Monthly Archive for June, 2008

Belle on Wheels embarked on her second tour of the Tokyo Area on Tuesday June 17. She carried with her 4 BEGUNTO members as well as 3 from Nambu.

The day began at Yurakucho LC in support of striking members there. Belle stayed in the area and broadcasted our demands from two different locations around the LC. The Unit Director came down to check out the goings on along with Tokyo’s finest. The Police Detectives simply asked how long we would stay. We explained until 2:00 p.m.

Following the Yurakucho action Belle took a drive through the Ginza broadcasting our message to afternoon shoppers while greeted by friendly smiles and waves from strollers and street vendors.

The next stop was Hamamatsucho LC where we stopped to broadcast from the highway across the plaza for around half an hour.

From Hamamatsucho we went to Shibuya LC where we broadcasted from approximately 30 minutes from across the street.

After a drive through Shibuya’s busy areas we cruised Aoyama doing a ‘drive-by demo’ around Aoyama and Shin Aoyama LCs. We then cruised the Roppongi area doing another ‘drive-by demo’ at the Roppongi LC before going to Kamiyacho.

At Kamiyacho LC we supported the Kamiyacho Commandos’ 18:15 x 1 strike with our P.A. and crew until 18:55. We made a brief stop upon request of a sister union member at Simul Academy, which is also a Bennesse member company before ending our tour and returning Belle to her base.

Attachment Size
01com.jpg 77.26 KB
02com.jpg 119.45 KB
03com.jpg 250.78 KB
05com.jpg 111.21 KB

“Belle on Wheels*” made her first appearance on the streets of Tokyo Saturday, visiting Ueno, Ichigaya, Otemachi, and Seijo LCs, in addition to cruising by Yurakucho, Aoyama, Shibuya, and Sangenjaya, while broadcasting reports of the ongoing strike at Berlitz. (see photos attached)

Thousands of people viewed the sign and listened to the announcements as we rolled through crowded areas of Tokyo. People were literally stopped in their tracks, faces frozen, as they read and
listened. Many gave us words of encouragement. I even had a thousand yen pressed into my hand by a well-wisher.

Van-glish lesson

The van decorated with union posters stopped in front of various Berlitz LCs, while union members stood on the roof to explain the strike at Berlitz, and offer a one-point labour eikaiwa lesson:

“How do you say “sutoraiki kekko chuu” in English?”
“I am on strike! You are on strike! He is on strike! She is on strike!…”

This was particularly popular with high school students passing by Ichigaya LC.

At Seijo, we were joined by local strikers for leafletting in front of the school, while the van circled the block, to the wonder of all in the normally sleepy town.

Neighbours who had seen us there before stopped to talk about the ongoing dispute, and said “gambatte”, in spite of the noise and fuss. Non-striking teachers were invited to get on the bus and join the strike.

Many thanks to the driver and navigator from Ikebukuro LC, whose skills behind the wheel were indispensable to this mission, and to Nambu for lending us the van.

*The P.A. van was christened with this name by one of its drivers.

Attachment Size
08.jpg 750.75 KB
12.jpg 968.67 KB
14.jpg 632.35 KB
24.jpg 761 KB
P6072635.JPG 245.51 KB
29.jpg 785.92 KB
P6072639.JPG 314.35 KB