Volunteer opportunities in Japan include working with Non Profit Organizations which provide services for the local community. Currently, United Planet offers two volunteer opportunities. The first option involves volunteering at a community center for the handicapped. The second option involves work at a factory that produces environmentally-friendly soaps, primarily employing disabled people. These volunteer opportunities will open your eyes to the various sides of Japanese society, beyond the public consumer & economic culture.
United Planet offers volunteer Quest opportunities in Japan that each begins on the first and third Sunday of each month, open to volunteers of all ages.
Description:
t is said that there are 120,000 mentally disabled people living in Japan. However, many feel that the current government support structure does not enable such people to live a full life. Usually, they cannot attend traditional schools and it is rare for them to find work at a company. Post-graduation, they typically spend their time at welfare facilities for the rest of their lives.
We work with our partner, a Non Profit Organization which owns a recycling shop in Sakura, Chiba (one hour from Tokyo). The organization is run by mothers with mentally disabled children. They began in 1994 by opening a community center for the disabled on Thursday’s to make a place for their children to spend time, outside of a welfare facility where the mentally disabled are separated from the general life of society.
The community center increased in popularity and they expanded their services from Tuesday to Friday. In 2001, the organization also opened a recycle shop to employ mentally disabled people. United Planet volunteers will work from Tuesday to Friday alongside a supervisor to help the mentally disabled employees wait on customers and display goods. Sometimes they work off-site, doing such things as cleaning the local park or making Braille name cards at a local office. Volunteers will accompany the employees on these outings with a supervisor.
UP Japan Quest This volunteer opportunity requires no language or other skills. Staff at Mokuyou no ie speak English. The objective of the organization is for volunteers to become aware of the challenges facing the mentally disabled in Japan....
Working either at the base of Mount Fuji, or in grasslands along the nearby Fuji River, you will systematically search for either Reverdin's blue adults or larvae. You will capture adults with a butterfly net, mark an identification number on their wings, and collect data on their behavior, condition, and location. When sampling larvae, you will search their food plants to find caterpillars and record data on their location and the presence of symbiotic ants that tend to this species. This is a rare opportunity to see the world-renowned Mount Fuji, the symbol of nature in Japan, from many perspectives. A day off in the middle of the expedition allows time for visiting museums and other cultural attractions, or perhaps even climbing the mountain itself.
Description:
Research Mission:
Tracing the life cycle of an endangered butterfly to help manage grassland habitats at the foot of Japan's iconic volcano.
Situation Report:
Nashigahara and Minobu, near Mount Fuji, Japan — Japan's largest mountain, a spiritual focus of the Japanese people for centuries, is also the habitat of some of the country's most endangered species. Only 100 kilometers from Tokyo, Mount Fuji is the most-climbed mountain in the world and the focus of rapid development: Rare grassland habitats at the mountain's base, called satoyama, and the species they support, are paying the price for this popularity. Fifteen species of butterfly cling to survival here, even though they are nearly extinct in surrounding areas where forests and development are replacing traditionally managed grasslands. One of these rare butterflies is called Reverdin's blue (Lycaena arginommon), and you can help Michihito Watanabe and colleagues discover the life history and population distribution of this delicate harbinger to conserve its grassland habitat....
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