The year of 2006 has passed by like a flash. Last year, I flew to Kenya twice, Vienna Austria twice and Korea..I don't even remember how many times I went, plus two times to China. Ever since the time I was working for the toy company 10 years ago, I would go on many business trips. I used to have business trips every month back then and now I would say I go once every one and a half month, although I am finding that my jet lags are getting worse each time.. maybe it is due to my age..

One of the Pangaean children whom I know has grown as nearly as 30cm in the past two and a half years since I first met him/her. We only get together once or twice per month, however, our bond and the relationship of trust have been developed as we do get to see each other regularly. I can see some of them grow into their puberty and it is pleasing to me to see those children who had not done anything but to joke around start working very hard on creating their work to show the other children.

We have made much progress on the development division and our research project has started as well. We will be putting all our energy and hearts into our activity to make another big jump from our current 4-country program. Please stay with us and give us your continuous support.

We are kicking off our activity in Mie prefecture in January, 2007. We will also continue to work closely with our Korean team holding various simultaneous activities regularly. We will try to throw in our new activities in the menus there as well. The number of our staff is limited and we are the fledgling group of people, but we are moving forward. I wish you all a very happy New Year.

Yumiko Mori

It has already turned into 2007 while I have been keeping myself busy with system development, preparation for the new branch in Mie prefecture and server maintenance in December.

I spent New Year's at home in Gifu eating rice-cakes (mochi) which Japanese people eat at this time of year. I knew they would lead me to metabolic syndrome (*This is a sort of common trend word in Japan to alert health condition from thirty's) but I couldn't stop eating them as it was so good. I was running around Tokyo> Kyoto> Osaka> Kyoto> Mie> Tokyo in the beginning ten days of this year. Starting the year with lots of business trips, I feel like I worked hard. I would like to reflect my work and achieve a result effectively.

In 2007, our R&D team aims to improve communication system utilizing Webcam, to systematize a Pangaea staff's community, and to enrich PangaeaNet contents. At the same time, I would like to write a lot about Pangaea in the form of research papers more than the last year. Also, I am going to consolidate intellectual property, for example, by adopting a license form called Creative Commons to some content. Today, I had a meeting with Pangaea core staffs and talked that we should also accelerate overseas operations.

Where there's a will, there's a way. My goal of this year is to go further into Pangaea's mission.
Thank you for your continuous support to Pangaea and best wishes for your New Year!

Toshiyuki Takasaki

Happy New Year! 4 years have past since I first met with Yumi and Toshi in 2003. At the beginning of this year, I am deeply concerned with the passage of time which makes Toshi, who was fresh, care about metabolic syndrome. Just kidding. (Maybe you look more dignified, Toshi.)

Looking back on past years, Pangaea's evolution really surprises me a lot. It is everyone's effort or ingenuity to overcome stumbling blocks that brought such evolution and has materialized as a Pangaea activity. There is not much chance to feel such fulfillment.

Although an activity goes well, I hear some children say "I finished doing all stuffs! Isn't there any new play ?" Especially children in Suginami branch are so avid about plays that they seem to totally eat up all the plays. They have already re-drew their house and favorites map over and over so that I and facilitators gave children some comments about their work or talked about their school life to make up. When we began to feel the limit, I've got happy news from the Kyoto R&D center saying new plays were produced. Great! However it doesn't mean that we have no problem. There is a big issue to solve how technically we develop children's work in PangaeaNet. We cannot call it perfect until both analog and digital activity is fulfilled. Counting on you, Mr. Takasaki!

Every idea materializes little by little by your efforts. I am where I can appreciate such enjoyment and greatness. My resolution of this year is to be thankful. It is thankful that I can stay happy. At the same time, I am happy to be filled with such thankfulness. I am really thankful to you who let me feel in that way.

May the New Year be full of happiness for you who keep supporting Pangaea.

Mariko Yamazaki

It was this February that I met Pangaea firstly through the study group of Kyung Hee university, Prof. Kyoung Jun Lee. When I only listened to the name of Pangaea, I didn't understand its activities, or have a lot of interesting of them either.


However, after listening to the presentation of Yumi and Toshi, I thought this activity could make an earthshaking change for political surroundings in the world.

When I listened to the dramatic trouble which made them started Pangaean activity, it reminded me of vivid memory of the second grade of High school. Thought Pangaea was born from accidental terror violence, it made me strongly understood "childlike innocence" and "World" which are completely different from terror violence. Furthermore, Pangaean activity gave me a new impact.

I think the most important thing is "Basis" in my life though I'm still young so far. Whatever we do, basis is the most important. The policy of Nonproliferation of Terror/Nuclear weapons in the world have a limit and could be very vulnerable because they don't have a basis. I think the World Peace which Pangaea creates from now never break soon because children will create future society and Pangaea makes an effort for the World Peace with them.

Sometimes I wonder when this persistent effort can bear a visible fruit, but after finishing activities, that idea has gone and I always believe finally this activity must bear a wonderful fruit even though the effect of activity is very tiny at first. I always look at a beautiful smile of children who can communicate with friends amongst Japan, Kenya and Austria.
I joined significant and helpful Pangaean activity three times. I stop joining it and soon I'll be conscripted into the army. Now this actual condition made me deepened affection for Pangaea. If Pangaea made the future World Peace, we couldn't have needed for army. I hope so.

I'm thankful to Yumi, who always cheers me up with a passion and an ambition, and Toshi, who loves one-pot dish with veggies and big chunks of meat, for giving me an opportunity of joining Pangaea activity again. During the term I go to the army, I make an effort to create a time to join the next activity.

As butterfly effect; namely butterfly flaps in Beijing, China will make a storm in NY, USA next month, I hope Pangaean activity will contribute greatly to the world peace. A tiny step for the world peace, Pangaea!!!

Byun Chang-Min

• 2006.12.08 Pangaea Activity at Ogikubo-Kita Childrens'House in Suginami, Tokyo
• 2006.12.16 Pangaea Activity at Uehara Junior High School in Shibuya, Tokyo
• 2006.12.22 Pangaea Activity at Ogikubo-Kita Childrens'House in Suginami, Tokyo
• 2006.12.23 Pangaea Activity at COCON Karasuma, Kyoto
• 2006.12.29 Kumakinoko Blog put up on Pangaea HP

These are A-kun's, or Mr. A’s drawn on January 20th at the activity held in Shibuya, Tokyo.

Pangaea staffs started calling Mr. A’s in Pangaea logo “A-kun”, as they are in the shape of the persons holding up their arms. Please see authentic A-kun’s in our logo that you can find at the upper right corner of this page. We asked children to draw their original A-kun at our activity.

Pangaea started its activity at Mie Pref. Site today with the participation of twenty children from five local grammar schools. All participants were excited about the event, and they were eager to find out about Pangaea from facilitators.

Three American facilitators participated, and some children who paired with them were trying very hard to interview them, so that they can introduce them to everyone in Tako-Introduction.

Simultaneous activity is planned between Mie and Seoul, Korea in March. Everybody involved is looking forward to the site's future development.

The activity at Mie Pref. is part of the project sponsored by the Ministry of Education.