Aichi Prefecture

Food banks are a widely recognized part of the community in certain countries, including the United States. Here in Japan as well, the concept is more recent, but is beginning to take off. Food banks collect safe but unsaleable food products from companies, including products with misprinted or damaged packages, dented food cans, and products nearing the end of their shelf-life. The banks then donate this food to charitable organizations that provide support for the homeless and those going through hardship. This past January, an NPO called Second Harvest Nagoya (SHN) was launched as the first food bank organization in the Tokai region. To expand its activities, this past July, SHN then participated in Tokai’s largest food industry event.

Convention center where the event was held

The event, held in Nagoya City, was hosted by Tokan Co., Ltd., a wholesaler active in food loss prevention and food bank activities. At an event attended by some 460 companies, Tokan provided a booth for SHN as one of the company’s efforts to support such activities. Many individuals from the food industry dropped by Second Harvest Nagoya’s booth during the two-day event to learn about food bank activities.

The food collected is distributed to fatherless families, the homeless, foreign residents in Japan, and others in need. Since so many people are unable to afford food, the efforts of charitable activities often fall short. Second Harvest Nagoya set out this year to improve and expand these activities. It is starting off this year, the year of its launch, with an energetic program of promotional activities, including participation in various events and visits paid directly to corporations.

Through its booth at the food event, the Nippon Foundation-funded SHN secured appointments with several companies for future discussions. “We want to thank everyone who supports our activities,” said Ms. Yoshiko Kawarai, the NPO’s executive secretary. “In addition to the food collected, the contributions from each individual and organization inspire us to continue in our efforts. It is our hope that our activities will help people who are seeking to rebuild their lives.”

SHV Staff

SHN’s staff members come from diverse backgrounds. They include housewives, students, corporate executives, foreign residents in Japan, and university professors. Through food, the organization is linked to a wide range of people and organizations, including companies, the needy, and agencies involved in providing support to those in need. This past May, SHN launched a campaign in which it collected food nearing its expiration date from the general public, and distributed it to the poor. Such activities have helped to establish a channel through which ordinary households can contribute to SHN’s charitable activities. The group has also given a lecture at the request of a local junior high school, an event that drew positive feedback from the students.

Stressing the significance of the organization’s activities, Ms. Kawarai concluded, “Our activities don’t just help mitigate poverty issues, they reach an even broader spectrum of society by helping to address environmental issues through food.”