Feedback from my classmates

        First of all, thank you very much for listening carefully to our presentation, and writing feedbacks neatly.

It seems that many of them were interested in our topic, and some said that our idea of collaborating with convenience stores were unique and were persuaded to join with us. Although there were some feedbacks which were written as our presentation as poor and not good. This is our next task - to make more passionate about persuading to join in our group more clearly. We were a little relieved because many people wrote us that the meaning and name of the group was very clear. From the next time, we would like to think what makes everyone attracted to our NGO group without taking much time explaining what our group is facing for.

Summary of the presentation

Summary of the presentation

     Currently, there are about 100 restaurants which has menu for vegetarians, but many of them are in Chiyoda-ku and Minato-ku. In some areas, there are no restaurants friendly to vegetarians. Only 0.3% of the population of Japan are vegan, so many Japanese think they don’t need so many services for themselves. 24people answered to my survey and 22 of the answerers were Japanese, the other 2 were Philippines and American. In my survey, I asked whether they were vegetarians and also, whether they know anybody else who are vegetarians. Almost all people considered themselves and others as not vegetarians. In the next question, I knew that almost 80% of the answerers said that they think there are few services in Japan.

Some said that they rarely see menu for vegetarians. Also, outside of Tokyo (and even in many areas of Tokyo) vegetarian restaurants are few and far between. Although, one person wrote in the comment that it is possible to get kappa maki, natto maki, and kampyo maki at most kaiten sushi restaurants. 87% of answerers told that more restaurants which serve dishes for vegetarians, besides dishes for non-vegetarians are useful. 50% told me that selling more products which suit vegetarians at convenience stores are better for new future in Tokyo.

     From these data, I decided to set up an NGO group which supports to increase the number pf services for vegetarians in Tokyo by 2020, the Olympic year. The name of the NGO is Happy Eating. In 2020, the year Tokyo Olympics will be held, Tokyo will be full of foreign tourists. Also, many athletes will come to join the Olympic Games. When them come into the city of Tokyo, some people might not be able to find quickly what they can eat because of being a vegetarian. What I would like to do is to increase the service for vegetarians. In order to have more people interested in vegetarians, we will try to make vegetarian products and sell them in Convenience stores. Also, we are thinking of collaborating with Convenience store companies for increasing the products of healthy vegetarian foods. We recruit members through the Internet, and after the products are sold in Convenience Stores, we will recruit more members by sticking our website QR address on the package of the products. We will ask you to join us who has interest in Vegetarians, and also, anyone is welcomed who is energetic in supporting the Olympic Games in Tokyo, 2020.

About our NGO and the feedback of the presentation

 Our NGO, "Happy Eating" is a group which supports to increase the number or services for vegetarians in 2020, the Olympic year because at that time, Tokyo will be full of foreign tourists and many athletes and when they come into the city of Tokyo, some people might have trouble finding what they could eat because of being a vegetarian.
 In order to have more people interested in vegetarians, we will try to make vegetarian products and sell them in convenience stores. Also, we are thinking of collaborating with convenience store companies like 7-Eleven , LAWSON, or Family Mart, for increasing the products of healthy vegetarian foods.
 We recruit members through Internet, and after the products are sold in convenience stores, we will recruit more members by sticking our website QR code on the package of the products.

 So next, I'd like to look at the feedback of our presentation.
 The numbers are the average of the points.

 Appropriateness of the name: 4.14
 Importance of the goals and missions: 3.53
 Uniqueness of the group: 3.75
 Sufficiency of fundraising: 4.00
 Methods adequateness: 3.67
 Persuasion to our audience: 3.80
 Quality of our power point: 3.21

 It seems that the audience thought the name of our NGO are nice, but the quality of the PPT wasn't so good. According to the comments, Shorten the presentation regarding our survey results and it would be better. I should have cooperated and exchange thoughts more earlier with my partner making the slideshow.
 Some comments say that our mission was really unique and there will be tons of people who would support our activity. I think vegetarian people exist a lot in the world and they would love to have more vegetarian services, and there is few groups that has similar missions with us, so a lot of people will know about us and we could have a many of supporters.

The results of the survey

 This time, I'm going to look at the results of my survey.
 Thanks for my family's cooperation and my Twitter followers, I have collected 19 responses. Now, let's look at the responses.

 The first question was about the knowing of the word "vegetarianism".  11 out of 19 (57.89%) answered "2.Know the word and able to explain the meaning".
 The second question was for people who answered 1.Know only the word or 2.Know the word and able to explain the meaning at the previous question. I asked them to explain what they image about vegetarianism. The results says that 9 out of 18 responses was about the diet.
 From these two questions, most of the people know the word "vegetarianism" as "people who don't eat meat instead of eating vegetables."

 At the third and fourth question, I asked about the respondents' lifestyles.
 At the third question, I asked how often they eat meat or fish. It was an amaze to me that none of them answered "Three times a day". Most of them(13 out of 19) answered "Once or twice in a day."
 The fourth question was about the frequency of eating dairy products. As same as the previous question, most of them (13 out of 19) answered "Once or twice a day". But different from the previous, at this question, one person answered "Three times a day".

