Governor's
MONTHLYLETTER

4April 2021
Governor's
Message
Rotary International
District 2750 2020-21 Governor“It is not the strongest of the species thatsurvives, nor the most intelligent that survives.
It is the one that is most adaptable to change.”
For young people in Japan, April is a month of celebration
due to all the entrance ceremonies that take place at schools
from nursery schools and kindergartens to universities andat companies as well. However, given the current COVID-19
pandemic, one has to wonder whether those ceremonies will all
be held online. For an elderly individual such as myself, April was
not a particularly special month, but then again, it is the monthin which the elderly will start receiving COVID-19 vaccinations.
At the same time, since Taro Kono, Minister in Charge of
Administrative Reform who is overseeing those vaccinations,has gone on record saying that supplies of the vaccine would belimited, there is no telling when my turn to get vaccinated willcome.
Moving on, the lengthy quote in the title is a famous one fromthe theory of evolution by Charles Darwin, a natural scientist fromEngland who was active at the beginning of the 19th century. The
COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to change how we live andwork. Still, is adapting in that matter connected to our evolution
for the purpose of survival? The Economist has stated that as
the promotion of IT has progressed with more people working from
home, work style reforms have served to elevate productivity. It
is also said that those advances in IT have resulted in narrower
gender gaps and progress in gender equality. Clearly, thesechanges and evolutions are wide-reaching. Moreover, they havejust begun.
There is one domain in which Rotary activities must become
increasingly vitalized, even in the midst of this COVID-19
pandemic. That domain is the issue of “medical inequality.” The
gap between developed nations and developing nations is also
being treated as a problem with respect to the supply of theCOVID-19 vaccine, a prominent topic as of late. For years now,
we as Rotarians have engaged in activities to protect mothers andtheir children in impoverished countries by helping them receive
vaccinations, handing out childbirth kits to them, endeavoring toimprove their literacy and operating mobile clinics. The COVID-19
pandemic compounded these issues. My belief is that womenand children cannot be allowed to die for preventable reasons.

This month falls on “Maternal and Child Health Month.” Examplesof our service activities in Japan are providing support to “childcafeterias” that feed children who are unable to eat due to beingpoor and supplying masks to people in medical professions.
These activities have been well-received, and it is my intention tocontinue them going forward.
On that note, a popular topic in the news these days is thequestion of whether Japan can develop the ability to domestically
produce a COVID-19 vaccine with greater speed. As someone
who perceived Japan’s medical sector to be advanced, I foundthe delays in that development unexpected. Over time, the world’s
biologists have stressed that the paths of viruses and mankind
intersect with a certain degree of probability — as evidenced bysmallpox in the 6th century, the Black Death in the 14th century,
the Spanish flu in the 20th century and now the novel coronavirus— and that pandemics such as these will inevitably occur. InJapan, since the 1950s, the government has taken initiative inputting water, sewage and garbage collection services in place,and local residents have created a sanitary living environment.
These efforts have led to a positive outcome in the form of the
reduced incidence of illness and infection. At the same time,
because there have been less infections to research, the numberof researchers in the public health sector who specialize inviruses has gone down. This is also said to be a cause behind thedelays in COVID-19-related research.
The threat of infections still exists. Rather than depend on
foreign countries, Japan, too, must properly support the research
and manufacture of vaccines and a cure going forward. Where
the current COVID-19 vaccines are concerned, a considerable
gap continues to widen between countries that have successfully
manufactured a vaccine, countries that will be supplied withvaccines and countries that will be unable to receive a supply
of a vaccine due to cost-related issues. Each of those countries,
without exception, contains people who are battling COVID-19:
those in medical professions, those who are suffering after
becoming infected, and those who live in fear of infection. We
pray for a world in which health and educational disparities do notexist, and are doing what we can to make that world a reality.
We pray for a world in which information on how to manufacture
a cure for COVID-19, should such a revolutionary thing be
successfully developed in some country at this point in time, beshared with pharmaceutical companies around the world that are
well-equipped for research, and the production of that cure can becarried out without delay.
While all of this may only exist in our imagination at thisjuncture, according to Kazuto Ataka, Professor at Keio University
and CSO of Yahoo Japan Corporation, it is imagination that willbuild the future. This is documented in Professor Ataka’s book
“Shin-Nihon” (“New Japan”). Moreover, famed brain scientist
Kenichiro Mogi has also released a written work entitled“Mosoryoku” (“The Power of Imagination”). It seems to me thatin our future world, people rich in imagination will be a valuable
resource that benefits others. Or does that future world only exist
in our imagination as well?

