We had “Meat Free Monday All Japan Kick Off Party” on 10th Oct in 2015!
Meat Free Monday All Japan (MFMAJ) is established aiming at gathering groups which and those who are interested in and supporting Meat Free Monday so that we can spread the idea and make it more efficient. MFMAJ is started by VegeProject Japan, which started the activity to introduce vegetarian dishes to universities and now to society as well and Animal Right Center, which is the biggest organization in Japan speaking out about animal right.
On the day, 100 people visited in the middle of Tokyo and celebrated the startup of MFMAJ. There, we could share the meanings of Meat Free Monday, that is, the easy and effective way good for the animals, the planets, health and our society and this party connected individuals and each group which have done some activities in different way individually.
At the party, delicious vegan dishes are prepared by the selected 4 vegan delicious restaurants in Tokyo. The attendances enjoyed eating, talking and listening to various speech by MFMAJ members.
The party was started by the greeting speech by Haruko Kawano, who is the president of Vege Project Japan and Okada, who is the president of Animal Right Center explained how we started and the point of MFMAJ. Followed by each restaurant’s introduction of the special dishes which they prepared for the part, they gave nice messages to MFMAJ. Then, MFMAJ members, that is to say, now 11 organizations gave their speech.
This party was the first place to show the interview with Paul McCartney regarding to Meat Free Monday filmed in this April.
In the interview, Paul spoke about why he is a vegetarian, the connection of the lamb which he was eating and the joyful sheep he saw, and he explained about Meat Free Monday, which is very easy and good idea which we can try to reduce meat consumption. “We can do it, so do it!” he said in the end of the interview and this interview video is very meaningful and positive one.
There were many Paul’s fun for decades in the party and this interview video made them to say that they would try hard to make more vegetarian dishes. Also lots of attendances were very impressed with how Paul thinks about the animals, the planet and society and the way he told us very easy and thoughtful way.
Paul’s message in the interview should have affected the attendances and will affect those who will watch it to make different choices.
In this party, we believe that all of us could share and think again about the meanings of Meat Free Monday and be aware of our mission to spread the idea in whole Japan. In the end of the party, we spoke out “We can do it!”, which is Paul gave us in the interview, binding  our feeling together .
Thank you so much for this opportunity we could make this wonderful party, which all of us made, and we appreciate very much for Paul, Paul’s team and Meat Free Monday for helping and cooperating with us so much .