For the Society: District-wide Activities of Social Ministry“Hoshikuzu no kai”
Keiko Ozawa, Tsudanuma Church
On the first Tuesday of every month, I bringa homemade cake, apron and bandana to cover
my head to Hoshi no ie workshop at the westside of San’ya district near the Minowabashi
streetcar station. The place is small andbecomes tightly packed with more than 10people, but here we prepare close to 500 hot
onigiri (rice balls) and miso soup with finely
minced ingredients. Hoshi no ie was establishedmore than 20 years ago by Lutheran andCatholic volunteers as an organization to help
homeless people.
Hoshikuzu no kai
is a group of
Lutheran volunteers
that support Hoshi
no ie. Members aremostly women andthey meet every
Tuesday andparticipate in the“Evening Food
Handouts,” in which
onigiri and miso soup are handed to thehomeless.
Many people are involved in various
activities, and they say “the best way tovolunteer is to do small things but to continue

the work.” I have been volunteering at Hoshi noie for the past 10 years. One day I brought acake I baked to Hoshi no ie and everyone liked
it. With the many compliments I received, I was
happy to keep bringing in my homemade cakes.
Before I realized, the first Tuesday of themonth when I volunteer had become the“Birthday Party” of the month. Even when we
did not have any birthdays in that month,someone always shouted that the cake was forsomeone else and said happy birthday to theperson who was not present. At one time, ahomeless man said to me that his sister’sbirthday was that month. Some of the visitors
are at the point in their lives where they are
not close to their families and hometowns, butthey bring someone to mind when they say“happy birthday.” I bake chiffon cakes andpound cakes, but sometimes I bake uniqueones like potato cakes and tomato cakes andthat make people talk to me. These are themoments when I get to hear comments like,“My mom’s potato miso soup was so good!”
We think we are supporting them, butmaybe it is really us who are given the chance
to feel the warmth of human connection. OnTuesdays I go home after getting dark, feeling
happy and content in my heart.

Denmark Bokujo Fukushikai, a Social Welfare Corporation
Yaeko Inagaki
Praise the Lord!
Under the concept called “WelfareCommunity Village,” the three institutions
were established about 10 years ago. They are‘Diakonia’, a special nursing home, ‘Makiba noie’, an orphanage and ‘Kodomo no ie’, a special
care facility for troubled children and youths.
The nursing home is always scrambling to
get more workers and the administration isburdened with the effort to improve theworking condition of the caregivers understrict requirements. In the course of elderly
care, there is always terminal care at the end oflife. I’m proud of Diakonia’s service becausewith these everyday experiences the caregivers
are able to provide a respectful companionshipthat embodies love for each individual.
The farm (bokujo) has just completed therepair of the barn. In the spring, they will
renew the lineup of dairy products andworkshops for tourists. As the orphanage
becomes older and sends out more graduates,－４－

more people come back to the farm for theGreens Fair in the spring and the Thanksgivingfestival in the fall. The young who have become
working adults cheer when they see thedirector and staff back home. I have seen astaff standing close to a young couple holding
their baby. Some employees come to the events
after their overnight shifts are over.
The staff welcome those who have moved
out of the nest, encourage those who havebecome parents and are raising children, andwelcome more new children into theorphanage.

The responsibility emerged from being “ontheir own” contrary to being “protected by theinstitution” is challenging even for the staff ofthe orphanage. The children eventually need toleave the orphanage and will have to have thestrength to be independent. I believe thefounding philosophy of the Welfare Community
must be passed down to the new generations
and be the testament of our individual faith. I
pray that God bless the “green pasture” ofDenmark bokujo to be a place for people tomeet in His love, regardless of their religions.
Through JELCW, I’d like to say thank you foryour prayers and support.

Kamagasaki Diakonia Center Kibo no ie
Hideto Nagayoshi,Director, Kibo no ie
In 1963, missionary Elizabeth Strom, sentfrom the Midnight Mission in Germany, started
a daycare near a town called Kamagasaki inNishinari ward in Osaka city. Kamagasaki wasa town of day workers. She started her antialcoholism work in 1974 and started a sobriety
support group Musubikai in 1975. In January
1976, an old warehouse was purchased and in
November of that year, Kibo no ie was born.
JELC started a nationwide support of theproject in 1975 and established theKamagasaki Committee in the West District.
Pastor Nobuyuki Shigeno was sent for themission in 1977. Pastors Ikuo Shiraishi, Yukio
Muramatsu, Hitoshi Akiyama and Naoko
Kokatsu and Missionary Bodo Walther all
succeeded his post.

The current building was founded in 1984
by the joint effort of the Japan Evangelical
Lutheran Church and the Brunswickian
Lutheran State Church in Germany, along withsupport from the LWF. All of the operating costof the mission is covered by the donations fromsupporters.
Through the activities of Musubikai, I havebeen involved in works concerning alcoholism.
Since 1986, we have implemented a selfreliance program introduced by MissionaryBodo Walther, who is a therapist specializing inalcoholism. The program aims to substitutesocial rehabilitation for institutional rehab.

Shinsoku Fukushi Sagyo Center (Public Welfare Employment Center)
Etsuko Yanai, JELCW West District Officer
I visited Shinsoku Public Welfare Employment Center in Houfu city in
Yamaguchi prefecture and observed the wide variety of labor operations:making boxes for cakes and sweets, creating shop signs and printing
brochures of local folk history.
The center became operational in 1976. Currently, about 40 handicapped
workers who seek independent living and the staff work together on theprojects.
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