Provide education tour for children in Kumamoto

Dear supporters,

Thank you for your continuous support.  

Since March, we have had impact by COVID-19 pandemic.  As you might know, Japan is also affected by the virus and there are still numbers of infected daily.  The government planned voluntary lockdown for the month of April in and also in May for greater Tokyo and surrounding prefectures.  Although infection rate is relatively low compared to western countries, things are quiet.

MORIUMIUS have not had children visiting since April and will be closed for June and maybe July.  We have been living quietly and seeking timing to restart the center, but it is difficult to predict how and when pandemic will be calmed.  We believe it will be a long process for things to calm down and have to come up with new ideas to operate MORIUMIUS as well as find creative new step in education.

Since April, we have been providing online programs sending fresh local seafood from fisherman to home, connecting families online to slice whole fish and cook.  Not only cooking, we show live footage of how MORIUMIUS and surrounding natural environment with animals we live with.  Many groups and families planning to visit were able to see/ hear the environment through PC/ tablet felt like they traveled to MORIUMIUS.  Also, children were serious and joyful facing whole fish t slice as well as to cook for family’s dinner dish.  Since the experience took place at home, children seemed relaxed and parents were supportive.  Attched link is an article from Japanese magazine LEE on the program.

Many comments were sent to us from families like, "Saw what I normally would not be able to see from my child, really felt the possibility of him.", "Made our family realized how important food/ meal is.  To cook together, understanding where the food comes from, and enjoy eating together made us all happier.", "Because we are all at home every day, it was a great opportunity to take time to focus on what we eat.".

We are now planning to provide our online program to the next level.  Connecting to orphanages and foster homes to provide active engaging online programs to children who live in a difficult circumstance.  Children in Kumamoto will be invited once this pandemic is over. 

Please consider supporting our programs so that MORIUMIUS itself could be sustainable in this difficult time. 

Warm regards,