【APLA NPO】 Held on October 18th, 19th, and 21st! Series of events in Nagoya and Wakayama: Learning about people-to-people trade and food waste through the picture book “Banana Ran and Gon”
APLA Nonprofit Organization Press Release: September 30, 2025 Held on 10/18,19,21! A series of events in Nagoya and Wakayama: Learning about common trade and food waste through the picture book “Land and Gon of Bananas” APLA, a specified nonprofit organization, and Rakudasha Shuhoshitsu, a local publishing label in Wakayama, are planning a series of events in Nagoya and the Kiinan region of Wakayama Prefecture, themed on “Learning about common trade and food waste through the picture book “Land and Gon of Bananas.” The nonprofit organization APLA (APLA, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, hereafter referred to as APLA) and the Wakayama local publishing label Rakudasha Shuhoshitsu (Nachikatsuura Town, Wakayama Prefecture) are planning a series of events to commemorate the publication of the picture book in Nagoya and the Kiinan region of Wakayama Prefecture.
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/144576/15/144576-15-03125c2cec0611b99b0267ef7cb851f7-1108×1477.jpg Saturday, October 18th, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM “Town and Coffee”: Learning about the lives of banana farmers and trade among the people through the picture book Machi to Coffee 1-13-24 Yobitsuki, Minami-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture 457-0014
https://www.instagram.com/machi_to_coffee?igsh=MXZ6ZHJxZXg2ZHVkNQ== Adults: 1,000 yen (includes one grilled non-standard Balangon banana and one non-standard Balangon banana) Children: Free – Anyone who purchases a picture book will receive a free bag of non-standard bananas (fill it with as many as you like) Apply at Machi to Coffee, at FAIR TRADE Fuuzu, or by email to the Pokopoko Banana Project Office [poco2banana@gmail.com] At “Machi to Coffee” in Nagoya, a hub for connecting people through coffee, we will hold a picture book reading and a talk titled “Learning About the Lives of Banana Farmers and People-to-People Trade from the Book.” We will also hold a workshop for children to observe and draw non-standard bananas. 14:00-14:30 Doors open – Tasting time The participation fee includes Machi to Coffee’s special “baked bananas” made with oversized bananas. You can also order drinks such as banana milk separately. 14:30 – Part 1: Reading the picture book “Ran and Gon the Banana” 15:00 – Part 2 Talk: Learning about the lives of banana farmers and people-to-people trade from picture books Kids’ Workshop: See and taste non-standard bananas, then draw and color them. > Ages: 3 to 6th grade ★ Adults can enjoy talk events and children can enjoy workshops in two adjacent rooms. NPO APLA / Rakudasha Departure Room / NPO Hapisan House / FAIR TRADE Kaze”s (Fu~zu) – A Shop Where You Can See the Faces
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/144576/15/144576-15-df672fd303460276e0f0ecb3057c8e77-2194×2925.jpg 10/18 (Sat) 19:00-20:30 “TOUTEN BOOKSTORE” From exploitation to solidarity, a world connected by food. What bananas can teach us TOUTEN BOOKSTORE 〒456-0012 1-6-9 Sawagami, Atsuta-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture https://www.touten-bookstore.net *Doors open at 18:30 1,000 yen (includes one non-standard Balangon banana) ※Activity support price: 1,500 yen ※Children are free – Anyone who purchases a picture book will receive a free bag of oversized bananas (fill as many as you like). This gift will also be given to those who purchase in advance, so please bring your picture book with you on the day. Inquire at the TOUTEN BOOSTORE store or contact the Poko Poko Banana Project Office at poco2banana@gmail.com ! Original Art Exhibition & Banana Bread for Sale Made with Balangon Bananas! In advance of the event, an exhibition of original illustrations by Eriko Kato from “Banana no Ran and Gon” will be held from Monday, September 29th to Saturday, October 18th in the picture book section on the first floor of TOUTEN BOOKSTORE. To coincide with the original art exhibition, we will be selling banana bread from hobo bakery, made with the Balangon banana, the theme of the picture book.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/144576/15/144576-15-88a5bbfb564f1777eb28447a7806080a-2502×1750.jpg Image TOTEN BOOKSTORE, a bookstore dedicated to broadening thinking, increasing options, and connecting with society, will be hosting a talk titled “From Exploitation to Solidarity: A World Connected by Food, and What Bananas Can Show Us.” Founded in response to the famine on Negros Island in the Philippines, Alter Trade Japan, Inc. and the NPO APLA have been working for 40 years on solidarity with Asia and the world. While sharing our past work, the main theme will be bananas. Referring to last year’s picture book, “Lan and Gon the Banana,” we will discuss the social issues and safety concerns facing standard bananas, as well as their historical background. We will also introduce the “Pokopoko Banana Project,” a project utilizing non-standard bananas, which we are leading as the secretariat. There will also be a sales corner for fair trade products from “FAIR TRADE Kaze”s, a store where you can see faces. Enjoy some shopping at the same time. Doors open at 6:30 PM 19:00 Talk event starts 20:30 End
