May 29 - Last weekend I was extremely pleased to participate in the American Chamber of Commerce Chubu Chapter's Annual Charity Walkathon in Nagoya's Tsuruma Park. American companies in Nagoya began this tradition because they appreciated the friendship and support they received from the residents of Nagoya, and they wanted to give back to the community. The word "walkathon" comes from "walk" and "marathon." In a walkathon, large numbers of people "walk" a long distance together to draw attention to a worthwhile cause, while also engaging in a "marathon" of raising funds for charity.

This year we were pleased that Nagoya Mayor Kawamura joined the event. He started the walkathon by exciting the crowd with a bilingual speech, after which he shouted "yoi-don!" Then about three thousand of us started walking through the park, including families with small children in strollers, and people walking their dogs. Nagoya Consul Max Kwak walked with me on the five-kilometer, tree-lined course that student volunteers from the Nagoya International School had laid out. We walked through a rose garden and around a shallow pond with beautiful iris flowers. The students had decorated the route with festive red flags that displayed the names of companies that were donating to various local charities.

After finishing the walk, I visited many of the charities' information booths and ate a picnic lunch of yakitori and a barbeque beef sandwich. I met a young Japanese college student who heard about the event on the Internet and came down to volunteer. Throughout the day American and Japanese bands and performing artists demonstrated American-style activities like baton twirling, line dancing, and cheerleading. Seeing the many happy families enjoying the beautiful park together, I appreciated the work of the many volunteers from the American Chamber of Commerce Chubu Chapter and the Nagoya International School in sponsoring an event where Japanese and foreigners alike could meet each other and promote a common cause.

Until next time,

Jim