One
Year Later
Commemorating the Anniversary of the
Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami
 The
Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania invites you to join us
in marking the one-year anniversary of the March 11, 2011, earthquake
and tsunami that devastated Japan's northeast coast.
The following
is a compilation of links having to do with the triple tragedy
in Japan. They are listed here as a resource for your information,
not an endorsement.
Please use the links below to quickly jump to the content areas:
Events
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 A
Moment of Silence
On Sunday, March 11, 2012, Ambassador Shigeyuki Hiroki, Consul
General of Japan in New York, will remember the anniversary
by joining others in a moment of silence at 2:46 p.m., the same
time that the earthquake struck in the Pacific Ocean off the
coast of Japan.
Share your
thoughts on the Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania Facebook
page, and please join us in the moment of silence.
Japan on the Cross-Roads: Economics and Politics after the
Tohoku Earthquake
The Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania and the World Affairs
Council of Pittsburgh joined to host an event to commemorate
the anniversary on March 9, 2012. The breakfast briefing was
titled “Japan on the Cross-Roads: Economics and Politics
after the Tohoku Earthquake” and featured Dr. Serguey
Branguinsky, Associate Professor, Social and Decision Sciences,
Engineering and Public Policy Heinz College, Carnegie Mellon
University.
Click here to watch the event.
Earthquake
Relief Efforts
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JASP
and Brother’s Brother Foundation Joined Forces
Just hours after the earthquake on March 11, 2011, the JASP
and Brother’s Brother Foundation (BFF) joined forces to
begin disaster relief fundraising efforts to aid victims of
the Great East Japan Earthquake.
The total funds collected were $540,884.53 from 2,327 donors
and 2,452 donations. It was a priority of the effort that the
donated funds were distributed promptly and that 100% of donated
funds were used for aid. Those goals have been reached.
The generously
donated funds were allocated to two nonprofit organizations
in Japan on the front lines of relief, recovery, and reconstruction
in Tohoku. Dennis Unkovic, JASP Board of Director, visited both
organizations on behalf of the JASP/BBF efforts and is seen
in the photos below with representatives from Ashinaga at their
headquarters in Tokyo, and with Mr. Ozawa from Rotary Foundation
International at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo.
The first
organization, Ashinaga a Japanese NPO that builds and oversees
a number of orphanages and youth homes in Japan, has received
a total donation of $250,000 to plan and erect a youth center.
It is hoped that within the next 18 months the main facility
will be completed along with several smaller outlets, all of
which will be located within the affected area in the Tohoku
region. More than 1,800 children have filed applications to
be part of Ashinaga’s project.
The second
fund recipient is Rotary International Foundation, Japan to
whom $290,884.53 in funds have been distributed to purchase
replacement medical equipment for Rikuzen Takada Hospital. This
facility had served the 25,000 area residents until the tsunami
wiped out the community and 10% of the population.
The JASP/BBF
efforts in collecting donations for Japan relief have ended.
We will continue to monitor the progress in both organizations
and will post updates on the JASP web site. Thank you for your
interest and generous support.
The
following is a summary of a report from Ashinaga:
The Tohoku Rainbow House project is progressing nicely.
The Rikuzen Takada Rainbow House Construction project office
is set up in Rikuzen Takada City, Iwate Prefecture. The House
Trailer was set up at the rented ground 10 minutes walk from
the temporary City Hall. - This
office is providing home-visit counseling to the orphan families
in the surrounding area, day and weekend programs for orphans,
and families to meet others, etc.
- As of
November 2011, in Ishimaki City, Miyagi prefecture, they were
renting a two-story ex- Mitsukoshi department store building
as a temporary office and start programs.
- Facilitator
training sessions: Four two-day sessions were held in May,
June, July, and October. 113 volunteers finished the course.
 14
programs were held in total, reaching 200 orphans and parents/guardians.
- Number
of household participated: 61 families, 78 children, 45 parent/guardian.
- Home
visits: 67 families. Miyagi prefecture: Sendai-23 families,
Natori-5 families, Higashi Matsuyama-5 families, Ishinomaki-13
families, Shioda-1 family, Shichigahama-1 family, Yamamoto-3
family, Shiogama-1 family Iwate prefecture:
- Rikuzen
Takada- 8 family Rikuzen Takada Orphans/Families Gathering:
29 families participated: 44 orphans, 22 parents/guardians.
The area covered: Rikuzen Takada to Kamaishi.
The
following is a summary of a report Rikuzen
Takada Hospital:
Rikuzen Takada Hospital, through the Rotary International Foundation,
has ordered all the medical equipment that was requested. Everything
is progressing on schedule.
The temporary
clinic was completed on July 24, 2011. The clinic for Rikuzen
Takada Hospital houses the Orthopedic Surgery, ENT, Ophthalmology,
Dermatology, Pediatrics and respiratory medicine. They provide
home visits for 100 patients.
Report
from Tohoku
By Douglas Erber, President, Japan America Society of Southern
California
October 2011
 Dear
members and friends of the Japan America Society of Southern
California, and generous donors to the 2011 Japan Relief Fund,
On behalf of our board of directors and board of governors,
I want to thank you for your heartfelt and generous response
to Japan’s greatest natural disaster, the Great Japan
East Earthquake and resulting tsunami waves and radiation crisis.
