JAPAN DISASTER-RELIEF DONATIONS. HELP ALLEVIATE SUFFERING IN JAPAN.
Please help by making a donation, no matter how small.
Choose from any of the below non-profit or disaster-relief agencies.
Based in Japan, so your money will be dispursed quickly.
Peace Winds is based in Japan, so your money will get disbursed immediately.
Based in Japan, Second Harvest is a food bank that collects food and distributes it to those in need. Your money will get disbursed immediately.
Based in Japan. The Japanese Salvation Army has three emergency service relief teams operating in areas devastated by the earthquake and tsunami.
Based in Japan. Jhelp and its Japan Emergency Team organize volunteers to help in disaster areas, and to collect and distribute needed supplies. Those able to help on site in Sendai (Japan) or assist locally are asked to send name, telephone, and age to team@jhelp.com.
My friend Steve Beimel, along with Esprit Travel, help people donate small toys and gifts for children upon their arrival at relocation facilities.
Provides helpful websites, phone numbers, and donation links. The Japan Times is also Japan’s largest English newspaper.
Provides links to various international agencies where you can donate money, find people, and stay abreast of news & alerts.
Provides donation links to Save the Children, Globalgiving, Handson Tokyo, and American Red Cross
Based in New York. Founded in 1907 to foster cooperation between the people of Japan and the United States. 100% of contributions will go to organizations that directly help disaster victims.
Volunteer Information for People in Japan. AJET and Smile Kids Japan, with support from the JetWit JET alumni translators and interpreters group, have compiled a list of prefectural volunteer organisations (PVOs) mobilising volunteer groups to do ground work in areas affected by the earthquake and tsunami. For details in English, click the logo at left. For a Japanese-language list of Prefectural Volunteer Organizations, click here.
If you were a JET, consider this donation option with the Official National JETAA USA Fund.
The Couchsurfing group, set up for the current Japan crisis, provides crisis housing. If you reside in Japan and have room to take in evacuees, please contact them.
Heart wrenching video of disaster-hit Japan.
EARTHQUAKE TALISMAN
ABOVE: Earthquake Talisman 地震御守. The deity Kashima Daimyōjin quelling Namazu, a giant catfish thought to cause earthquakes. Namazu 鯰 is a giant catfish thought to live deep inside the earth. Its movements are said to cause earthquakes. According to Japanese legend, Namazu can be controlled by Kashima Daimyōjin 鹿島大明神, commonly by placing a large rock called the pivot stone (kanameishi 要石) atop the creature or inside its mouth, or sometimes by stabbing it with a sword. Pictures (Namazu-e 鯰絵) depicting the catfish being killed or being personified appeared in great number after the Great Edo Earthquake of 1855. Most were unsigned. Here we see Kashima Daimyōjin stabbing the catfish with his sword, assisted by a Buddhist deity with a mallet, while four fish-headed entities beg the catfish to stop its destructive thrashing. The names of various localities damaged in the 1855 earthquake (e.g., Shinshū 信州 near Nagano) are written on their robes.
Legends about Kashima Daimyōjin trace their origins to Kashima Jingū 鹿島神宮 (in Ibaraki Prefecture 茨城県). He is considered a manifestation of the shrine's central deity Takemikazuchi 建御雷神 (also written 建御雷之男神, 武甕槌神、武甕雷神), who is considered a protector against earthquakes. Another deity thought to quell earthquakes is Jinushigami 地主神 (lit. Landlord Deity or Land-Master Kami).
Buddhist monk collecting donations for disaster relief after the Great Tohoku Earthquake in Japan (photo by M. Schumacher) (The killer quake hit Japan on 11 March 2011)
STAYING PREPARED IN EARTHQUAKE-PRONE JAPAN
People who own cell phones can sign up for earthquake and tsunami alerts. When an alert is issued, subscribers will hear a special ring tone. Television broadcasts also provide alerts. In either case, the alerts come just seconds before the quake hits.
Evacuation centers are well established in every neighborhood, with street signs pointing to the designated location. Detailed maps of escape routes are also distributed to each household.
School children in Japan regularly practice emergency drills (just as American schools have fire and tornado drills).
The government encourages all households to keep a Survival Kit near the doorway to their house. It should be stocked with water, energy foods, and matches to build a fire.
All citizens are encouraged to keep a flashlight nearby. Many Japanese keep it next to their bed.
Other good advice is to (a) grab your footwear before running out of the house to protect your feet against rubble, broken glass, etc.; (b) for clothes, grab long sleeves and long pants; find gloves if you have the chance; (c) walk to the evacuation center, don’t drive; if you are in your car during an emergency, park it, leave the keys inside, and don’t lock it; emergency personnel can then move your car in emergency situations.
In case of radiation contamination, (a) keep all doors and windows shut; turn off fans and air conditioners to prevent contaminated air from entering; (b) if you must go outside, cover your mouth and nose with a wet towel or handkerchief; (c) if you went outside, wipe your shoes and clothes clean with a wet cloth or tissue; put them in a plastic bag and dispose; (d) don’t go outside if it is raining; (e) if available, take iodine pills to protect against thyroid disease; do not use disinfectants & gargles containing potassium iodine, as they are ineffective despite rumors on the Internet; this is because such products contain other ingredients harmful to the body and the amount of potassium iodine is too small to help.
