AKARI LANTERN PROJECT

We are a group of people, both Japanese and non-Japanese, raising money for Tohoku, 6 months to the day after the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami of 11 March. Come and join us!

We're raising money for the JAPAN SOCIETY TOHOKU RELIEF FUND which is helping local communities affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. We are holding lantern-making workshops and other Japanese craft activities on the grass outside Tate Modern on Saturday, 10th and Sunday 11th September 2011.

The culmination of the two days will be a LANTERN PARADE in the Thames Festival Night Carnival on the Sunday evening, with members of the Japanese community and friends, accompanied by Japanese drumming by the JOJI HIROTA TAIKO DRUMMERS. Although, of course, we intend to raise money throughout the weekend - by giving people the opportunity to take part by making lanterns out of recycled bottles, creating their own pin badges, origami cranes and stop-frame animation - the main purpose is to raise awareness, six months after Great East Japan Earthquake.

LANTERNS
We are collecting and recycling old mineral water bottles to make lanterns. Please bring along your 1.5- and 2-litre empty water bottles. You can decorate them with Japanese designs and originalcalligraphy with Japanese calligraphy experts. Take them home or join us in the lantern parade on Sunday evening!

BADGES
Come and make your own pin badge and show your support for the children of the Tohoku region of Japan. Your badge can have your name written in Japanese, manga designs, or simply the Akari Lantern Project logo.

ORIGAMI CRANES
Japanese paper-folding, origami, is famous throughout the world. An ancient Japanese legend promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane, such as long life or recovery from illness or injury. Let’s see if we can make a thousand over the weekend.

STOP-FRAME ANIMATION ‘OENDAN’
This is your chance to be part of an online project by Animatsuda to show support for those in north-eastern Japan by being a part of your very own ‘oendan’ (Japanese cheerleading video).  (First oendan video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IsD0QqhFbs)

We are also looking for people to join us in the Night Carnival join in the lantern parade in the Thames Festival NIGHT CARNIVAL on Sunday, 11th September.
Bring your bottles to the Embassy of Japan, the Japan Society, ICN gallery, or the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation - Bring your yukata, happi or hakama and join in the lantern parade!

More details of how to take part and how to sign up can be found on the Japan Society website at: www.japansociety.org.uk/20077/thamesfestival/.