年越し大人食堂2021 New Year’s Adults’ Cafeteria 2021
This is my translation of a story that originally appeared in The Big Issue Japan Issue 400.
I translated it as a volunteer so that it could be published in other International Network of Street Papers publications.
The original Japanese is on the left, and my translation is on the right.
Read an English article about it by The Mainichi Shimbun.
Tsuyoshi Inaba made some posts about it, click through to see more pictures.
#年越し大人食堂
— 稲葉剛 (@inabatsuyoshi) January 1, 2021
枝元なほみさんら調理チームの奮闘により、お弁当340食を作り、約270人の方にお渡しすることができました。様々な世代、国籍の方が来られ、相談件数も45件にのぼりました。次回は3日に開催します。 pic.twitter.com/aPxNSQhzLF
| 400号19p
（タイトル） 「年越し大人食堂 2021」 コロナ禍で訪れる人に変化。若い女性、子ども連れ、外国籍の人も | Issue 400 p 19
(Title) "New Year's Adults' Cafeteria 2021" There have been changes to those who come during the coronavirus crisis. Young women, parents with children, and foreign people too |
| （本文）
若い人や女性も来やすい食堂 元日３４０食、３日は３７８食 | (Main)
A cafeteria where both young people and women are welcome 340 meals on New Year's Day, and 378 meals on the 3rd |
| １月３日、東京・新宿からもほど近い四ツ谷駅前の聖イグナチオ教会で「年越し大人食堂 ２０２１」が開催された。新型コロナ災害緊急アクション、つくろい東京ファンド、ＰＯＳＳＥ、反貧困ネットワーク、ビッグイシュー基金による共催で、料理研究家の枝元なほみさん（※1）がボランティアスタッフと３７８食の弁当を作った。 | On January 3rd, the "New Year's Adults' Cafeteria 2021" was held at St. Ignatius Church in front of Yotsuya Station, not too far from Shinjuku, Tokyo. Thanks to the joint hosting of Emergency Action for the COVID-19 Disaster, Tsukuroi Tokyo Fund, POSSE, Anti-Poverty Network, and The Big Issue Japan Foundation, the culinary expert Edamoto Nahomi (* 1) and the volunteer staff made 378 boxed meals. |
| 生姜風味の胡麻アジや大根と油麩の煮物、素揚げカボチャや赤カブの甘酢漬けなどがぎっちり詰まった弁当は、豊かな彩りが食欲をそそる。 | A richly colored boxed meal with ginger and sesame horse mackerel, stewed daikon radish and aburafu (deep-fried wheat gluten), french-fried squash and sweet pickled radishes really whets the appetite. |
| 会場にはほかに、鶏と卵とはんぺんとホウレンソウのスープや温かいお茶、みかん、お菓子、ベビーフード、カイロ、衣料品なども用意されていた。新型コロナ感染防止のため、ＪＲと丸ノ内線を見下ろす日当たりのいい土手にテーブルとイス、ストーブが置かれ、食事場所として開放された。 | Also available in the venue were many other items such as chicken, egg, fish cake, and spinach soup, hot tea, mandarin oranges, sweets, baby food, hand warmers, and clothing. To prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, a dining area with tables, chairs, and heaters was made on a sunlit embankment overlooking the JR and Marunouchi lines. |
| この食堂の発案者は稲葉剛さん（※2）。「毎年、年末年始は日払いや週払いの仕事をしながらネットカフェで寝泊まりする若年層が長期間休まされ、人生初の野宿に追い込まれる傾向があります。中高年男性が多い炊き出しよりも若い人や女性が来やすい場をつくろうと、昨年から開催しています」と、始めたいきさつを話す。 | Tsuyoshi Inaba (* 2) was the originator of this cafeteria. He speaks about how it started: "Every year around the New Year's holiday, young people who sleep in internet cafes and work at jobs that pay by the day or by the week are forced to stop working for a long time. A common outcome of job insecurity is that they will be forced to sleep outdoors for the first time in their lives. Rather than the typical soup kitchen serving mostly middle-aged and old men, beginning last year [2020], we have opened a place that young people and women can come to more easily." |
