Money money money

[Gestalt]

I'm glad this guy took the time to change the money into 100 yen notes or things could have gotten messy


Merry Christmas!

[Big Booger]

Imagine the 500 yen coins raining down

[kamome]

Scattering his cash like that means that several people get a few extra yen, but there's hardly much public benefit. Instead of throwing money into the wind, why didn't he focus his charity on a particular cause, like animal rights, orphans, feeding the homeless, etc.?

Here's a larger question: are the Japanese as prone to give money to charity as Westerners? I'm not talking about government-sponsored humanitarian aid, but rather individual donations to a cause.

[Big Booger]

Scattering his cash like that means that several people get a few extra yen, but there's hardly much public benefit. Instead of throwing money into the wind, why didn't he focus his charity on a particular cause, like animal rights, orphans, feeding the homeless, etc.?

Here's a larger question: are the Japanese as prone to give money to charity as Westerners? I'm not talking about government-sponsored humanitarian aid, but rather individual donations to a cause.

Good question.. I don't know if they help on a national level to charities (non-governmental or not)...

Everytime I go into 7/11 or Lawsons.. the donation jars are a bit empty...

I seldom see charities advertising for help.. but that could be because I live in the docks.

I do see students volunteering at old folks homes but that is a time-based activity rather than an out of pocket experience.


I'd like to know myself if Japanese donate more individually than westerners.

[kamome]

Another good question would be whether Japanese are more prone to giving to international charities (like the Red Cross) or to domestic charities. In any case, I have also seen that donation jars are pretty empty in most places. Either Japanese don't care at all about the unfortunate or the economy is so down, the Japanese themselves are in need of charity.

[Captain Japan]

I do see students volunteering at old folks homes but that is a time-based activity rather than an out of pocket experience.

I'd like to know myself if Japanese donate more individually than westerners.

I think time-based charity is probably the best kind. Just throwing money around doesn't mean people/things are going to be helped/improved. For evidence, just look at JICA and their ODA program.

Anybody want to recommend a worthwhile program in Tokyo in need of volunteers?

[leathernick]

He says "I have too much money. I don't need it," he said. "I wanted to give some back to the world." All this coming from someone who's unemployed?

[jingai]

The concept of giving to charities has only existed since after the war. Most Japanese nonprofits are struggling or rely on providing services (medical help...) for funds. There are plenty of great nonprofits that could use your donations. The only other regular funding source is from Postal Savings accounts. The Post Office has accounts that donate part of their interest to non-profits. This was tremendously popular, but with the crash in interest rates, is no longer a real funding source for nonprofits.

Got a few extra yen? Try giving to JATAN, the effective Japanese NGO which works to stop Japan's destruction of tropical forests (basically fighting against the Government's development-centered ODA)
Or try Kiko Network, the people who put "Kyoto" in the Kyoto Protocol. They are Japan's largest global warming group but have almost no money and rely on a government grant for their funding.

Giving to nonprofits has a level of accountability attached to it that Governments rarely get through ODA. Japanese non-profits and non-governmental organizations are so starved for cash that citizen contributions absolutely make a difference.