11.14.2011

Japan: Eight Months after the Great East Japan Earthquake: Activity Report

In the Disaster Zone, Support Still Needed
  
October 21st, 2011 – AAR JAPAN delivers a portable power generator for Mana NAGAURA, who suffers from congenital myopathy, which requires her to breathe with an artificial respirator. At center is Natsuho SHOJI of AAR JAPAN. (Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture)

AAR JAPAN has been carrying out relief efforts for the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake since the immediate aftermath of the disaster. In addition to delivering emergency supplies to those who have limited access to aid, such as persons with disabilities, the elderly, and survivors living at home, AAR JAPAN is also repairing welfare facilities and providing vehicles for facilities for persons with disabilities, as well as distributing portable power generators to persons with disabilities that require them to use respirators to breathe.

Winter has already arrived in the disaster-affected areas. In addition to the distribution of winter necessities to people living in temporary housing and other displaced people, AAR JAPAN is continuing to support the Building Healthy Communities Project, offering rehabilitation services, psychological care, and community interaction and exchange events for disaster survivors, many of whom all too easily end up spending their entire day isolated behind closed doors or stuck inside a shelter due to the cold. Also, AAR JAPAN has been distributing portable power generators for the families with persons with disabilities who use artificial respirators.

Eight months have passed since the earthquake, and people are finally reuniting with their families and starting to find work. AAR JAPAN hopes to continue its support for the people of the disaster-affected areas as they struggle to move forward.

Below is a report on the activities that AAR JAPAN’s supporters have enabled us to carry out in the last eight months:

AAR JAPAN’s Projects in Response to the Great East Japan Earthquake

1.    Delivering Relief to Families in Temporary Housing and Leased Housing in Fukushima Prefecture (approximately 35,000 families)
2.    Support for Food Service at Schools in Minami-soma City, Fukushima Prefecture
3.    Building Healthy Communities Project
4.    Delivery of Relief Supplies
5.    Soup Kitchens
6.    Reconstruction of Facilities for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities
7.    Vehicle Provision
8.    Container Housing Project
9.    Hand-made Tote Bags Project
10.   Psychological Care for Children in Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture
11.   Charity Concerts
12.   “Let’s Bring Hot Springs to the Disaster Zone!” Project (concluded)
13.   Shuttle Bus Service (concluded)
14   Mobile Clinic (concluded)
15   Sanitation Services (concluded)


1. Delivering Relief to Families in Temporary Housing and Leased Housing in Fukushima Prefecture (approximately 35,000 families)
October 12th, 2011 – “This vacuum cleaner I got from AAR JAPAN is a big help” says Mr. Takashi MARUYAMA, who is living in temporary housing in Kagamiishi Town, Iwase County, Fukushima Prefecture. At left is Daigo TAKAGI of AAR JAPAN.

With a grant from Japan Platform (JPF)* and other organizations, and in cooperation with ADRA Japan, we have been supporting the day-to-day livelihoods of families living in temporary housing and subsidized housing in Fukushima Prefecture. We are supporting 17,500 of the estimated 35,000 such families throughout the prefecture.

As the Japanese Red Cross has decided to distribute six-piece sets of home electrical appliances in earthquake- and tsunami-affected areas, AAR JAPAN has focused on providing items such as kitchenware, bathroom goods, vacuum cleaners, kotatsu (heated tables) and regular tables, kitchen cabinets, and so on, based on requests from municipal governments. We are targeting 13 municipalities in the Hamadori and Nakadori regions of Fukushima: Soma City, Minami-Soma City, Shinchi Town, Iitate Village, Tomioka Town, Kawauchi Village, Koriyama City, Sukagawa City, Kagamiishi Town, Shirakawa City, Nishigo Village, Yabuki Town, and Izumisaki Village. In order to contribute to the economic recovery of the local communities, we are collaborating with the local Commerce and Industry Associations in 10 municipalities to source as many aid goods locally as possible. As of October 31st, we have completed the delivery of relief supplies to 15,291 households in the target area.

*Japan Platform (JPF) facilitates the cooperation of NGOs, governments, and corporations in conducting emergency assistance for natural disasters, refugees, and internally displaced people. JPF operates with government funding and donations from corporations and individuals.


2. Support for Food Service at Schools in Soma City, Fukushima

September 22nd, 2011 – “Delicious!” say the children at Hara Town Dai-ichi Elementary School, where AAR JAPAN rented vehicles for food delivery. (Minami-Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture)

AAR JAPAN provided vegetable juice and rice for approximately 2,800 schoolchildren in Kashima, Minami-Soma City. The Kashima area is just outside the restricted zone around Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, and since the accident, many children who used to attend school closer to the plant have now been relocated here. From July 1st to 22nd, vegetable juice was provided to every schoolchild twice a week, and a total of 2 tons of rice was supplied for school meals. Kashima was also experiencing a shortage of vehicles for delivering food to schools, so AAR JAPAN secured rented vehicles for food delivery from August 23rd.


