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BND Japan Archive
2003
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Media
Word spread like wildfire through internet and NGO networks, especially IMC
Japan ,Sloth Club
, and anti-war groups. Not much reaction so far from mainstream journalism ?
since no-one was out on the street in Tokyo, it's off their screen! But at least
in Kyoto, we had brought our own media- photo cameras (Markuz, Taro), video
cam (the Nishidas), and independent media savy! In past year's, newspapers refused
to carry our story because they thought it was not a message they want to put
out there when “the economic situation is not good." (Kyoto Shinbun).
So this year we put into our press release that BND is good for the economy:
"the fair trade economy! the organic and local economy!", and quoted a business
owner, "BND is good for all of us!" But I guess they only care about the GDP
after all (and whatever happens in Tokyo). So more than ever I think- BND and
the Big Question Campaign ("economists must learn to subtract") need to go together!
Again and again: When people go “Isn't it bad for the economy?" We have
to ask back: “Is the economy good for us?" Actually, the biggest BND media
event was the un-commercial broadcast on the Discovery Japan channel in Tokyo
and Yokohama! Three cheers to Taizo (also the brains and muscles behind the
adbusters japan website) who pulled it off again!
Network
Helps to have a well-maintained website with our own fancy domain!
http://www.bndjapan.org
NGO networking is tops: the emerging Slow Life movement, the popular anti-war
movement as well as the brand-new Indymedia Japan are our natural allies- and
we're starting to get hooked up ! Vocal support from fair trade and organic
food ? both business and NGOs (endorsements from Tengu
Natural Foods and Global
Village ).
Mailing List: Lots of new mailing list sign ups (Japanese and English lists)-
now we're up to combined 260 people from all over Japan, up 60 from Mid-October!
Website was crammed with posters, flyers and stickers for downloads, some of
which even got used hahaha!
--Gabi, networker
OKINAWA Zenta
The 1st Annual Okinawa BND Zenta sitting was fun. I sat in the center of a large
shopping area called Mihama American Village - it's frequented by both American
and Japanese shoppers. I was sitting in meditation for about 1.5 hours before
someone came and asked me to move due to a scheduled event in that space. Still,
it was noticed for sure. People walked by, smiled, laughed, asked for literature,
took a copy of the "shopping checklist" and even asked me a few questions.
Next year I plan on expanding the event to a larger group of Santas and elves
to hand out flyers (probably my students!).
--Andrea
OSAKA Buy Nothing People REPORT
This is Ken from Osaka. It rained on BND, but that did not get us down! We found
lots of Buy Nothing People. Of course, we took plenty of fotos of them [holding
the BND poster], like last year! One of the BND Osaka team, a college student,
was afraid of getting wet, so she stayed athome, but the rest of us- Matsu,
Ryo, 4 others and me- walked around a shopping area, talking to people and taking
pictures. Not just on BND itself, but after as well, so we got to talk to many
people about BND, and made lots of new connections. That was BND Osaka: wet
but fun. [note: Ken Munkata is a photographer and designer- cheers to him for
the BND Japan logo and the BND Osaka poster]
(transl. by Gabi)
KYOTO '03 Encounters
BND synergy with yahoo! BB phone sales promotion???
The broadband provider is doing a massive campaign. They're all over town
(and TV). One group set up shop next to our traditional Zenta spot, dressed
in red -like us. They got really interested in my flyers, even taking some and
starting to hand them out, really professionally. One of them started to shout
- “Hey, why not buy something for a day!"- “For the environment!"
Another stuck a BND sticker on the FREE broadband decoder they were trying to
push on people (well, free only if you ignore the ecological cost, of course).
But they were quick to notice that my flyers were garbage and that I had paid
for them- I said, “No kidding, I spent myself to the wall on BND this
year! And you should ask our friend in Tokyo what he paid for the BND un-commercial
broadcast! “How absurd and hypocritical your whole thing is!" Me: “Show
me one thing in this world that's not absurd and hypocritical!"
NGOs are pathetic?
Another guy from from yahoo!BBphone said, “you guys are OK, you finance
your own activities, but how about these pitiful NGOs that beg for money on
the street (he was referring to Habitat for Humanity)." Me: “How about
you guys- you're asking for money- you just call it a sales promotion!" He:
“That's business and business is GOOD.". Me: “For whom?" He: “huh???"
Of course we had the camera running.
The corporate flag
Another yahoo guy looked at the corporate flag (designed by Adbusters) and
was fascinated- he started rattling down all the names of the companiesc he
recognized all the logos except Sprint. “Right, these are all American
companiesc but what are they doing on the American flag?"-“Yeah, that's
what we would all like to know." I don't think he got what I explained after
that though. In the end, all the Yahoo! guys were happy to get organic peppermint
tea and Macha-au-lait (whipped green tea with milk and sugar).
Cigarettes on Buy Nothing Day?
We also gave some fair trade coffee to (maybe drug-or prostitution pushing?) black-coated
youngsters who asked us worriedly if it would be OK to buy cigarettes on BND.
Yuki was going to say- hey, BND is yours, do what you want - but I went, “Cigarettes!
Every day is BND for those!" they laughed and took off.
How bad is bad enough?
A chemist from Germany said he had no time, but eventually stood with us for 20
minutes talking. He was pretty distraught about the “insane amount of plastic"
he throws away in Japan but thinks that it will give him a job in the industry
if people waste lots. “Jobs or environment? There's no way out. “
he said. Me- “but don't you worry about where we're going?" He- “I
think something really bad needs to happen so we make a change." Me, “how
bad does it have to get?"
No way to save the world?
A tourist from Spain: “I can't buy much at all. But everyone shops like
mad. I think there's no way back from the environmental holocaust. “ Me:
“I refuse to accept that." He: “More power to you. Keep up the good
work."
Why do we have no money? group
One passer-by said, “Our group does something similar. We stop people on
the street and ask them: eHow come I never have money, even though I never seem
to buy anything? Do you have this problem too?'"
The Zenta family of the year:
so far, the Yamazakis (2002- 5 members ages 8-64) and the Matsumuras (2001, 3
members) were tops, but this year the Nishidas stole the show with the youngest
Zenta Kazuha (2), sleeping in Zenta pop or moms arms, while the other tried to
get more footage for the BND documentary.
Zenta friends
Participants had a great time together- so much so that we got all busy taking
pictures of each other and together and eating and drinking and chatting - we'll
have to have a proper party when we come back.
(Report by Gabi, Japanese translation by Peco)
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