Jungle City and the Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Washington (JCCCW) are co-hosting an afternoon with Ryo Ambe, a Japanese man who is cycling 1,860 miles from San Diego to Vancouver, British Columbia. The event will be held this afternoon at 2:30pm at the JCCCW on 1414 S. Weller St.

Ambe is cycling to express his appreciation to the United States for its disaster relief efforts following the 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami. Ambe has been cleaning up trash at coastal beaches along his journey.

The JCCCW will welcome Ambe and thank him for his efforts as he passes through Seattle. Ambe will answer questions about his journey and light refreshments will be provided.

More info about Ambe from JCCCW:

Ambe was born in 1981 in Shiki, Saitama Prefecture Japan and he grew up in Urawa. After the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Ambe started his first cycling trip to contribute to relief efforts. He traversed Canada from the west coast to the east coast in 2011 by bicycle while carrying a thank you message in English and French. The donations he received during this trip were given to the Japanese consulate in Canada. Ambe then went to New Zealand in 2012 to show his appreciation for the relief efforts that New Zealand took part in for Japan. He then continued cycling for the same reasons in Taiwan. During this trip, 19 mayors representing all the cities in Taiwan met with Ambe to pass on handwritten messages of support on postcards to be sent to those living in devastated areas of Japan.