In this month's newsletter:
Domo Restaurant – New AwardsWestword Best Japanese – 13th Consecutive Year!Thank you Denver! Domo Restaurant named Westword’s Best Traditional Japanese Restaurant 2009 for the 13th Consecutive Year! Etown—E-Chievement AwardGaku Homma Aikido Humanitarian Active Network February 2009 Celebrating those who are making a positive difference in their communities and beyond. Dine at Domo and Feed the World Activity ReportMr. Homma traveled to four countries in South East Asia this past February and March to work directly on some of the humanitarian assistance projects sponsored by Domo Restaurant. Besides being the owner and head chef of Domo Restaurant, Gaku Homma is also the Founder of Nippon Kan International Headquarters in Denver. He is a renowned Aikido instructor who travels world-wide to teach the Japanese Martial Art of Aikido to students around the world. Mr. Homma is also a profound humanitarian activist and is the Founder of AHAN International (The Aikido Humanitarian Active Network) headquartered at Nippon Kan in Denver. AHAN currently has humanitarian assistance projects in over 30 countries.
On this four week trip to South East Asia, Mr. Homma paid an annual visit to Mindanao Island in the Philippines, Nepal, Bangladesh and Yangon the capital of Myanmar (formerly Burma). He brought with him all that he could carry in the way of educational and hygiene related supplies, and worked to organize other deliveries of building supplies and rice to orphanages and other children’s assistance groups in all of these countries. Mr. Homma’s focus and philosophy at Domo Restaurant is multi faceted, but revolves around the principles and vision he has had since before Domo opened its doors in 1996. Mr. Homma’s first goal at Domo is to introduce traditional and authentic Japanese cuisine and culture to Denver, but for many years, he has also been realizing a dream of utilizing proceeds from his restaurant and other ventures to support others less fortunate in the world. Even before Domo Restaurant opened it’s doors, Mr. Homma and Nippon Kan have been involved with local community services projects in Denver. For over 18 years, he has served a monthly meal to an average of 300 homeless at the Denver Rescue Mission and last May passed, we passed the milestone of supplying and serving over 50, 000 meals. Nippon Kan has also worked with the Denver Parks Department for close to 20 years by providing labor for beautification projects in parks and on trails in and around the Denver Metro Area. These initial local projects have grown in scope as AHAN International was founded in 2001. Now with the help of Domo Restaurant, AHAN assists support projects for children in over thirty countries world-wide. (Read Homma Kancho’s New Year Message) Mr. Homma commented, “Today, food shows are popular on cable TV and they get more and more exotic as chef-contestants compete to determine who is the fastest or who can make the wildest creation. It is “food play” which I find a little concerning. There is also the ongoing sushi boom where customers try their hand at eating pricy and exotic delicacies. Yet while people are flocking to sushi bars in every growing numbers and countries, maguro tuna, hamachi yellow tail, unagi fresh water eel, mirugai giant clam and other sushi favorites are being added to the endangered species list. Fashionable in some countries; the price of one piece of sushi can feed an orphaned child for one day in other countries. We are lucky here in the United States that we can enjoy an abundance and wide variety of different foods. I have witnessed first hand the lives of people who struggle daily with devastating shortages of the most basic of foods, and I have found that I have become deeply involved with the lives of these people. It makes me feel a little guilty to witness the great differences in resources available in different countries and it has inspired me to do what I can. These observations and experiences have formed the foundation of what has become Domo’s “Dine at Domo and Feed the World” campaign.” On this 2009 South East Asia tour, Mr. Homma donated educational materials to the Mindanao State Technical University and food, medical, educational and hygiene supplies to a refuge facility for abused children in the Philippines. In both the Philippines and Kathmandu, Nepal, more educational supplies were donated including 300 mats for the practice of Aikido and Judo to further physical education programs. In Dhaka, Bangladesh ½ ton of rice, cement and other building supplies were donated to help build a new school for an orphanage for girls and ½ ton of rice was donated to another orphanage for boys. Long term arrangements were also made at these orphanages to continue the donation of 1 ton of rice per month for the next year to come. This rice donation project in Bangladesh is now in its third year, and the need keeps growing. During Mr. Homma’s visit Myanmar, arrangements were made to deliver 3 tons of rice during the upcoming year to a monastery orphanage. On this trip the first installment of 250 kilos was delivered You might ask, “Where is the money coming from for all of these projects, some large foundation or rich benefactor? No, is the answer, not in this case. Domo does not have a large advertising budget so we do not spend lavishly on ads in newspapers, magazines or directories. Advertising can cost some restaurants thousands of dollars a month alone, but we feel we have found a better use for these funds. Domo also has decided not to use delicate Japanese serving plates and bowls. We have discovered that by avoiding fancy serving plates we can save over $6000 a year in what we would have had to throw away in chipped plates! By saving where we can, we have found that Domo is able to help support projects around the world that help give back what has been generously given to us. By just being mindful and saving where we can, the same operating budget offers different opportunities at Domo. Domo Restaurant also supports the Nippon Kan Cultural Tour Program for school aged children. On average over 3000 students per year visit Nippon Kan and Domo for an excursion into Japanese culture and a Domo lunch! Modest proceeds from these tours also support AHAN International projects world wide. With our customer’s support and a watchful eye on expenses, we have found that we can save enough per month to supply 1000 children with enough rice for two meals a day for one month period. It’s a good start, but there is farther to go! “To look down on these children and families in need with sympathy or sadness is a mistake. I wonder how many of us would have the courage to face what they face every day. In their faces I see strength; in their eyes I see will power and resourcefulness and indeed wisdom. I have learned much about what is truly valuable in life from those we call “needy”. I think we all have something we can learn. The support we provide is given with a spirit of individual dignity and respect. Our support is a way we have found to show our appreciation for all life, and how easy it is to share what we have in such over abundance here at home.” Gaku Homma All of us at Domo thank all of you very much for your continued support! View the AHAN Asia Tour Photo Album 2009. The photos in this album were taken by Mr. Homma between February 19th and March 16th, 2009. NOTE: All photos were taken with permission for use on Domo and Nippon Kan AHAN Headquarter websites and archive-newsletters. Please do not use or duplicate without permission. For more information on Aikido Nippon Kan and AHAN activities link to www.nippon-kan.org.Spring has arrived!
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303-595-domo – info@domorestaurant.com
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