Toyoshima & Co., Ltd. of a trading company specializing in textiles (President & CEO: Hanshichi Toyoshima, Nagoya City Naka-ku Organic cotton brand "Ogabits" developed by Nishiki 2-15-15) jointly held the eighth spring cherry tree planting event on March 25 (Sun) and 26 (Mon) at the Oshika Peninsula Koamikurahama Takadai Relocation Site in Ishinomaki City in collaboration with the NPO Sakura Namiki Network "Sakura Namiki Project", and planted 41 sakura trees.
Tree planting party on the 25th
The "Sakura Namiki Project" began in 2012 with the planting of cherry trees in areas where the tsunami that occurred in the Tohoku region after the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred. , The total amount donated was 6,083,630 yen, and 177 cherry trees were planted.
On March 25, 60 local residents of the Koamikurahama Takadai relocation area and apparel brand officials planted 40 cherry tree saplings together and exchanged their thoughts on cherry blossoms. We shared as we went along.
MONKEY MAJIK planting seedlings. The seedlings are covered with a cover that allows sunlight to pass through to protect against deer.
On the 26th, a tree was planted by the popular musician MONKEY MAJIK, whose tour was sponsored by Orgabits in the fall of 2017. Products that support the "Sakura Namiki Project" were adopted as tour goods, and this time we received a donation equivalent to one cherry tree sapling.
Mr. TAX, the drummer who participated in the tree planting, said, "The cherry blossoms make me feel soft, and if they become a symbol of the city, I think it will be a good city with a rich heart. While discovering things I want to come and things I can do, I want to do things that bring happiness to everyone, centering on music,” he said, expressing his strong feelings for the recovery of the Tohoku region.
Orgabits is developing the Sakura Namiki Project, in cooperation with fashion brands, attaching hangtags to the products it supports and donating 10 yen for each product sold to the NPO Sakura Namiki Network. Through this project, we will work to support Tohoku reconstruction from the fashion industry.
■ Planting site of this time
Koamikurahama on the Oshika Peninsula used to be a thriving area for aquaculture (oysters and sardines), but was devastated by the tsunami that followed the Great East Japan Earthquake. I fell victim to the tsunami. Before the earthquake, the population was 226 people and 56 households, but 7 years after the earthquake, there are now 33 households, about half of the population. The Koamikurahama Highland relocation site has seen a severe loss of young people, and there are many elderly households.
■ Reason for choosing this place
Considering the problems of population outflow and aging in the area, we decided to plant trees at the relocation site of Koamikurahama Highland because we wanted to bring a smile to the local people by planting cherry trees.
In addition, since it is a small hill with a good view, we hope that it will become a place of relaxation for local people.
■ Maintenance of planted cherry trees
Cherry tree seedlings are fragile, and there are many areas along the Tohoku coast where deer, the natural enemy of cherry trees, inhabit.
At Orgabits, we will not only plant cherry trees, but we will also hold maintenance meetings with the importance of watching them grow.
What is MONKEY MAJIK?
MONKEY MAJIK consists of frontman Canadian brothers Maynard (Vo&Gt) and Blaise (Vo&Gt), Japanese rhythm corps TAX (Dr) and DICK (Ba). A four-piece hybrid rock band based in Sendai.
In January 2006, released the 1st single "fly" from vinyl records. The 2nd single "Around The World" recorded an explosive hit as the theme song for the Fuji TV drama "Journey to the West". "Sora wa Maru" was used as a commercial song, establishing artistry. In January 2011, he was appointed as a "Tohoku Tourism Goodwill Ambassador", and in the same year he also hosted the Great East Japan Earthquake Reconstruction Support Project "SEND Ai" and held charity live performances and auctions. After that, he continued activities for Tohoku reconstruction support such as "MONKEY MAJIK MARKET". They are also active overseas, including world tours in Asia and North America. The new album "enigma" was released on the 21st of this month.
T-shirts with donations released during the 2017 tour
Tags attached to products with donations
■ Support for Tohoku by MONKEY MAJIK
Soon after the Great East Japan Earthquake, MONKEY MAJIK, whose members all live in Miyagi, has been engaged in reconstruction volunteer activities such as shoveling mud and preparing meals in various places in Miyagi Prefecture, including Ishinomaki City.
In January 2011, he was appointed as a "Tohoku Tourism Goodwill Ambassador" and said, "In order to help restore the land where MONKEY MAJIK was born and raised, what we should do from now on is to further expand the circle of support from all over the country. With this in mind, we are carrying out various activities for the reconstruction of the Tohoku region, such as holding charity live performances.
Recognizing that many people's support and a long period of time are necessary for reconstruction, he said, "I think it is important to carry out activities continuously so that this event will not be forgotten." I am revealing my heart.
What is the NPO Sakura Namiki Network?
The "Sakura Namiki Project" is a project promoted by the NPO Sakura Namiki Network. The Great East Japan Earthquake, which struck suddenly on March 11, 2011, was a devastating disaster that left more than 20,000 people dead or missing. The Tohoku region has experienced many tsunami-related disasters in the past. Looking back at history, a big tsunami always hits Sanriku once every 100 years. It is necessary to pass down the story of this great tsunami from generation to generation and make efforts to never forget the damage.
In the future, in the event of a large tsunami, we hope that it will become a target of "evacuation" and play a role in protecting the residents. I was. The "Sakura Namiki Project" was launched by the people of Tohoku who have a strong desire to plant cherry trees and volunteers who are involved in flowers. We started planting trees in the spring of 2012, and have so far planted about 4,600 cherry trees in Fukushima, Miyagi, and Iwate prefectures.
What is the “Orgabits Project” developed by TOYOSHIMA Co., Ltd.?
An organic cotton promotion project in which the largest number of apparel brands in Japan participates. Currently about 90 brands are participating in the "reversal idea" of delivering 100% organic cotton products to 100 times more people, and about 630,000 items are produced annually. The activity has expanded to support farmers in the country of origin and NPO corporations, and the circle is expanding as a social contribution activity that allows you to participate in fashion through one piece of clothing.
About 15% of the pesticides and 7% of the pesticides used in the world are used on cotton produced by conventional cultivation methods (*source: Textile Exchange), which causes soil pollution and environmental problems. It contains various problems such as On the other hand, organic cotton refers to cotton that has been organically grown on farmland that has not used pesticides or chemical fertilizers for at least three years. As the demand for organic cotton increases, it is expected that cotton cultivation by conventional cultivation methods will decrease, and the above problems will be improved.
[Orgabits official website] http://orgabits.com
[Orgabits Facebook page] https://www.facebook.com/orgabits
