This week is the traditional “Golden Week” holiday in Japan, and many Japanese people are taking advantage of their time off to volunteer in the Tohoku region. As described in a recent Japan Times article, many groups are trying to organize the outpouring of concern into practical assistance … Read more
Last week, the Association for Aid and Relief (AAR) delivered washing machines and dryers to two evacuation centers on the Oshika Peninsula in Miyagi Prefecture. Many places on the peninsula are still without water and electricity, so this equipment was set up in central areas … Read more
On April 29, after a one-month delay, the Isatomae Elementary School in Minamisanriku (Miyagi Prefecture) finally held its graduation ceremony. They were joined by students from the Natari Elementary School, a school located 2 kilometers away that was heavily damaged by the tsunami and is … Read more
A staff member of the Association for Aid and Relief (AAR) shared his experiences helping at an evacuation center in the Minato Middle School in the city of Ishinomaki (Miyagi Prefecture). He first arrived in mid-April, about one month after the earthquake struck, to … Read more
The Japan Association for Refugees (JAR), which is one of the Japan Platform member organizations, has been organizing groups of volunteers to go to Tohoku and help with the clean-up and other needs. What is unique about these groups of volunteers is that they include … Read more
One of Japan’s most famous marathon runners, Mari Tanigawa, has been working with the Association for Aid and Relief (AAR) as a board member and as a goodwill ambassador for their efforts to clear landmines. In early May, she joined the AAR teams in Iwate … Read more
As highlighted in a recent Japan Times article, the Internet and social media such as Facebook and Twitter are playing a new and increasing role in disaster relief efforts in Tohoku. The NGOs being helped by JCIE’s relief and recovery fund are posting calls for … Read more
The Association for Aid and Relief (AAR) announced today that it is working in cooperation with ADRA Japan to provide sets of household items for all of the temporary and leased housing for evacuees in Fukushima Prefecture (about 35,000 households). The Red Cross Society of … Read more
The Association for Aid and Relief (AAR) reported on its activities and the current situation in Iwate Prefecture. On April 1, they set up a headquarters in the city of Morioka, and have been working from there to reach facilities for the elderly and people … Read more
In the Motoyoshi section of Kesennuma (Miyagi Prefecture), residents had always relied on wells for their drinking water, but the tsunami left those wells polluted with sea water and fuel oil, making the wells unusable. As a result, the residents have had to travel an … Read more