Asia

Japan

In 1997, the Japanese Ministry of Education officially recognized the Sharing Nature® organization (Japanese Nature Games Association – JNGA) as a “public service corporation” – a rare designation given only to a few widely recognized service groups, such as the Boy Scouts and YMCA.

Over 30,000 Japanese have now taken the three-day JNGA training course, and 11,000 members are active in 224 JNGA chapters.

Founder Dr. Shin-ichi Furihata explains JNGA’s goals:

• Open people’s hearts to feel their one-• ness with nature by playing Sharing Nature games.
• Foster people’s desire to become stew-• ards for nature conservation.
• Build warm relationships between • people.
• Encourage people to play and learn • in nature and share the joy of being inspired by the natural world.
• Create a culture where people and na-• ture can coexist in happy symbiosis.

A larger goal of JNGA is to increase aware-ness throughout Japanese society of the value of conservation. In schools, youth groups, businesses, and government, JNGA is giv-ing children and adults joyful experiences of nature as a vital first step toward promoting attitudes of caring for the planet.

Korea

Sang Ook Chang, director of Sharing Nature Korea, estimates that 50,000 South Korean children and parents have experienced Sharing Nature games. Five Sharing Nature books have been translated and published in South Korea. Sharing Nature with Children I and II and John Muir: My Life with Nature won the Korean Ministry of Environment’s Best Book Award.

China

China’s most influential environmental organization, Friends of Nature, reports that when Sharing Nature with Children was translated into Chinese, it was the first time that effective methods for teaching environmentalism had ever been introduced in the country.

Contact Information

JAPAN: Shin-ichi Furihata jimukyoku@naturegame.or.jp Phone: (81) 3 5291 5630 Fax: (81) 3 5291 5633 Address: Japan Nature Game Association Lookheights Shinjuku 2F 5-18-20 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku Tokyo 160-0022 Japan http://www.naturegame.or.jp	SOUTH KOREA: Sang Ook Chang sharing@sharingnature.or.kr Phone: (82) 2-502-0571 Fax: (82) 2-502-7896 Korea Sharing Nature Association http://www.sharingnature.or.kr 10 Byeol Yang Dong Gwacheon P.O.X 10 Seoul 427-600 Korea
TAIWAN: (Candy) Shaio Shu Bih candy@mail.ymsnp.gov.tw Phone: (886) 2 286111504 Address: 1-20 Chutzehu Road Yangmingshan, Taipei Taiwan R.O.C.	INDONESIA: Latipah Hendarti rmi@bogor.wasantara.net.id Phone: 62 251 320253 311097 Fax: 62 251 320253 Address: Executive Director RMI The Indonesian Institute for Forest and Environment Jl. Sempur No. 55 Bogor 16154 Indonesia