 At the fifth question, I asked that what do you think about vegetarian. This question is able to answer more than one answer. Most of people answered that vegetarians are healthy or always in shape. Although, some people think that they are "Skinny, or too thin", or "unhealthy".

 The sixth question asks that do vegetarian diet will improve the respondents' health. 10 out of 19 answered "Maybe yes". But 6 people answered "Probably no".  maybe they thought that the diet without meat may cause some health problems.
 The seventh question asks that if they would like to try a vegetarian life for few days they have chance to experience.  Mostly, they answered "Maybe I will".

 In the eighth question, I asked the number of the vegetarian restaurants they think there are in Tokyo. Mostly(12 out of 19) answered "Under 50". Actually, there are more than that.

 At the last question, I asked how many vegetarian celebrities do they know. Most of them said "None". For example, SaintPlaza Nakanokun became a vegetarian for health.

3. Are there any customs related with vegetarians in Japan?

3.     Are there any customs related with vegetarians in Japan?

We don`t call them as vegetarians or vegie, but Japan surely has a custom that corresponds with no-meat dish. This is the dish which we call “Shojin Ryori.” This culture came to Kyoto Prefecture from China and Korea together with the introduction of Buddhism. Shojin Ryori prohibits eating meat because “Retribution” is firmly believed, which means that all things of nature have its soul. They cook within vegetables and beans-nature foods. The Japanese word “Shojin” means that each person should devote the pursuit of one's faith. It is the one of the most important duty in Buddhism. Nowadays, Japanese dish has changed into a mixture of Western dish, which use eggs and meat. However, temples and shrines all over Japan still respect Shojin Ryori and serve worship visitors no-meat dish. Japanese cooking gets worldwide attention these years in terms of offering healthy and well-balanced meal, and Shojin Ryori is recognized as one of that ideal style.

     This is one of the custom related with vegetarians in Japan. This is well known not only by Japanese people but also to foreign visitors as it is a custom of Kyoto, a famous sightseeing spot. Many tourists try them when they come to Kyoto.

Works cited:

Shojin-ryori | Kyoto Travel Guide. (n.d.). Retrieved July 12, 2016, from http://kyoto.travel/en/food/202

Kikkoman Corporation. (n.d.). Retrieved July 12, 2016, from http://www.kikkoman.com/foodforum/thejapanesetablebackissues/14.shtml

15 Questions that I'm going to answer

1. Is it able for vegetarians to stay healthy?
2. Do vegetarians live longer than non-vegetarians?
3. How many types of vegetarians are there?
4. What are the benefits of being a vegetarian?
5. What are the disadvantages of being a vegetarian?
6. Why do people become a vegetarian?
7. What kind of meal they have usually?
8.Are there any vegetarian celebrities in the world?
9.Are there any vegetarian celebrities in Japan?
10. How many vegetarians are there in the world?
11. Which country has the biggest number of vegetarians?
12. What kind of people live in the country which has the biggest number of vegetarians?
13. Why Japan has a small number of vegetarians?.
14. Do we really need more vegetarian restaurants?
15. How could Japanese society can be more friendly to vegetarian?

No.1 Is it able for vegetarians to stay healthy?

 As I said in the past posts, vegetarians, especially vegans don't eat meat or fish so they are thought that they lack some nutrient like protein. 

 But according to a web site called "Vegetarian Nutrition",

 "Vegetarian and vegan diets provide adequate protein when menu planning focuses on how much your body needs and which foods provide this essential nutrient."

 The PDF from the website shows what kind of foods are protein-rich. For example, the most protein-rich food in legume is lentils and contains protein 9 grams in 1/2 cup servings. Tofu, which is the one of the world famous soy food, has 10 grams of protein in 1/2 cup. The most protein-rich food was pumpkin seeds and had 9 grams in 1 ounce. Suppose that 1 cup weighs 8 ounce, pumpkin seeds contains 72 grams of protein and that is exactly 4 times of that in a cup of lentils.

 Although, some nutrient are difficult for vegetarians to ingest by food. For instance, fishes, meat, eggs and dairy products contain vitamin B12 a lot, so vegans, which don't eat meat or fish or dairy products, have to ingest vitamin B12 in a different way like using supplements.

 And also, there is a report which tells us that children in these days tend to have low IQ levels from lack of iron and that caused from being raised in a vegetarian family. It says that lack of iron causes anemia, loss of appetite, spiritless, development delay on mental and problems on behavior, and nowadays more and more people stop eating meat for ethical reasons or health, meanwhile more and more teenagers have health problems by lack of iron.

 However, having a well-balanced diet based on a correct knowledge will avoid suffuring from these risks and still able to stay as healthy as people used to when they were not vegetarian.


