100 Mile Charity Run around London and Fundraising Dinner

My Mother is Japanese and my Sister and I spent a significant part of our childhood growing up North of Tokyo. The genesis of our project followed the terrible events of 11 March where we, and many millions around the world, watched in horror as the tsunami ripped through North East Japan. We maintain close links with our family and friends in Japan. Prompted by the disaster, we are all going back at the end of August to visit them, the first time we have all visited together in 5 years.

Having donated to several charities in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami, we decided that we must do something more to, primarily, raise awareness of the plight of the hundreds of thousands affected whilst also raising much needed funds for the relief effort.

We came up with the idea of running and cycling the Fukushima exclusion zone around London as an innovative way of demonstrating the repercussions of the earthquake. The simple, but striking, message we wish to promote is that if London were Fukushima then those residents inside the course perimeter would be evacuated and be living in temporary shelters. So the challenge of a 100 mile run over 24 hours occurring 5 months after the earthquake struck (we start 0546 10 August and finish by 0546 11 August) was developed. I will run the whole course, and my Maia will ride a Boris bike.

A fundraising dinner and auction will follow the run and cycle on Thursday 11 August at the acclaimed Indian restaurant Moti Mahal, Covent Garden. Head Chef Anirudh Arora and his team have generously donated their services for the evening and have secured five of the top UK chefs - Jun Tanaka (The Pearl, London), Hayashi Daisuke (Sake no Hana, London), Sriram Aylur (Quilon, London), Bryan Pearn (Peel's Restaurant, Hampton Manor, Birmingham) and Edd Kimber (winner the Great British Bake Off). The dinner will be followed by an auction.

So, you there are many ways that you can support our family Charity event. You can follow us on the website and join us on Twitter and Facebook. You can send us off at 0546 on Wednesday from the Japanese Embassy or join in along the way. Or come to the dinner. Any support will be much appreciated by us all!