I chose to spend my LiA time working for an NPO in Tokyo that deals with some of Japan's most vulnerable communities in a way that is impactful and sustainable. As such, my work at Second Harvest Japan, or 2HJ, thus far has been focused on both strategizing for the long term, and supporting daily activities. With the mission of "working with others to create a food safety-net so everyone can eat," 2HJ has two main functions; on the one hand, it is a food bank (the first and largest in Japan operating since 2002), and on the other hand, it is a food pantry. The food bank works as a bridge to connect food donors with social organizations that support people in need. From orphanages to disaster victims, the people these social organizations help range in age, location and life experiences. Similarly, the food pantry, called Marugohan, is an emergency support program that welcomes individuals who are in need of food. Thursday through Saturday, people can come and collect nutritious items ranging from fresh vegetables to non-perishable goods in a shopping-style set-up arranged by volunteers. 

In my first two weeks here, I have visited the main warehouse in in Yashio, Saitama Prefecture, to help prepare the set of donations that would later be transported to Noto (the peninsula affected by an earthquake earlier this year) as well as worked in the in Asakusabashi main office by crafting a research report and helping out with the pantry. The visit to Yashio was eye-opening. It was so inspiring to see the volunteers – many of which are past the age of retirement – help organize and coordinate the logistics to efficiently allocate the food boxes. Though many people often think donations to food banks consist exclusively of food, monetary funds and in-kind donations are also incredibly necessary. There are some companies that have donated things like trucks that massively help distribute out the food, and of course, monetary donations allow 2HJ to increase their staff, office space, storage space, and overall activity levels. My work at Asakusabashi is aimed at exactly this by thinking about how food banks in Latin America operate, and what are some potential strategies 2HJ could implement, particularly with regards to fundraising. I've been looking into Chile, Brazil, Mexico and Argentina as examples to compare and contrast which has proven quite insightful given the diversity of models. While Chile has essentially 3 private food banks in the whole country, Brazil has over 230 with a mix of private and public. This situates 2HJ in an interesting position; it is the only food bank in Japan, receiving little to no help from the government, but with the aspiration of establishing a network of food banks. As such, they need more partners invested in creating a sustainable food network that reaches even more people. 

I will be finishing my report soon, and moving on to help out with a short 3-min video that introduces 2HJ to prospective donors in English which will be posted on their website. So far, I am so moved by the volunteers' tenacity and strength, and the managers at 2HJ have been nothing but welcoming and kind. I anticipate the next couple of weeks will be just as inspiring, if not more!