Works cited:

Can a vegetarian get enough protein? - Vegetarian Nutrition. (2016, June 4). Retrieved June 29, 2016, from http://vegetariannutrition.net/vegetarian-diets/can-vegetarian-get-enough-protein/

Internet Journey. (n.d.). Retrieved June 29, 2016, from http://web.archive.org/web/20031205204248/http://www.japan-journals.co.uk/dailynews/021210/news021210_3.html

2. Are vegetarians all come from religious beliefs?

2.     Are vegetarians all come from religious beliefs?

     Firstly, to answer this question, I would like to show you the definition of vegetarian. In the Vegetarian Society Website, it says “Someone who lives on a diet of grains, pulses, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruits with, or without, the use of dairy products and eggs. A vegetarian does not eat any meat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish* or by-products of slaughter.” And also, there are many types of vegetarians, such as Lacto-ovo-vegetarians, who eat both daily products and eggs. Ovo-vegetarians eat eggs, but they cannot eat daily products. Vegan do not eat dairy products, eggs, or any other products which are derived from animals.

     The word “Vegetarian” was first used in 1847 in the establishment of the Vegetarian Society. This word comes from the Latin word “vegetus” which means “healthy, fresh and lively.” The Vegetarian Society was established to promote eating plant foods.

     From this, vegetarians do not seem that they all come from religious beliefs. Not only from this definition, Question1 also answers to this question. The food which each religion believers cannot eat are all different, so it does not correspond to the fact that vegetarian only comes from religious beliefs.

Works cited:

What is a vegetarian? (n.d.). Retrieved June 23, 2016, from https://www.vegsoc.org/definition

ベジタリアンとは？日本ベジタリアン協会. (n.d.). Retrieved June 23, 2016, from http://www.jpvs.org/menu-info/index.html

(This website was written in Japanese)

1.What kind of religion are related with vegetarians?

1.     What kind of religion are related with vegetarians?

Islam is well known religion as no pork, eel, squid and octopus. Also, they cannot drink alcohol, and alcohol are not allowed to use as a flavoring meals. Hinduism is another well known religion related with vegetarians. They tend to separate decisively within whether they are vegetarians or not vegetarians. Hinduism are not allowed to eat raw food, garlic and all kind of “meat”, which includes beef, pork, fish and eggs. Pork are thought as too sacred to eat, although pork are thought as too dirty to eat. Buddhism is restricted a little- Some denomination cannot eat all kinds of meat, but mainly, foods which are made by killing animals are not allowed to eat. Judaism are allowed to eat these kind of meat: pork, lamb and venison. Other meat are thought as dirty. Mormonism are not allowed to eat too much meat. They are told to eat mainly vegetables. In Church of England, eating Horse meat is banned.

     As you see from this, many religion has limits of what to eat. In Japan, about half of the population has no particular belief in religion. But about 45 percent of the population believe in Buddhism or are Christians. These are not related with foods, so few Japanese people are related with vegetarians in the point of religions.

Works cited:

International Tourism | About Policy | Japan Tourism Agency. (n.d.). Retrieved June 22, 2016, from http://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/en/shisaku/kokusai/index.html

IPA 独立行政法人 情報処理推進機構. (n.d.). Retrieved June 22, 2016, from https://www2.edu.ipa.go.jp/search/?keyword=宗教

(This webpage was written in Japanese)

15 Questions about Vegetarians

15 Questions about Vegetarians

1.     What kind of religion are related with vegetarians?

2.     Are vegetarians all come from religious beliefs?

3.     Are there any customs related with vegetarians in Japan?

4.     How large is the population of vegetarians in Japan?

5.     How large is the population of vegetarians all over the world?

6.     What kind of advantages are there in “No-meat dish”?

7.     What kind of disadvantages are there in “No-meat dish”?

8.     Can you call vegie as deviated food habit?

9.     What kind of services are arranged for vegetarians in India?

10.  What kind of services are arranged for vegetarians in Britain?

11.  What kind of services are arranged for vegetarians in America?

12.  What kind of services are arranged for vegetarians in Japan?

13.  Do you agree with the fact that Japan has few numbers of services for vegetarians?

14.  What kind of services do you think is necessary for vegetarians?

15.  Do you think that Japan should increase the number of services for vegetarians?

Current understanding of Vegetarians

       Welcome to our blog! This is a blog focusing on vegetarians in Japan.
       First of all, I would like to tell you what I had know about vegetarians. I had a vague image about vegetarians, which was "There are people who can't eat because of their religious belief." And that was all I knew.
       But through this project, I was able to know that this was only a tip. I eventually knew that there are people who can't eat meat because of their kindness to animals. These types of people are so-called, "No-meat eaters." There are no religion in Japan which is deeply tied with vegetarians, so Japanese people who cannot eat meat are classified as "no-meat eaters."
       I suppose you had thought what little I know about vegetarians. Although, I will try to know little by little about them and try my best to send you new information through this blog.
       Thank you for reading!

What I know about vegetarianism

 I used to think that vegetarianism is about not eating animal meat and just eat only vegetables, but actually it was wrong.
 Vegetarianism is about not to eat animal meat like beef or pork or chicken and something like that.  The person who does vegetarianism is called vegetarian. Some vegetarians simply just don't eat meat and have fish meat instead, some don't have fish, dairy, and honey at all.
 If the dietary habit isn't too biased, for example, eating not only cabbage, cucumbers, and carrots but some soybeans, sesames, and fruits, it is able to live as long as people who are not vegetarians. In fact, some vegetarians live longer than them.