New award honors women making grassroots social change in Japan
Japanese women who work for social change out of the public eye often go unrecognized, but a new award aims to change that by honoring unsung heroes who effect grassroots reform in their communities.
While national and international headlines abound about Japan's declining birthrate, aging population and gender equality issues, philanthropist Atsuko Fish has been busy creating the Champion of Change Japan Award.
Sponsored by the Boston-based Fish Family Foundation and Tokyo's Public Resource Foundation, it honors women making efforts independent of government or major nonprofits to improve society by providing basic human necessities, such as food, shelter and emotional support, to those in need.
"In Japan, so many wonderful women have been making contributions (to society), but they are not well known and the work they do is not well valued yet," Fish, 71, said in an interview with Kyodo News. "We want to honor women who are working quietly and diligently at the grassroots level for their community and society."
Fish, who moved from Japan to the United States in the 1970s, received the Champion of Change award from the White House in the category of Asian American and Pacific Islander women in 2013 for her efforts to empower women in the United States and Japan. The Japanese version of the award is her latest endeavor and an expression of thanks for the recognition she received.
NHK - Nov 25
A Japanese government panel has proposed changes to a program for on-the-job training of foreign workers after the initiative was cited for labor abuses.
Dogen - Nov 24
Learn Japanese pitch-accent and pronunciation from my Patreon Series "Japanese Phonetics"
Watercolor by Shibasaki - Nov 22
This is Shibasaki, a painting instructor. Today I would like to draw a cute little squirrel with crayon. You are also welcome to try drawing while watching the video.
NHK - Nov 21
Japan has begun holding exams for foreign workers whose job types have been newly added to the list of fields that are eligible to get the country's Category 2 residence status.
News On Japan - Nov 20
A video discussing false molestation accusations ("chikan enzai") has been resonating on social media, coinciding with the introduction of a men-only carriage.
News On Japan - Nov 18
The sudden shutdown of Hoyu, a company managing school lunch programs, in September has had widespread effects, as school meal providers nationwide face critical losses.
Nikkei - Nov 17
Foreign workers in a new international trainee program that Japan plans to launch may be able to switch jobs after up to two years, according to a new proposal published by an expert government panel Wednesday.
nbcnews.com - Nov 16
Behind the barbed wire, the little boy pressed his ink-covered index finger onto the mint-green exit card. And a photograph was snapped of his frightened face.
News On Japan - Nov 14
A proposal to raise the rate of childcare leave benefits from the current 80% to 100% of take-home income would require both parents to take at least 14 days off, according to Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
News On Japan - Nov 12
A 48-year-old man who runs a tutoring school in Osaka has been arrested and charged for swindling 8.5 million yen in cash from a student's mother under the pretext of investment funds.
ROME REPORTS in English - Nov 12
Professor Saho Matsumoto says that the Vatican's diplomatic intervention saved many World War II Japanese prisoners.
Japanese natural beekeeping - Nov 12
Join us on an unexpected journey as we tackle a daring removal of a hornet's nest from our backyard. But what comes next is even more astonishing – we transform this potential danger into a unique dining experience for our flock of silkies!
NHK - Nov 09
Japanese Major League baseball star Ohtani Shohei says he plans to donate 60,000 gloves to elementary schools across Japan.
TAKASHii from Japan - Nov 06
Meet Kazu, a Japanese polyglot who speaks countless languages.
Sora The Troll - Nov 04
Japan VS Countries in Anime Style
medievalists.net - Nov 04
Time, a seemingly universal dimension, reveals its diverse facets across societies, historical epochs, and cultural contexts. The research project TIMEJ at the University of Zurich presents a fresh perspective on time in Medieval Japan, a concept far from unified.