About Us
As Japan’s first incorporated food bank, we are working with others to create a new public asset,
a food safety-net, so that everyone will have access to food in their own community.
For Newcomers
Vision
A community where everyone has access to food. This new public asset, a food safety-net, will make this possible
DetailsOrganization Details
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Name
Second Harvest Japan
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Head Office
Namikawa Bldg 1F, Asakusabashi 4-4-4,
Taito-ku, Tokyo,
Japan 111-0053
MAP
TEL: 03-5822-5371 / FAX: 03-5822-5372 -
Launched
July 25, 2002
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CEO
Hitomi Yokote
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Staff
21
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Annual Reports
2HJ Bases
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marugohan
Higashikanda 3-7-3, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
marugohan (https://marugohan.jp) is a 2HJ directly managed food pantry that provides food to individuals in need of food assistance -
Kids Café
Asakusabashi 4-4-4, Taito-ku, Tokyo
"Kids Café" (http://kidscafe.2hj.org/) provides a variety of experiences for children, including food education
Warehouse
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Saitama Base
Saitama base located in Yashio City, Saitama Prefecture, is a core warehouse of 2HJ that can handle large-scale of food with 10-ton trucks. It is equipped with 4-tier pallet racks, and a walk-in refrigerator and freezer are installed. In the mornings of the working days, donated food are carried in, and in the afternoon more than 10 organizations come to pick up food for their food assistance a day.
* Size: 262㎡, maximum storage capacity: about 150 pallet
* 4-tier pallet racks installed, 1 forklift used
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Asakusabashi Base
Asakusabashi base in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, is located close to 2HJ headquarters, provides food to small organizations
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Kanagawa Base
Kanagawa base located in Yamato City, Kanagawa Prefecture, provides food to organizations in the Kanagawa area
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Nakanoto Base
The Nakanoto base in Ishikawa Prefecture commenced full-scale operation in May 2024. We are collaborating with disaster relief and local organizations to provide medium-term support for the areas affected by the Noto Peninsula earthquake
Warehouse Saitama Base
Staff Introduction
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Advocacy & Development / ManagerYuji Shibata
I had always been interested in food loss, so when I read about 2HJ in the newspaper I thought, “I have to be a part of this!” and immediately began volunteering by delivering food to welfare agencies. I joined 2HJ as staff after the Tohoku disaster, and I am now struggling along as the leader of the Ishinomaki Project.
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Food Bank team / Manager
Licensed in Food Safety and HygieneYoko SakamotoI have always felt a sense of regret about food waste, especially when there are those in need. Those feelings eventually led me to 2HJ. With my prior “sales” experience and “mom” power (3 kids including twins), I would like to build a better infrastructure that would make both donors and recipients happy!
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General AffairsHiroe Goto
When I heard about the children's cafeteria and foodbank on TV, I applied to be an administrative volunteer, hoping that I could be of some help. Now, as a staff member, I am challenging myself to do something that is not in my job history. I look forward to meeting people from all walks of life and reading the feedback about Food for Kids. The positive feedback keeps me energized!
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AccountantMitsuko Kayama
I've long worked in the back office department of several international NGOs, but I decided to join 2HJ because I couldn't forget the fun I had volunteering at a food bank in the U.S. when I was a student. I'm interested in different cultures, especially sweets, and I never fail to check out the local supermarkets when I travel.
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Harvest PantryKoji Sano
While I learned that far more people than I had imagined were hungry on a daily basis, I felt a strong sense of discomfort in a society where large quantities of food were being discarded. Once I started volunteering, I was also attracted by the personalities of the people who gathered for the activities. I am glad that we can work together to build a food safety net. I will do my best to be as helpful as possible not only to those in need but also to everyone involved.
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Food Bank TeamMasashi Yoshimura
There are many issues in the world, and the problem of food waste and poverty is one of the biggest. On the one hand, a large amount of food is thrown away, and on the other hand, there are people who are in need of food. When I was thinking about what I could do to help, I learned about food banks and jumped into 2hj in 2018. I am just starting out, but I will do my best to build a food safety net in Japan!
