs of ten kids at a time until we can expand. We also have ten sponsor families in Kyoto who pay for roughly half the costs. Occasionally when they need something else, we arrange to buy it with any funds we have left over from the charity events. These have included a generator, a mini library, medical expenses, and soon a laptop. The goal [of the event] hasn't changed this time, so we are going to get on the tatami mats at Honen-in.

When asked about what prompted him to start organizing these events for the Nepali orphanage, Max responded:

Initially I was doing gigs and donating proceeds to charity when Kevin approached me about organizing music for his events. It has led to our collaboration in the laliguras project. ('Laliguras' refers to a Nepalese flower.)

Max also explained how his relationship with the Nepalese orphanage began:

I have visited the orphanage once so far (Kevin has twice). I met the director in Kyoto some years back and made a connection with him. I started sending books and school supplies at first and later generated a little money from small charity events. Kevin expanded everything by asking friends to sponsor a child and the orphanage grew from there.

I made an instant connection when I met the children. Even though we cannot communicate linguistically, we played in a park for a few hours one day, running races, arm wrestling, playing badminton with ancient racquets, singing and laughing, and I look forward to seeing them again, hopefully next year.

Other than live music, baskets from Zimbabwe will be sold to help fund the Zienzele AIDS children organization. Items will also be sold to support a Guatemalan women's empowerment NPO.

The entrance fee is only 2000yen- a small price to pay to bring smiles to the faces of the children of Nepal. Hope to see everyone there!

US for OKINAWA Announces a Study Program for Biodiversity and a Base Free Henoko

US for OKINAWA, a peace action network formed by U.S. and other citizens from around the world living in Japan to support calls for the closure of Futenma Air Base and the halt to new base construction in Henoko, is pleased to announce it is organizing its second study program to Okinawa this year from September 22-26th. The program, titled the “Okinawa Peace Project” will allow participants to witness
Futenma and Kadena Air Bases firsthand, and to enjoy diving, snorkeling and kayaking activities in Oura Bay, site of the planned new base construction. The pristine bay is home to rare forms of biodiversity, including blue coral and the Okinawa dugong, that will be threatened or destroyed by plans to fill in a large swathe of the bay in order to construct the new base.

Given that the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 10) will be held in Japan this year, the United Nations has designated 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity, and the WWF has named it the International Year of the Dugong, US for OKINAWA aims to raise awareness of the grave environmental risk posed to Henoko from further militarization of Okinawa. US for OKINAWA will organize an action in Henoko on Saturday, September 25th to appeal to COP 10 members to
protect the biodiversity of Henoko.

US for OKINAWA will also use this occasion to express its support for the candidacy of Yoichi Iha in the upcoming November 28th elections for governor of Okinawa. As mayor of Ginowan City, Mr. Iha has demonstrated outstanding and unwavering dedication to the principles of citizen safety and security,
transparent and democratic politics, and peace in Okinawa and the entire East Asia region. Without a doubt, he will serve as governor of Okinawa with unparalleled excellence and integrity.

Local citizens and members of the media are invited to to join US for OKINAWA at various stops in our study program while in Okinawa. For more details of our activities on Saturday, September 23 rd and 25th, please see below.

9/23
08:30 Visit Kakazu no Takadai (view of Futenma Air Base)
10:00 Visit Kadena Base and Information center

09/25
08:30-09:30 Visit to Dugong Hill (Henoko)
15:00-16:00 Beach Clean-up activity at Henoko
16:00-17:00 COP 10 Action “Protect the Dugong” at Henoko!
18:30-19:30 Candle Action in front of Camp Schwab gate

For details of events and activities on September 24th, please contact Emilie McGlone at us.for.okinawa@gmail.com or 080-1295-7612 after September 22nd.

US for OKINAWA was founded in January of 2010 by Peace Boat staff members from the United States citizens residing in Japan. In cooperation with Peace Boat, US for OKINAWA organized its first study program to Okinawa in April of this year. Peace Boat is a Japan-based international non-governmental
and non-profit organization that works to promote peace, human rights, equal and
sustainable development and respect for the environment. Info: www.peaceboat.org

Visit to Dugong Hill (Henoko)
Beach Clean-up activity at Henoko
COP 10 Action “Protect the Dugong” at Henoko!
Candle Action in front of Camp Schwab gate