In the Chinomori district of Ofunato (Iwate Prefecture), construction was completed on 71 temporary homes last week, which will house 188 people. With the help of local volunteers, Peace Winds Japan (PWJ) delivered household items to help make those families’ new lives a bit easier. … Read more
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
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
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
JEN reports that temporary housing is being built in the city of Ishinomaki. There are currently more than 22,000 people living in evacuation centers there, so there is an urgent need for housing. During the Golden Week holidays, JEN was able to provide an average … 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
Thanks to CCP (Campaign for the Children of Palestine), one of the NPOs that belongs to Japan Platform, children in Otsuchi received about 2,000 “Pika-Pika” stationery packs. There were different items in each pack, and children from preschool to high school were allowed to choose … Read more
Kids without Borders (KnK) Japan—one of the NPO members of Japan Platform—has been carrying out a Friendship Library project to send messages of support along with books to schools and evacuation centers in Rikuzentakata (Iwate Prefecture). In that city, the schools are beginning to reopen and … 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) Japan has been carrying out a project to construct “container houses” as temporary shelters until housing can be provided. Last week, they erected 10 new container houses in the town of Onagawa, in Miyagi Prefecture. Of the 3,800 … Read more