10.16 BERKELEY Fundraiser for Fukushima children -An Evening with Atsuko Watanabe & Andy Couturier

Meet Atsuko Watanabe in Berkeley, CA, once-only chance Wed Oct 16th

The Opening, A Center for Courses in Writing

in conjunction with

Far Leaves Tea, Raise the Root Cooking Collective, and Stone Bridge Press

Present

An Evening with Atsuko Watanabe

and author of A Different Kind of Luxury,  Andy Couturier

Wednesday October 16th, 7-9:30 PM

A fundraiser for Fukushima children

at

Far Leaves Tea,  2626 San Pablo Ave 

Berkeley, CA 94702

Come join us for a warm evening with Japanese environmentalist and anti-nuclear activist Atsuko Watanabe, profiled in Chapter 3 of A Different Kind of Luxury: Japanese Lessons in Simple Living and Inner Abundance.

This is a once-only opportunity to meet and ask questions of this pioneering activist, organic gardener and zero-waste crusader, and key collaborator in the production of this book. Ms. Watanabe will be leading a delegation of environmentalists from the village of Kamikatsu in Shikoku island, the first Zero Waste village in Japan.  Since making this declaration a decade ago, Kamikatsu has become nationally known and a destination for people studying how to reduce their garbage.  (You can read an article about Kamikatsu by the BBC here )

Ms. Watanabe will be coming to Northern California on a research tour to visit recycling, waste recovery, solar energy and natural building sites.  As part of this tour we would like to offer fans of A Different Kind of Luxury the chance to meet her, ask questions and engage in discussion with her and other people in her delegation.  We will start with a short slide presentation by author Andy Couturier, who spent four years researching and 15 years writing this book.

The event will be held as fundraiser to bring children from the stricken Fukushima region to the much less toxic area of Kamikatsu--400 miles to the west--where their bodies can have a chance to heal and recover somewhat. The project is being facilitated by the village of Kamikatsu, where Ms. Watanabe is a town councilor. They are arranging to bring children out of the irradiated zone and house them for a short time in the village.  We request a donation of $20 or more at the door.  Please consider being as generous as you can afford. 

As part of the evening, we will provide organic tea from Kamikatsu, Awa Bancha, a rare rustic tea produced with a 'lacto-fermentation' method unique to this one small region of Japan.

We will also be serving some delicious appetizers made from seasonal, organic & locally-sourced ingredients provided by Raise the Root Cooking Collective.  Raise the Root is a group of culinary educators that use food as a springboard to cultivate community & inspire conversation.

LOCATION:  2626 San Pablo Ave  

Berkeley, CA 94702

(510) 665-9409 

PLEASE TRY TO COME ON TIME.  THANK YOU IN ADVANCE.

Ms. Watanabe has not left Japan in more than 10 years, and many of the other people profiled in the book rarely leave their villages.  This is really a one time only opportunity.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF LUXURY: Japanese Lessons in Simple Living and Inner Abundance: Meet Atsuko Watanabe in Berkeley, CA, once-only chance Wed Oct 16th