Do you know green drinks? To empower social entrepreneurs who will create the future with their own hands, greenz organizes meet-up event “green drinks” all around Japan so that participants can exchange their own idea with each others.
Here, I would like to introduce an event held at Chofu, Tokyo.

To make social issues more closer.

A talk guest, Toshinari Yokoo is a ward councilor in Minato Ward, Tokyo. He is also a founder of a nonprofit organization, green bird, which is a network of cleaning up groups in many districts. Yokoo tries to make garbage issues more closer.

Toshinari Yokoo
When Yokoo was cleaning up a town, an elderly woman said

You don’t have to do this area. I’ll do here.

Then, he thought that trash picking can be more fun, if many people are involved. He also found out that if many people recognize green bird project, much money we have been used to hire cleaners would be reduced. Eventually he got to be a ward assemblyman to make use of politics with enjoyment.



A slogan is so simple. “Littering? That’s ugly and uncool!”
As a ward councilor in Minato Ward, Yokoo needs to hear people’s voice to get trust. He thinks a politician should be an informal facilitator through dialogue. This simply means local politics need to be recognized as more closer for people. Just like pushing “Likes” on facebook.
Do you feel politics as your own matter?

Media and dance?

Other guests on this event, Katsumi Omae and Norihito Ishii, are also having relations with their communities through different approaches.
Omae, who manages community a website to generate connections among people in Chofu, tries to decrease the number of crimes.

If all people know their face, the number of crime would decrease. That is why I am running a website to vitalize local community, and to create people friendly society.

Katsumi Omae
On the other hand, Norihito Ishii is a dancer belonging to Sankaijyuku which is a popular dance performance group in the world. He says,

Dancers need to be aware of what we should do and what is necessary for society. Especially if you are a professional performer. If you just want to keep dancing, you’d better do it as a hobby. Professional dancers are required to produce themselves. That’s why they should be conscious of social issues.

Norihito Ishii
If you feel social problems are too far from you, why don’t you start looking the place you live in? Then you might be able to find something you can do to create the better society.
[via Greenz.jp written by green drinks japan]
[English Text by YUKI HIRAYAMA]

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