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Food Bank Team
Large-sized motor vehicle second-class licenseHiroaki TakahashiAfter I got to know about 2HJ in a TV program, I signed up to become a food delivery volunteer. I soon wanted to be committed more to this wonderful activity of distributing food that is doomed to be wasted to those in need. I became a paid worker there. Now I distribute food in a two-ton truck every day.
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Food Bank TeameTsubasa Harada
I became interested in Food bank activities when I learned about it from a friend who used the service, and later decided to join this organization. At this moment, I have been providing food with people in need, but anyone can be in need of food assistance at anytime in an uncertain society. That's the reason why I'm doing my best to establish a food safety-net with which everyone can have enough food to live in Japan.
Volunteers / Interns
Meet some of the volunteers and
interns who make our work possible.
2011~
Seiji Ooka
2012~
Kanako Shimonokado
Parrington Kevin
Etsuko Nada
Takeshi Matsuda
Rinko Taneoka
Hideya Miyawaki
Akio Hatsumi
Teruo Toyama
Timothy Sullivan
2013~
Kenji Furukawa
Kazumasa Yamamura
Kyoko Suematsu
Rich Hwang
Phoebe Gao
2015~
Yasuhiko Sakagami
2016~
Khan Rahat
2017~
Boltze Katrin
Hiromi Shrenzel
Shoichiro Takiguchi
Jonathan Field
Keiro Ozaki
Katsutoshi Kawashiri
Norikazu Nakamura
2018~
Anket Singh
Kazutoshi Oguni
2019~
Anuj Arora
Keiko Makuniya
Koichi Kaneko
Thomas Bertin
Kaeko Takeda
Satsuki Matabe
2020~
Keiji Oyama
Hiroyuki Ishikawa
2021~
Endo Isamu
Akira Watababe
2022~
Yasuaki Takahashi
Genichiro Igarashi
Ryosuke Uozumi
Board
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Board ChairJack Bayles
Founder/owner of Alishan Organic Center/Tengu Natural Foods, Jack has long provided valuable guidance based on his own experience and knowledge as a food importer and distributor. Jack sets an example for other companies by allowing his customers to “share the goodness” by donating while they shop—and matching the contributions. He is an original member of the Professional Advisory Board.
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TrusteeRichard Gardner
Richard A. Gardner has taught religion and a variety of other subjects over the last 30 years in the Faculty of Liberal Arts at Sophia University. He has also served as Director of the Summer Session as well as Dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts. He has also served on the Education Advisory Council of the Fetzer Institute, which is based in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
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TrusteeShinya Kato
I worked in Chicago, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, and Japan as a creative director for an advertising agency for over 20 years. In 2018 I helped develop the concept for marugohan. I would like to bring value to the organization and society.
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TrusteeTomoko Arakwa
I have been involved in the work of nurturing grassroots community workers for about 30 years at the Asian Rural Institute (Rural Leadership Training Program) in Tochigi Prefecture. We are developing various educational activities with the aim of creating a world that values food and life. Although my involvement with Second Harvest Japan is short, I hope to be of service through my experience.
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TrusteeNoriko Suzumura
Having spent nearly 25 years in the financial services industry, working in multiple countries such as U.S., U.K. and Japan, my mission next is to serve the local community. I hope to leverage my experience to make the world a better place, even for a tiny bit. I am thrilled to be part of Second Harvest Japan!
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TrusteeGaelle Akahori
I am the General Manager of the Culinary and Hospitality School Le Cordon Bleu Japan. Throughout my career, I have primarily worked in Japan, beginning in the finance sector and later transitioning to the gastronomy world. Through my combined expertise from both financial and food ecosystem perspectives, I look forward to adding value to Second Harvest Japan.
Founder
Charles E. McJilton
Quality Service
We continually strive to improve the quality of our services.
To reach our goal we are developing a food lifeline and safety-net
throughout the country and we focus on these areas:
Donors
We are very grateful to have these partners
who make our work possible.
(Donors in 2023)
Access
Second Harvest Japan
OFFICE : Namikawa Bldg 1F, Asakusabashi 4-4-4 Taito-ku, Tokyo 111-0053
PANTRY : Higashikanda 3-7-3, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0031
We are located between Akihabara (JR – Hibiya Line) and Asakusabashi (JR – Asakusa Line) stations.