Bond of Friendship
Tea gathering (tea ceremony) to support the handcrafts for tea utensil in Noto Peninsula, which was affected by the earthquake disaster of January 1, 2024 in Japan.
On January 1 of this year, another severe earthquake struck Japan. The earthquake caused the worst devastation on the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, where the tremors locally reached a magnitude of 7.6 on the Richter scale. This led to widespread destruction in towns such as Wajima und Suzu, which are known for their traditional handicrafts. The natural disaster has had a significant impact on the local workshops involved in these crafts.
The donations collected will be directly forwarded to the organization in Japan in October, supporting the reconstruction of local culture.
The participants at the tea gatherings will be able to observe the use of special tea utensils from the region.
Tea gathering in the tea house Bokian with top quality Matcha tea from Uji and japanese sweets by tea master Nobuko Sōchō Sugai-Baumgarten / Chado Urasenke Tankokai Berlin Association
19:00, 19:45, 20:30, 21:15, 22:00 – 6 persons per sitting / We ask for voluntary donations (recommended donation: at least EUR 20 per person)
Top-quality macha tea from Uji with japanese sweets on the seats in front of the Bōkian teahouse
18:30 – 23:00 / We ask for voluntary donations (recommended donation: at least EUR 10 per person)
More information you can found under:
Long Night of Museums and Chanoyu – Japanese Way of Tea
Kizuna NPO can issue a donation receipt for your donation:
Account holder: „Kizuna in Berlin e.V.“
Konto: 66681100, BLZ: 10010010 (Postbank)
IBAN: DE09 1001 0010 0066 6811 00
BIC: PBNKDEFF
Purpose: Donation for Noto Earthquake Relief
The collected donations will be donated directly to the organization supporting the rebuilding of local handicrafts in Japan in October 2025. Kizuna in Berlin e.V. can issue you a donation receipt for your donation.
Chado Urasenke Teeweg-Verein Berlin e.V. in cooperation with „Kizuna in Berlin e. V.“
Nobuko Sugai + Dr. Frank Brose, Berlin, den 10.08.2025
Short report on Kizuna’s previous activities in Japan and Germany (2011 – 2024)
Since Kizuna-in-Berlin e.V. is now in its 14th year, we have compiled a brief, comprehensive photo report on our activities in Japan and Berlin, which you can download here in german language as a PDF-German and as a PPT-German and in japanese language as PDF-Japanese and PPT-Japanese.
Dr. Frank Brose / Kizuna in Berlin e.V., 18. April 2025
And which we continue now, 3 years after the great triple disaster?
In the last years we, the members of Kizuna in Berlin (NPO), visited five times the disaster region mainly in the Iwate prefecture for the voluntary works. By the last visit in April 2014 we had the impression that tasks, which we can master, are still present, but very few. That is a good indication for the fact that the reconstruction has progressed. We want to support the reconstruction however further. There is also the project of Tsubasa (wing). We want to continue the project, which took place for the first time in the last year, and to invite further pupils from the disaster region to Germany.
However the problems still exist around Fukushima. Because the atomic power plants of Fukushima Daiichi are not – against the messages of the Abe Shinzô government – by any means „under control “. Almost 150,000 humans live further under provisional conditions.
The government accomplishes the decontamination work in parts of the Fukushima prefecture and announces, the partial region is again habitable, but the radiation there is still higher than 1 mSv/y. Often children cannot at all play therefore outside.
We want to pursue locally with our partner, „NPO Tôno Magokoro Net “, following projects.
1) Establishment of a network for citizens‘ initiatives for the building of local power stations with renewable energies, so that the municipalities become independent from the large current suppliers, who operate atomic power plants. We will work with German companies of renewable energies.
2) Establishment of a network, which is to seize two groupings and mediate with one another: a) resettlement-willing from the Fukushima region; b) places in other parts of Japan, those suffer under population decrease and are not burdening by radiation.
3) Invitation of children from the Fukushima region to cure, so that they can spend a few weeks in healthy environment with healthy eating.
20th of August 2014
Dr. Hiroomi Fukuzawa
The Project –– Bond of Friendship
The events of March 11th – the great quake, the tsunami, the nuclear plant accident – did move us here in Germany. The leaks of radioactive material triggered panic reactions – foreigners were fleeing from Japan in great numbers, especially Germans, who have already experienced the Chernobyl-catastrophe of 1986 and since developed a strong anti-nuclear movement. However among the young Germans with whom we’ve spoken there is great interest in going to Japan to make an actual active contribution to the disaster relief operations.
For years now a tendency of mental withdrawal (uchimuki-shiko) is emerging among the Japanese youth: fewer and fewer Japanese want to go abroad and confront other cultures. According to the statistics of the Japanese Ministry for Education the number of Japanese studying abroad was 11% less than the year before that. Exchange study among schoolchildren saw a 25% decrease on the Japanese side as well. Against this tendency of voluntary isolation we want to make a small contribution by going to Japan with young people to do practical volunteer work in the disaster zones, with Japanese youth if possible. Apart from that we want to discuss energy policy and anti-nuclear movements in Germany and Japan with students and residents, in order to exchange thoughts and opinions about our global future. From 9.14. to 9.30. we, 16 member of Kizuna, did our contribution. „English Report„, there are also German or Japanese Report“.
Support Kizuna!
In order to carry out our plan we depend on donations, for many of us – students and other under-financed people – cannot afford the financial side. Thank you!
Our Bank: „Kizuna in Berlin e.V.“,
Konto: 66681100, BLZ: 10010010, IBAN: DE09 1001 0010 0066 6811 00, BIC: PBNKDEFF
Concerning donations please contact Dr. Hiroomi Fukuzawa
e-mail: kizuna.projekt@googlemail.com
Contact us
Information about the project and participation:
Dr. Hiroomi Fukuzawa
e-mail: kizuna.projekt@googlemail.com