Think the Earth

Pastina Restaurant Interior:Creative Commons,Some Rights Reserved,Photo by Muy Yum

Many lives were lost in the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake. Rescue efforts are ongoing and the extent of the damages and the number of victims are still unknown, but what is certain is that it will be a long time before the beautiful Tohoku region, blessed with gifts from both the sea and the mountains, finds peace and tranquility again.

Mr. Yukio Kitsukawa, who co-founded the music magazine, "Rockin' On," is the director of the "Digital Media Research Center" (Meguro Tokyo). He has deep personal ties with Hachinohe city in Aomori prefecture, so he wanted to think of a scheme that would help people there in the long term. Hachinohe is one of the leading fishing ports in Tohoku, but currently the distribution channels to the Tokyo metropolitan area have been completely disrupted. Because there is no way to deliver the fresh fishes caught by fishermen, they have to be disposed of by incineration. The fishermen want to go back to work, but they can't... Mr. Kitsukawa and his team thought about how disappointed and dispirited these fishermen must be.

That is why the Digital Media Research Center proposed an idea to one of their long time friends, the Italian restaurant, "Osteria Del Bolgo" located in Hachinohe. The idea was this: a new, unique way of offering support by making a reservation with the restaurant and donating a course meal (5,000 yen or about 50 US dollars per person). The chef will incorporate local produce such as fishes and offer the course meal to the local residents for free. And people who have made a "reservation" will be able to enjoy a 2,500 yen course lunch once things in Hachinohe settles down.

The chef at the restaurant responded to this idea positively saying, "I wanted to go back to work, too!" He didn't waste any time. He immediately cooked hot curry and passed it out to the local people at a soup run. It was very well received. Perhaps the hot meal helped people who had remained silent until then open up, but he received feedback that people start talking to each other non-stop.

Going back to work will help lift the spirits of people who were lucky enough to escape the natural disaster unscathed. If this idea works well, the Digital Media Research Center hopes to get other restaurants in Hachinohe as well as in other regions of Tohoku involved. Why not take part in this new way of showing support and make a reservation at the restaurant?