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/144576/15/144576-15-07440c07403fdd3b16f27b764c136925-3900×2602.jpg October 19th (Sun) 18:00-20:00 “Rakudasha” Seeing the world through food. Banana, sugar, chocolate, olive oil Camels House 742-2 Kuchiirokawa, Nachikatsuura-cho, Wakayama Prefecture, 649-5451 rakudasha.com Free. One adult drink or menu order required. *Children are free. Email Rakudasha at rakudasha.c@gmail.com Mr. Fukushima from the NPO APLA, co-publisher of the picture book “Banana Ran and Gon,” will visit Rakuda-sha. While enjoying the special menu of “Deer Cutlet Banana Curry and Non-Standard Banana Lassi,” Mr. Fukushima will discuss the background and explanation of the products APLA and ATJ handle, how they differ from commercially available products, and the lives of the farmers in the producing areas, focusing on a production area he recently visited. Hear about the results of continuing people-to-people trade and recent challenges, and answer any questions or concerns you may have. On this day, we will also be offering samples of products that are not currently available at Rakudashya, and if there is a high demand for them, we will consider offering them in the future. – Balangon banana (Philippines, especially Mindanao) – Muscovado sugar (Negros Island, Philippines) ・Papua Chocolate (Papua Province, Indonesia) ・Palestinian Olive Oil (Palestine)
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/144576/15/144576-15-3d08e70e2bca31e4b8d960865665b2ae-3900×3706.jpg Substandard banana milk [Limited Special Menu] Irokawa x Pokopoko Banana/Shikakatsu Banana Curry Extra-Standard Banana Milk
Extraordinary Banana Lassi October 21 (Tue) 15:15-16:00 “Utsubo no Mori Gakuen” After-School Food School: Learning about the Life of Banana Farmers and Folk Trade through Picture Books Utsubo no Mori Gakuen, an inquiry-based, global elementary school, opened in April of this year. The school positions food as an important theme for creating a sustainable future and well-being, and I’ve been invited to speak at their after-school classes, open to the local community. Through the picture book “Banana Ran and Gon,” the class will be packed with food-related learning, including the growing process of bananas, a familiar food that few people have the opportunity to learn about; bananas grown using environmentally friendly farming methods; what people-to-people trade (trading between people based on trust); and the existence of bananas that don’t meet the standards. About us ・APLA (Non-Profit Organization) APLA (Alternative People’s Linkage in Asia) is an NPO established in 2008 based on the experience of the Japan Negros Campaign Committee (JCNC), which has been supporting self-reliance for over 20 years on Negros Island in the Philippines. Working with Alter Trade Japan (ATJ), which engages in international direct-from-producer activities known as “people-to-people trade,” APLA connects directly with people in the producing areas, supporting their livelihoods and community development while also working to expand the circle of people-to-people trade. APLA also serves as the administrative office for the “Poko Poko Banana Project.” APLA website: https://www.apla.jp ・Rakudasha Departure Room Rakudasha is an editorial and writing team run by Chiba Satoshi and Takako. They moved to the Irokawa district, a mountain village in Nachikatsuura Town in southeastern Wakayama Prefecture, in 2015 and 2016. In addition to their editorial and writing work, they have operated a bookstore and cafe called “Rakudasha” three days a week since 2018. In 2023, they opened “Rakudasha Departure Room,” where they plan, edit, and publish their own books. With the motto “Set sail from the frontier,” we publish one to four books per year. Rakudasha website:
https://rakudasha.com Contact for this matter For more information about publishing and books, please contact Chiba at Rakudasha Shuhoshitsu. e-mail: rakudasha.c@gmail.com For event inquiries, please contact Fukushima at the APLA NPO. e-mail: poco2banana@gmail.com fax:03-5273-8667