PRESS CONFERENCE
Charles E. McJilton, Founder of Second Harvest Japan

The speech and Q & A will be in English.

Charles E. McJilton, founder and chairman of Second Harvest Japan, believes the time has come for Japan to make a genuine effort to eradicate domestic poverty, which affects 15.7% of the population -- a surprisingly high figure for an advanced economy and a society that prides itself on taking care of its own.

Second Harvest Japan operates food banks and plans to broaden the national network for delivering hot meals to the unemployed and the homeless. The organization collects food that would otherwise go to waste from manufacturers, restaurant operators, farmers and households.

McJilton studied international relations and East Asian studies at the University of Minnesota. He earned hands-on experience by helping day laborers and the homeless in Tokyo's Sanya district in the 1990s, when he was studying as an exchange student.

Charles McJilton, Founder of Second Harvest Japan