I have recently returned from a two-week trip to Japan, where
I spent five days in some of the devastated cities and villages
of Iwate prefecture, as well as a visit to Fukushima prefecture.
Seeing the devastated areas and speaking with survivors was
a life-changing experience and will remain in my deepest thoughts
for the rest of my life.
Click here to read
the complete report.
Multimedia
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Lessons
of March 11: One Year On
NHK, Japan's sole public broadcaster, airs locally on Comcast
channel 200 – WQED 2. Viewers around the world watched
the 3/11 disaster unfold on NHK WORLD TV. One year later, NHK
WORLD's journalists reconnect with people in Japan's devastated
northeast to document the changes and the lessons learned. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/tv/special/311special.html.
Newsweek,
Heroes of Japan's Nuclear Disaster All but Forgotten
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/03/04/heroes-of-japan-s-nuclear-disaster-all-but-forgotten.html
Then
and Now: Photos of Japan’s Earthquake and Tsunami Devastation.
PBS – Frontline
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/health-science-technology/japans-nuclear-meltdown/then-and-now-photos-of-japans-earthquake-and-tsunami-devastation/
News
Articles
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Japanese
tsunami survivor, 79, looks ahead
By Ian Williams, NBC News correspondent
 When
79-year-old Junko Takashi saw the tide fast receding in the
bay below her house, she remembered the warnings of her mother
and her grandmother, that this was a sign of a tsunami. But
still she hesitated.
"I
lived on high ground, on the hillside," she said. "I
never thought the water could reach here."
She decided
to take no chances, and leaving all her belongings behind her,
she climbed to higher ground. She didn't see the tsunami rolling
in, but remembers the terrible noise – like a waterfall,
only far, far louder, she recalled. By
the time it was over, all that was left of her house were its
foundations. Click
here to read more her complete story.
Issuance
of Commemorative Coins for the Great East Japan Earthquake Reconstruction
Project and the Contest of their Design
The Ministry of Finance of Japan has decided to issue commemorative
coins for the Great East Japan Earthquake reconstruction project,
issuance of which will be in FY2015. New designs for the commemorative
coins will be selected from public proposals by the Ministry
of Finance and Japan Mint.
http://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/english/html/coins03112.html
Films
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 PRAY
FOR JAPAN
Special Nationwide Charity Theatrical Engagement
March 14, 2012
Honors One-Year Anniversary of Japanese Tsunami Tragedy
PRAY FOR
JAPAN takes place in the devastated region of Ishinomaki, Miyagi
– the largest coastal city in Tohoku with a population
of more than 160,000. Filmmaker Stu Levy – an American
living in Japan - filmed the tsunami aftermath during his trips
to Tohoku as a volunteer. Over a period of 6 weeks, he captured
more than 50 hours of footage.
PRAY FOR
JAPAN focuses on four key perspectives of the tragedy –
School, Shelter, Family, and Volunteers. With each perspective,
we meet victims who faced significant obstacles and fought to
overcome them. Through these four vantage points, the audience
is able to understand the vast ramifications of this large-scale
natural disaster – and the battle these real-life heroes
fought on behalf of their loved ones and their hometown.
For additional
information, go to www.prayforjapan-film.org.
 Light
Up Nippon
Cheer up Tohoku and Japan with fireworks. An effort is underway
to get donations and people together to bring back the firework
displays to Tohoku.
Click on the video link to watch.
 The
Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom
"The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom" is an Academy
Award nominated film that looks at the springtime cherry blossoms
that bloomed shortly following the disaster.
Survivors
in the areas hardest hit by Japan’s 2011 tsunami find
the courage to revive and rebuild as cherry blossom season begins.
A
stunning visual haiku describes the ephemeral nature of life
and the healing power of Japan’s most beloved flower.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_xxz5mneAo.
Web
Sites
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Japan
Society
Japan Society will provide a venue for both individual and collective
reflection. The day will feature programs for children and documentary
films for adults. Ambassador Shigeyuki Hiroki, Consul General
of Japan in New York, will offer remarks at 2:30 PM, and preside
over a moment of silence for the lives lost in the disasters
at 2:46 PM. If you are in New York City, please visit the Japan
Society web site for more information on programs related to
the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. http://www.japansociety.org/
 Seven
Strange Ways the Japan Quake Shook the World
Not only did the twin events cause widespread damage along Japan's
coast — the quake was the largest in the country's history
— but they also triggered effects across the globe, from
the surface to high in the atmosphere. They even slightly altered
the Earth's gravity. Here,
OurAmazingPlanet reviews the strangest effects the 2011 Japan
earthquake and tsunami had on our planet.
http://www.ouramazingplanet.com/2569-ways-japan-earthquake-shook-world.html
 What
does Japan mean to you?
A charity photographic exhibition is being created by you. Get
involved by uploading your own photographs of Japan and/or voting
for your favorite images here. www.myjapan.withtank.com
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