District 2750 Membership Report February 2021
Club Name

Regularmeeting

Member quantity
July 1, 2020

End of Feb. 2021

Variations

Chiyoda GroupClub Name

Regularmeeting

Member quantity
July 1, 2020

End of Feb. 2021

Variations

Yamanote West Group

Rotary Club of Tokyo-South

0184

187

3

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Jiyugaoka

116160Rotary Club of Tokyo-Shiba

05659

3

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Yoneyama Yuai

43537

2

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Shimbashi

05653-3

Rotary E-Club of District 2750, Tokyo Yoneyama

334340Rotary Club of Tokyo-Akasaka

04544-1

Rotary Club of Tokyo Daikanyama

228280Rotary Club of Tokyo-Minato

03230-2

Tama South Group

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Azabu

015172

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Hachioji

26362-1

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Global

320200Rotary Club of Tokyo-Machida05756-1

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Sunrise Shiodome

316171

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Hino

43433-1

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Hachioji West3111109-2

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Ginza

21801811

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Machida-Naka

02827-1

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Nihonbashi

0204202-2

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Hachioji East

13234

2

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Tsukiji

069690Rotary Club of Tokyo-Hachioji South

47877-1

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Nihonbashi East

041421

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Machida-Salvia

035361Rotary Club of Tokyo-Chuo

0203197-6

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Tobihino

222220Rotary Club of Tokyo-Nihonbashi West24544-1

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Machida East

030300Rotary Club of Tokyo-Ginza New

079790Rotary Club of Tokyo-Hachioji North

043430Rotary Club of Tokyo-City Nihonbashi

03836-2

Tama Middle Group

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Chuo Shin

35660

4Rotary Club of Tokyo-Tachikawa

0119117-2

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Akebono

320211

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Koganei

33837-1

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Sanno

13638

2

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Kokubunji

03230-2

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Mitaka

04239-3

Ginza/Nihonbashi GroupKeihin Group
Rotary Club of Tokyo-Haneda

055

52-3

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Akishima

055

53-2

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Shinagawa

14142

1

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Kunitachi

14745-2

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Omori

03539

4

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Tachikawa Kobushi

08790

3

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Shinagawa Chuo03029-1

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Inokashira123230

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Denenchofu

048480Rotary Club of Tokyo-Akishima Chuo048480Rotary Club of Tokyo-Konan Marine

11817-1

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Musashi Kokubunji

242420Rotary Club of Tokyo-Osaki

024251

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Koganei-Sakura

225261

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Kamata

059634

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Kunitachi Shiroume117170Rotary Club of Tokyo-Keihin02625-1

Rotary E-Club of Tokyo Peace Wing

423230Rotary Club of Tokyo-Denenchofu Midori

018180Tama East Group

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Shirokane

424273Rotary Club of Tokyo-Fuchu

05554-1

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Takanawa

22320-3

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Chofu

06462-2

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Tama

020200Yamanote East Group
Rotary Club of Tokyo-West

0197

194-3

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Komae

01413-1

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Josai

46766-1

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Inagi

02827-1

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Seinan04443-1

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Musashi Fuchu

03940

1

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Harajuku

01716-1

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Tamagawa

02018-2

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Suginami

04139-2

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Tama Green02928-1

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Jingu

424240Rotary Club of Tokyo-Chofu Murasaki

06664-2

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Ebisu

4117111-6Rotary Club of Tokyo i City018180

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Hiroo

32425

1

Pacific Basin Group

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Shibuya035361

Rotary Club of Guam

4*5251-1

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Roppongi

45352-1

Rotary Club of Saipan

4*4045

5

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Atago

331310Rotary Club of Tumon Bay*5955-4

Rotary Club of Northern Guam

2*3130-1

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Setagaya

044451

Rotary Club of Pohnpei

4*1816-2

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Meguro

333341

Rotary Club of Palau

214173

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Seijo

117170Rotary Club of Guam Sunrise

4*1514-1

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Setagaya South

09789-8

Rotary Club of Truk Lagoon

880

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Jonan

013141

Rotary Club of Pago Bay Guam E*23252

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Yamanote

07067-3

Total in Japan - 88

4,364

4,328-36

Rotary Club of Tokyo-Seijo Shin

031310Rotary Club of Tokyo-Aoyama

11615-1

Total in 2750 dis. - 97

4,624

4,589

-35

Yamanote West Group2* shows the provisional data.