Way back in gloomy February the Fukuoka International scene came together for a glittering gala event at the Fukuoka Now 10th Anniversary Party. To mark our birthday we decided to celebrate the superstars of the international community, so as the highlight of the evening our MC Max presided over the first of what we hope will be many annual Fukuoka Now Kokusai-jin Awards, started to highlight the achievements of international people in Fukuoka.

Many thanks to all those who nominated someone for one of the award categories. We presented lots of potential categories in order to get a sense of what people thought was most important, and we were overwhelmed by the number of nominations for candidates working to promote or effect positive change in the community. Foreign and Japanese nominators alike urged us to recognize their unsung heroes: tireless or thankless workers for community action.

We plan to expand the awards for 2010: watch out for something big on the horizon early next year! But this year we decided to focus on your heroes in the fields of the Environment, Community Service and Cultural Service. In the next few pages you can read all about our picks and their projects, and in honor of their work we also present a guide to getting involved in Community Action in Fukuoka. So take inspiration from this year’s Kokusai-jin Awards, get out there and start making a difference!

Nominations are now closed, but we’d always like to hear who you think should be recognized for their work in the international community. Contact us at editor@fukuoka-now.com, or leave a comment on the new Fukuoka Now Editors’ Blog at the new Fukuoka Now Editors’ Blog.

Community Service Award