Nichigo Network
Newsletter / May 2020
We hope this finds you and your loved ones well and safe.
Throughout the month of April and during Golden Week, we shifted our focus temporarily to celebrate the acts of kindness and positive stories we were seeing come out of Australia and Japan. While the coronavirus has been an unprecedented shock to the world, the pandemic has shown us that small moments of solidarity and friendship can be powerful forces for change and serve as stimulus for good in our communities.
Stimulus for Good Roundup
Here’s a summary of our favourite stories from the past month:
From Japan:
Supporting hospitality staff in Tokyo
Smile Food Project is a group providing bento lunches to hospital staff in Tokyo.
Sending a little love to others
Whether for yourself, your neighbours, those overwhelmed with their kids needing a little food-based love and attention, Let Tokyo Eat Cake will bake and deliver cakes for you.
Ideas to support local businesses
Online Party Market lets you download a background photo of your favourite restaurant or bar for 500 yen for use at your next online drinking party.
Kitch Hike lets you buy a “voucher” that you can use at member restaurants once it’s safe to wine and dine again.
From Australia
Help with staying healthy during the lockdown
Here's a list of 23 online free Pilates classes for everyone, from the super fit to the beginner.
Give goods and $$
The national platform not for profit GIVIT will help connect your goods and donations to those most in need. You can search a list of needs too.
Virtual volunteering opportunities
Take up a virtual volunteering role. There's plenty to choose wherever you are.
As always, tag us @koaladachi #nichigonetwork with your #stimulusforgood stories!
What's Next?
We are very pleased to announce that from 1 June 2020, Nichigo Network will enter into a partnership with Melanie Brock Advisory to support the ‘Celebrating Women of Japan’ project. Originally launched by Nichigo Network’s Representative Director Melanie Brock on 1 April 2018, 'Celebrating Women of Japan' builds on the amazing work by Dr Kirstin Ferguson who in 2017 gathered profiles of more than 700 women from as many as 37 countries and published their profiles on social media. Throughout 2018, Celebrating Women of Japan published daily profiles of a broad range of Japanese women and continues to recognise and celebrate the achievements by both Japanese and Australian women living in Japan.
To become involved or to nominate an amazing woman you know, tag us on social media or email us her profile.
Twitter: @womenofjapan
Facebook: @CelebratingWomenJPN
As always, if you know of anyone, Australian or Japanese, who would be interested in joining Nichigo Network and sharing their stories, forward this on. Let’s make Australia and Japan more connected!
Melanie, Cristina, Eve, Shoma