| 昨年は２日間で１０２人だったが、今年（１月１日、３日開催）は1日に２７０人、３日は３１８人が訪れたという。「１日は枝元さんが弁当を急遽追加で作ってくださり、３４０食を提供できました。昨年と違って、お子さん連れや若い女性、外国籍の方、住まいはあるけど家賃が払えなくなった方も来られています」 | Last year in the two days it was held a total of 102 people came, but this year (held on January 1st and 3rd), 270 people came on the 1st and 318 people on the 3rd. "On the 1st, Ms. Edamoto made additional boxed meals in a hurry, and we were able to supply 340 meals. As opposed to last year, we saw young women, parents with children, and foreign people; also people who have a home but have become unable to pay their rent." |
| みんな混ざり合う空間
困っていること恥じなくていい | A space for all to mingle
Don't feel ashamed about being in dire straits |
| この日、別室では労働、生活、医療、女性、法律の専門家が相談に乗り、必要に応じて「反貧困ネットワークの反貧困緊急ささえあい基金から支援金を支給したり、東京都が提供している一時宿泊場所のホテルや生活保護の申請などにつないだり」した。 | On each day, in another room there were experts available to give consultations on work, life, medical care, women's, and legal issues. As necessary, "need-based grants were given from the Anti-Poverty Network's Anti-Poverty Emergency Mutual Support Fund, and assistance was given to connect people with applications for the temporary hotel lodgings offered by the Tokyo government and for public assistance." |
| 「生活保護をためらう方も多く、厚労省が12月22日に特設ページを作りましたが、テレビＣＭや駅の広告でも広報してほしい。自助も共助も限界に来ています」と稲葉さんは言う。 | "There are a lot of people who hesitate to apply for public assistance. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare set up a special page on December 22nd, but I'd like to see a TV commercial or notices in train stations to get the information out. We have almost reached the limit of self-help and mutual assistance," Inaba says. |
| 食堂で提供される弁当の食材は十勝の生産者や家庭菜園、生協などからの寄付だ。「彼らの気持ちを無駄にせず、来てくださった方とスタッフの会話が弾むように、あえてたくさんの種類のおかずを作りました。残った野菜で、これからマルシェを開きます。余裕のある人には寄付をお願いし、困っている人は持ち帰って、いつか余裕ができた時に困っている人を助けたらいい。困った人だけが並ぶのじゃなく、ここをみんなが混ざり合える空間にして、困っていることを恥じなきゃいけない文化をやめにしたいと思った」と枝元さん。 | The ingredients for the boxed meals offered at the cafeteria were donated from producers in Tokachi [Hokkaido], kitchen gardens, and co-ops, among others. "To make good use of their kindness, and to encourage conversation between the staff and people who came, we intentionally made many different kinds of meals. We will open a market for the leftover vegetables. We ask for people with extra to donate, and those in need to bring some home. If they have extra in the future, it would be nice if they can help out others in need. I not only want people in need lining up, but also to have this be a space where everyone can meet and intermingle. I want to put a stop to this culture of shaming those in need," Edamoto says. |
| その言葉通り、食堂には「お弁当のおかず、それぞれ違うの？ どれがいいかな？」と目を輝かせる男性や、マルシェに並んだカラフルなニンジンをうれしそうに持ち帰る母子の姿があった。 | Exactly as she said, in the cafeteria a man with eyes sparkling said "There's different side dishes in each boxed meal? Which one is good?", and a mother and child who lined up at the market looked happy to take home some colorful carrots. |
| （香月真理子） | (Katsuki Mariko) |
| ※１ ビッグイシュー基金共同代表
※２ つくろい東京ファンド代表理事、ビッグイシュー基金共同代表 | * 1 Co-head of The Big Issue Japan Foundation
* 2 Representative of the Board of Directors of the Tsukuroi Tokyo Fund, Co-head of The Big Issue Japan Foundation |
| （写真キャプ）
1日、3日とも300食以上。ベジタリアン対応など、多彩なお弁当が並んだ 稲葉剛さん 枝元なほみさん （写真クレジット） Photos : 浅野カズヤ | (Photo captions)
Over 300 meals on both the 1st and the 3rd. Colorful boxed meals including vegetarian selections lined up Tsuyoshi Inaba Edamoto Nahomi (Photo credit) Photos: Asano Kazuya |