Exclusive report from Japan: Bench spreads the love to Japan's tsunami victims

When the unprecedented devastating earthquake and tsunami struck Japan in March, it was like the whole world stood still. Those of us who witnessed the disaster in third person were swept into a maelstrom of manic media reporting, glued to the television and the Internet for harrowing video footages, tragic victim accounts and heartbreaking photos, shocked beyond belief at the unimaginable proportions of damage and loss of lives. Governments, relief organizations and private citizens from all over the world offered help and while assistance continues to flow in today, thousands of people are still left displaced and deprived of basic needs, continuing to struggle daily, unable to come to terms with their desperate situation.

 Many gaijins or foreigners as they are called in Japan, formed themselves into groups to aid the victims, a resolve born out of a desire and commitment to give back to a nation they love and have considered home for many years. One of these is  “The Italians for the Rehabilitation of Tohoku,” comprised of Italian expatriates and their families, including my husband Giorgio. They banded together to raise funds, launch an official website, create an effective line of communication among their constituents to provide constant, updated information on the situation in the Tohoku region and organize regular trips to the devastated areas to bring much needed relief goods.

Double treat: One mother clutches diapers in one hand and holds up a Bench underwear with the other.

In one of their most recent e-mails to their members, it said that victims from infants to the elderly were in dire need of undergarments since many of them were unable to bring any type of clothing when they escaped to safety.

This particular e-mail struck a chord with my husband and stayed with him for a while; it got him thinking and unwittingly, while going about his daily routine, he stumbled upon a brilliant idea.

A Lightbulb Moment

One morning while Giorgio was getting ready for work, the word Bench jumped right at him from within his closet drawer. Instantly, the e-mail about the undergarments came to mind and he thought, “What if through my wife I asked Ben Chan to donate undergarments for Tohoku?” After all, he figured it was one of Ben’s mainstream products for Bench.

They made it!: The Italian and Japanese volunteers record the moment they arrive in Rikuzentakata, one of the hardest hit areas by the tsunami.

Excitedly, Giorgio called me and told me of his “aha moment” earlier that day. Loving the idea, I didn’t waste time and e-mailed Ben straightaway. Within a few hours from the time I pressed the send button, I received a reply from Ben Chan, the man behind Bench. 

 “Of course, we would love to help!” was Ben’s message from overseas; no ifs, no buts and strings attached, just a simple and unequivocal YES to donate.  “How many do you need?” was the only questioned he asked, to which Giorgio replied, “Around 2,000 pieces will be a great help.”

A man known for his kind heart and generous nature, Ben committed more than double that amount and thus the first Italian-Filipino commitment to Tohoku came to fruition.

Getting The Donations To Japan

Once we got confirmation of the donation from Ben and his Bench Team, Giorgio and I proceeded to coordinate the shipment of the goods. While the undergarments were labeled as donations, cost for freight and taxes were unavoidable. So we solicited the help of Guido Ghisellie, managing director of the transport company A. Hartrodt Japan and member of The Italians for the Rehabilitation of Tohoku.

Bench joins Italians for Tohoku: In foreground, Cristina Morino, prime mover of  The Italians for the Rehabilitation of Tohoku; first from left, Alessio Ferrarese of Mirari Japan Co. Ltd/Luxotica Japan; 3rd from the left, Enrico Martini-Head of the Italian State Tourism Office; first from right, Giorgio Matera, 4th from Right Federico Balmas, Head of The Italian Trade Commission; beside him Ben Chan of Bench and author Tetta Matera. At the end of the table are Miguel Pastor and Brian Lim of Bench.

 I contacted their Filipino counterpart in the Philippines and requested for their support in shouldering the freight cost and part of the duties and taxes. God was smiling upon us that day because Felix Baltasar, president of Abphil Logistics, did not think twice and agreed to pay for some of the taxes and ship the donations for free. With the transport taken cared of and the rest of the taxes paid for by Giorgio and A. Hardrodt Japan, the more than 5,000 pieces of Bench undergarments for men and women, young and old, sailed away for Japan.

When Giorgio shared the news of the donation with Francesco Formiconi, honorary president of The Italians for the Rehabilitation of Tohoku and concurrent president of the Italian Chamber of Commerce-Japan and chief operating officer of Giorgio Armani-Japan, he was absolutely elated.  All the other Italian volunteers who heard of Ben Chan’s generosity expressed joy and excitement at having so many of the much-needed undergarments to bring to their monthly trips to Tohoku. They knew the residents of Rikuzentakata, one of the towns hardest hit by the tsunami, will be very happy to receive these basic daily necessities.

Giving, Flea-Market Style

Mano-a-mano: Italian and Japanese volunteers carry the boxes to the relief center.

While giving in itself is a good thing, there are ways that honor not only the spirit of generosity but also the culture of the people you want to give to; this ideal is no more apparent and important in Japan.

Often, in many parts of the world including ours, uniformly packed donations are handed out to victims; perhaps we deem this type of giving as effective and organized, even fair and standard practice.

In Tohoku, donations are not distributed, they are set up flea market-style, with goods available for everyone to choose from. They are placed on tables and atop plastic mats for the victims to pick out from. When the Italian volunteers went to distribute relief goods, they stood around to assist and answer any questions the tsunami victims had but they left the Rikuzentakata residents to freely look around, examine the items and take what they needed. Gracious and considerate, they were all careful to leave ample stock for those who came later in the day.

Just priceless: This elderly man’s smile says it all.

The residents milled around, ate Italian food prepared by the Italian and Japanese volunteers, talked and shared information among themselves, thanking the volunteers for their compassion and bigheartedness. There was no need for security and no need to enforce guidelines. The whole atmosphere was civil and friendly, filled with momentary happiness and hope that their plight had not been forgotten.

Thanksgiving

After the first batch of Bench items reached the people of Rikuzentakata, Ben Chan was able to make his way to Japan. At a lunch hosted by Giorgio to celebrate this successful Italian-Filipino endeavor, Ben and two of his Bench associates, Brian Lim and Miguel Pastor, met some of the members of the Italian community in Tokyo who were also involved in the Tohoku project. Among them were Federico Balmas, head of the Italian Trade Commission, Enrico Martini, the top honcho at the Italian State Tourism Office, Loredana di Porcia e Brugnera, brand ambassador for Tod’s-Japan and other Italians from the diplomatic corps and fashion industry.

Over great food and wine, amid conversation in English, Italian, Japanese and Tagalog, people from continents apart came together for a shared love for a nation that has inspired and given to so many. One Bench T-shirt says it all, “Restore, Rebuild Japan.”

Hand in hand: An Italian volunteer helps an elderly Japanese pick out what she needs.

Later that day, some of us went to the Italian Chamber of Commerce-Japan where Ben received a letter of appreciation from Francesco Formiconi on behalf of The Italians for the Rehabilitation of Tohoku. Ben also handed over prototypes of the new Bench T-shirts to Mr. Formiconi, affirming his and his company’s support in rebuilding Japan.

It is a long journey to Tohoku by land and it remains a difficult task to organize monthly relief goods distribution since many areas are still deemed dangerous to visit and continue to be off-limits to private individuals and outsiders. But The Italians for the Rehabilitation of Tohoku have committed to continue raising funds, set up livelihood projects and make the monthly Sunday visits to provide basic necessities and help restore dignity to the people of that region until they are self-sustaining once more. Bench is and will be a proud and vital part of these Tohoku Sundays for a long time to come.