After two years of break, Pangaea returned to Tokyo for webcam activity!　 The　September 11 attacks motivated to start Pangaea, and September 11 of this year we held the “the webcam interexchange event between Japan and Korea” in Tokyo and Seoul!
In Tokyo it usually used to be held in the school in Shibuya but this time we could use a wonderful facility of NTT Intercommunication Center(ICC) for the activity. We enjoyed interexchange with 19 people including 5 new members. Network problems occurred, however we enjoyed “Koetsuna”, “match game” and “Nazoren” with children’s patience.



We surveyed children before and after the activity. Answers of questions ‘What do you think about Korea and Korean people?’ are below.

The survey results
Q. What do you think about Korea and Korean people? (19 respondents)
(Before)
Like very much 11%
Like 21%
Average 63 %
Don’t like 5%

(After)
Like very much 47%
Like 37%
Average 16%

Before the activity started, free answers of the question were ‘I don’t know’ or ‘They seem they like spicy food’. But after the activity their answers turned to more personal answers such as “kind people”, “Definitely it must be fun to meet them in person” and “cheerful and fun”.

This time Nippon Telegraph and Telephone East Corporation (NTT EAST) readily agreed to let us use ICC for the activity site, OKWave Inc., HONEST Co.,ltd., Geisha Tokyo Entertainment Inc., and JAPAN ART PLANNING CENTER also supported for this event. Furthermore, we had Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan at support this event.
‘Nazoren’ was developed in NICT. We used a multi-language service of Language Grid Toolbox which was operated by Kyoto University Graduate school of Informatics Department of Social Informatics.
In addition to these organizations, thank you all the Kyoto volunteers who prepared materials in advance, other volunteers who helped us setting up and running the activity, and ICC staff members. We achieved a great success with them. Again I really appreciate all of them who were involved in this activity. Thank you very much!

I remember this word from children after the event: “It was fun! Please do this again!”
Pangaea is going to keep working hard. I hope that you will continue to favor us with your support and encouragement.

Takekazu Hanada a.k.a Hana-pooh
Chief Administrative Officer

Hello Everybody!

The extremely hot summer continues here in Japan, and with humidity as well, people in Japan are getting a bit tired. I am fine, despite of hot weather, as my apartment in Kyoto is now set with two air conditioners. This month, we are getting ready for the Webcam event between Korea and Japan, planned on September 11th of next month. Tokyo will be the Japan webcam location, and we have "Nippon Telegraph and Telephone East Corporation ("NTT EAST")to provide us their facility at NTT InterCommunication Center [ICC], at Tokyo Opera City. We also have other companies to support us, OKWave Inc., Geisha Tokyo Entertainment Inc., HONEST Co.,ltd., and JAPAN ART PLANNING CENTER. It has been a while for us to invite press, but we will this time. Usually Toshi or I are in another side, but for this coming event, we have Toto, Sophia, and Hong, all very reliable members in Seoul, so we will be in Tokyo.
We have Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan at support this event. Also National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan.



About the Tokyo Pangaea program, we have a Facilitator Leader Group called YoyoPan, Pangaea in Yoyogi for short. Members include Yamamari, who is now 8 months pregnant, whose husband is Kotaro, a Pangaea staff in 2005. They have met each other through Pangaea, and got married few years ago, and will have a Pangaea baby soon. How exciting! Yamamari is an experienced FL, and even with her heavy tummy, she helps and gives advice through the Internet and also on site. She says she will be at the Webcam event, but that will be only a month away from full term. The baby in her tummy may be surprised when everyone plays Koetsuna Voice Game.

During this summer, we have a few interns in Kyoto office to help us. Yoshio who has been an excellent Technical volunteer in Kyoto, and will be there to help Toshi develop necessary Tech tools. Things are quite hectic, but we are all enjoying and looking forward to show Pangaea in Tokyo.

Now, I introduce Ms. Hiroko Otsubo, being in charge of a facilitator volunteer as a Pangaea Ring Writer for this month. She is going to be FL in the event in this autumn and contribute to Pangaea more and more!

Yumi

Now, I introduce Ms. Hiroko Otsubo, being in charge of a facilitator volunteer as a Pangaea Ring Writer for this month. She is going to be FL in the event in this autumn and contribute to Pangaea more and more!



Hi everyone! How are you doing?

I am Hiroko Otsubo, also known as “Chubo”. I work as a facilitator in Kyoto University. I love traveling abroad, especially to developing countries. It’s been more than one year since I started volunteering for Pangaea.
Kadoppe-san introduced me to Pangaea because I was looking for a volunteer job relating with children.
I remember that even though I don’t know much about network technology, I had a good impression when I heard about Pangaea for the first time.
There are many kinds of other activities, such as playing with children and helping their study. But I was attracted by Pangaea because they are trying for world peace with a global outlook, cooperating with a lot of people such as facilitators and technical staffs, and more than anything I just felt it would be fun!
Even though anti-discrimination activities are getting more active all around the world, we haven’t been able to abolish it yet.
We understand that discrimination is wrong, however we unconsciously tend to have bias and prejudice. Therefore it is very important to establish relationships with people from other countries beginning as children, like Pangaea offers in their activities.

The most appealing thing in Pangaea for me is to be able to see how children are delightful during an activity. I see: nervous yet excited, leadership and helpful explanation of things to younger kids, being pleased to show me things they made with their best effort, consideration from other country’s children with respect of other culture and values, happily telling other children about responses from abroad with their bright eyes and so on.

I meet children just once a month, so I found that they are growing up so fast. Each child has a totally different personality.　I look forward to seeing lovely children every month!

Hiroko Otsubo
Kobe City University of Foreign Studies
Division of International Relations