3. Building Healthy Communities Project

October 22nd, 2011 – AAR JAPAN offers massage and counseling services at a civic center in Higashi-matsushima City, Miyagi Prefecture. At right is Noriko FUJITA, occupational therapist.

AAR JAPAN has been providing rehabilitation and health-related services, mobile clinics, sanitation services, psychological care, and community interaction and exchange events for roughly 3,000 people, focusing on persons with disabilities, the elderly, displaced people, and people staying in temporary housing in the disaster-affected areas of Miyagi and Iwate prefectures. Through these comprehensive efforts, AAR JAPAN continues to support people in the disaster zone as they work to maintain both their physical and mental health.

Rehabilitation Services
AAR JAPAN has been sending occupational therapists and physiotherapists to evacuation centers, senior care facilities, facilities for persons with disabilities, temporary housing, and individual homes in Miyagi and Iwate prefectures, offering rehabilitation visits and massages to 431 people from July 9th to October 30th.

Distribution of Winter Necessities
AAR JAPAN has been providing winter necessities such as fan heaters to residents of temporary housing and evacuation centers. From September 1st to October 5th, we distributed fan heaters to 126 families.

Psychological Care

September 11th, 2011 – Counselors in red windbreakers listen to residents of temporary housing, offering vital psychological care for people who were deeply affected by the disaster. (Higashi-matsushima City, Miyagi Prefecture)

To mitigate stress both from the earthquake and from long-term evacuee life, AAR JAPAN has been sending counselors to evacuation centers, temporary housing units, and individual homes to provide psychological care. We provided counseling for 119 people between August 6th and October 22nd.

Community Interaction and Exchange Events
AAR JAPAN has been actively promoting community interaction and exchange events to help encourage the development of social ties in evacuation centers and temporary housing. In this effort, we have been organizing soup kitchens, delivering relief supplies, and providing rehabilitation services such as massages and aroma therapy. To date, we have organized or participated in events in the following locations:

- Festival at Wako Kindergarten in Shichi-ga-hama Town, Miyagi Prefecture (July 23rd)
- Bon Festival in Onagawa Town, Miyagi Prefecture (August 15th)
- Higashi-hama Elementary School on the Oshika Peninsula, Miyagi Prefecture (August 18th)
- Touni Town, Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture (August 20th).
- Otomo Town, Rikuzen-takata City, Iwate Prefecture (August 20th)
-Offering aromatherapy at Higashi-hama Elementary School in Miyagi Prefecture (August 23rd)
- Workshop for persons with disabilities in Yamada Town, Chimohei County, Iwate Prefecture (August 26th)
- Temporary housing complex in Kasshi Town, Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture (August 27th)
- Temporary housing complex in Shichi-ga-hama Town, Miyagi Prefecture (August 28th)
- Temporary housing complex in Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture (September 11th)
- Gym of Nakano Junior High School in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture (September 17th)
- Day room in a temporary housing complex in Kashinai, Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture (September 24th)
- Temporary housing complex in Kuribayashi Town, Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture (September 25th)
- Gym of Nakano Junior High School in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture (September 25th)
- In front of a shop in Sakuragi Town, Otsuchi Town, Kamihei County, Iwate Prefecture (September 28th)
- Temporary housing complex in Kesen Town, Rikuzen-takata City, Iwate Prefecture (October 2nd)
- Festival at Kurosaki Shrine in Hirota Town, Rikuzen-takata City, Iwate Prefecture (October 9th)
- “Everyone’s Festival Bureiko” in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture (October 10th)
- Dosen Subsidized Apartments in Kasshi Town, Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture (October 16th)
- Higashi-hama Elementary School in Iwate Prefecture (October 11th)
- Otsuchi Dai-kyu Temporary Housing Complex in Otsuchi Town, Kamihei County, Iwate Prefecture (October 23rd)
- Taki-no-Sato in Takekoma, Rikuzen-takata City, Iwate Prefecture (October 25th)


4. Delivery of Relief Supplies

Needs have altered as seasons change and people’s lives inch toward normalcy. AAR JAPAN is currently delivering portable power generators to persons with disabilities who rely on respirators to breathe. At the same time, we have been explaining the use of the machines to families, people in temporary housing, and people in social welfare facilities. We have also been providing winter necessities for the harsh cold of the season.

Relief Supplies Delivered to Affected Areas from March 14th to October 31st
Provided to 78,013 people in 1,193 locations

Distribution Areas
Miyagi Prefecture:
Sendai City, Ishinomaki City, Kesennuma City, Natori City, Tome City, Higashi-matsushima City, Onagawa Town, Tagajo City, Iwanuma City, Minami-sanriku Town, Yamamoto Town, Shiogama City
Iwate Prefecture:
Otsuchi Town, Ofunato City, Rikuzen-takata City, Kamaishi City, Yamada Town
Fukushima Prefecture:
Soma City, Minami-Soma City
Yamagata Prefecture:
Kamiyama City

Distribution Facilities
Evacuation centers, facilities for persons with disabilities, facilities for the elderly, social welfare councils, foster homes, shopping centers, social welfare corporations, volunteer centers, ambulatory facilities for the elderly, disaster countermeasures offices, temporary housing, evacuees’ homes, daycare centers, kindergartens, elementary schools, junior high schools, senior high schools, others.

