Date: May 26, 2011 (Thursday)
Time: 6–9 p.m.
Place: Mosaic Room, Wesley Center, Minami Aoyama, Tokyo (PDF map to TELL=Wesley Center) 
(東京都港区南青山6-10-11 Wesley Center 2F)

Honoring Kodansha International
It is hard to imagine the world without Kodansha International. For many of us, “KI” has been the source of reliable and tasteful books on Japan you won’t find in the catalogue of any other English-language publisher. But we can no longer take KI books for granted. As of April 30, Kodansha International has been closed down, ending the life of a still vigorous and highly respected press that shared the wisdom, art, insight, and experience of Japan with the world for nearly half a century.

An exhibit at this event will give visitors a chance to leaf through some of KI's finest publications. These beautiful volumes bear testimony to the highest standards of our wordsmithing crafts and illustrate the immense achievements of a company that contributed more than perhaps any other to the world’s understanding of Japanese culture.

Benefit Book Fair
To celebrate this tremendous history, as well as contribute to the relief effort for victims of the 3-11 disaster in Tohoku, SWET will hold a Special Benefit Book Fair. Renew your library from the SWET Book Fair books, recently replenished by members-moving-on and including many of the standout volumes from KI’s early and recent history, and in so doing contribute to helping those whose lives have been turned upside down by the 3-11 earthquake and tsunami.

Proceeds from sale will go to the employees of the Miyagi (Kesennuma) factory of Komiyama Insatsu (which prints the SWET Newsletter) whose houses were washed away in the tsunami.
Note: If you cannot come on May 26th, direct donations to this benefit for the Miyagi factory employees may be made via the SWET website. Write to SWET Events for details.

Donating Books: Special Call
We do need more books for this event, so please consider donating some of yours! On this occasion, SWET will mainly feature books published by Kodansha International, as well as books for wordsmiths (style guides, dictionaries/thesauruses, books on writing/editing/translating, biographies/autobiographies of wordsmiths, etc.) We would therefore like especially to encourage book donations of these kinds of books. If you have such volumes and would like to see them re-circulate among appreciative readers, bring them on May 26 (please save other kinds of books for a future book fair). Mass market and trade fiction, some non-fiction and miscellaneous books will also be on sale. You can also send books to us in advance after contacting us at SWET Events.

Visiting and Networking
Don't miss this opportunity, too, to see and network with SWET friends, old and new, talk to the Steering Committee members present, ask questions, and meet potential collaborators.

Those attending the event are welcome to bring bento and beverage, and join us for a gathering to both think about good books and pool funds to lend a helping hand.

For further information, write to SWET Events.