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Penh. Such promotional materials are a small but effective way to
hold something in common with people, and to promote various
events and organizations. There has also been active use of promo-
tional materials that are visible, attractive and reusable, such as
posters, flyers, stickers, flags, badges and sashes. For example, about
20 government officials who took part in the Tokyo Marathon on 27
February 2011 wore Forests 2011 sashes. In addition, in honour of
Forests 2011, the design section of Nika Association is dedicating
its annual poster competition to the theme of forests. The winning
posters are to be used for distribution.
The secretariat has been trying to involve the private sector in
Forests 2011 activities through meetings to exchange information and
ideas. At the first such meeting on 17 December 2010, the Director-
General of the Forestry Agency delivered the keynote address. Many
other forestry officials are taking part in the promotion of Forests
2011 and seeking collaboration with the private sector.
On 8 March, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Minister Michihiko Kano appointed 21 child actors who perform a
musical, ‘Freddie the Leaf’ as Child Ambassadors for Forests 2011.
The musical, which tells of the short life of a leaf and his friends on
the tree, is a touching story about the cycles of life and nature. The
musical has also become involved in activities to support people
affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. In addition, it was one
of the few films from Japan to be included in the International Forest
Film Festival. The nomination of Child Ambassadors for this kind
of activity aims to help the message of Forests 2011 to reach all age
groups with the help of enjoyable performances.
In May, a set of commemorative stamps was issued by JP Post to
commemorate Forests 2011 and the National Greening Campaign.
Along with a stamp with the Forests 2011 logo, the stamps feature
local trees of Wakayama Prefecture, which hosted the
year’s National Greening Festival.
Because of the historical connection of forests to our
livelihood, Forests 2011 can easily be associated with
the arts. From 2 July to 2 October 2011, the Museum
of Contemporary Art Tokyo hosted the exhibition
‘L’Homme qui Plantait des Arbres’, featuring the work
of Canadian animator Frederick Back. On 12 July, a
memorial charity concert for Forests 2011 was held at
Hamarikyu Asahi Hall, Tokyo, featuring the Yomiuri
Nippon Symphony Orchestra. Part of the entry fee was
donated to the Greenery Fund of the National Land
Afforestation Promotion Organization of Japan. Another
notable example of collaboration between environmental
awareness and cultural event is the Fuji Rock Festival held
in Yuzawa Town, Niigata Prefecture from 29 to 31 July.
Campaigns led by the national Government run the
risk of concentrating activities in the capital. The same
is true of mass communication media such as news-
paper advertisements and television programmes. In
order to boost a nationwide Forests 2011 movement,
there has been active cooperation with local authori-
ties for potential activities, and a number of gatherings
have taken shape, sharing a common theme: ‘tradition
of skills and knowledge’.
National Committee members, such as Oscar-winning
musician Ryuichi Sakamoto, have participated in the
local gatherings and made significant contributions to
the celebration of Forests 2011. In addition, the gath-
erings have made use of the film ‘Mountains, Students
The nomination of Child Ambassadors helps spread the message of Forests 2011 to all age groups
Image: MAFF