Supplies Delivered
Diesel oil (13,600 liters), Kerosene (4,400 liters), Gasoline (2,060 liters), Water (14 tons), Rice (2.5 tons), Milk (480 packs), Sweet-bean cakes (41,000 units), Vegetables (potatoes, carrots, onions, spinach, cabbage, radishes, green onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, chives, eggplants, kidney beans, edamame beans, pumpkins, burdock roots, taro, sweet potatoes, Chinese cabbage, corn, Japanese mustard spinach, dried shiitake and others), Fruit (mandarin oranges, bananas, watermelons, grapefruits, melons, etc.), Eggs, Other food (retort foods, food for the elderly, canned food, miso, soy sauce, dietary supplements, etc.), Blankets, Bedclothes, Underclothes, Clothes and scarves, Towels and hand cloths, Furoshiki wrapping cloths, Face masks, Hand warmers, Sleeping bags (3,400 units), Cold medicine and other medical supplies, Toothbrushes, Paper diapers, Adult diapers, Women’s sanitary products, Batteries, Baby products (baby food, pacifiers, feeding bottles, baby wipes, etc.), High-pressure washers (32 units), Chainsaws (30 units), Shovels, Boots, Books and picture books, Crayons, Cell phone chargers, Computer sets (37 units), Printers (2 units), Photocopying machines (5 units), Bicycles (294 units), Sputum aspirators (2 units), Care beds (31 units), Folding beds (2 units), Futon sets (30 units), Wheelchairs (21 units), Care chairs (2 units), Walkers (35 units), Power generators (3 units), Laundry machines (29 units), Drying machines (22 units), Refrigerators (28 units), Microwave ovens (7 units), Electric fans (51 units), Vacuum cleaners (44 units), Air cleaners (16 units), Rice cookers (8 units), Futon dehumidifiers (34 units), Reflective heaters (5 units), Kerosene heaters (2 units), Automatic blood pressure meters (34 units), Television sets (22 units), Dish dryers (2 units), Electric fans, Dehumidifiers, Weight scales, Clothes irons, Ironing tables, Rotary printing machines, Pull carts, Dollies, Audio players (10 units), Portable radios, Walking sticks, Cooking knives, Cutting boards, Small shelving units, Bookshelves, Clothing cases, Disinfectant spray, Hand soap, Reading glasses, Stuffed toys, Other toys, Thermos bottles, Digital cameras, DVD players, Video cameras, Mattresses, Sheets, Cotton blankets, Pesticides, Bug repellant, Mosquito nets, Toilet paper, Laundry detergent, Kitchen detergent, Toilet soap, Laundry baskets, Hangers, Cleaning buckets, Paper dishes, Notebooks, Copy paper, Tinfoil and cling wrap, Grass-cutting scythes, Grass cutters, Cucumber seedlings, Tomato seedlings, Flower seedlings, Screen windows, Laundry poles, Summer clothes, Rubber boots, Sandals, Slippers, Ice packs, Neck coolers, Inflatable play pools, Nutritional supplements, Umbrellas, Taisho harp sets, Electric piano sets, Keyboards, Taiko drums, Tea ceremony sets, Other small musical instruments, Sewing machines, Scarves, Sweaters, Jackets and other winter clothes, Farming boots, Garden supplies, Table tennis sets, Electrical generators (7 units), Foot-operated aspirators, Hearing aids, Braille printers, Cultivators, Air purifiers, Heated carpets, Rugs, Kotatsu (heated table) sets, Gas and electric heaters, Hot water bottles, Electric blankets, Down jackets, Fleeces, others.


5. Soup Kitchens


October 23rd, 2011 – Residents of a temporary housing complex get actively involved in a soup kitchen in Otsuchi Town, Kamihei County, Iwate Prefecture.

In coordination with Ingram Co., Ltd., which is responsible for the Peace Project, AAR JAPAN has been organizing soup kitchens in Miyagi, Iwate, and Fukushima prefectures. The project began on March 31st, and as of September 25th, AAR JAPAN held soup kitchens in the following locations. Since August, the soup kitchens have been operated as part of the Building Healthy Communities Project.

Soup Kitchen Locations (24,171 meals served in 69 locations)
Miyagi Prefecture:
Watanoha, Aikawa, Kitakami, and Ayukawa areas (Oshika Peninsula) in Ishinomaki City; Wakabayashi District in Sendai City; Tagajo City; Shizugawa and Utatsu in Minami-sanriku Town; Niitsuki, Shishiori, and Omose areas in Kesen-Numa City
Iwate Prefecture:
Kamaishi City, Rikuzen-takata City, Taro Town in Miyako City, Yamada Town, Otsuchi Town
Fukushima Prefecture:
Haramachi Ward in Minami-Soma City

Menu 
Tokushima ramen, Oden, Beef stew, Yakisoba (fried noodles), Fried chicken, Vegetable sticks, Chukadon (Chinese-style stir-fried meat and vegetables on rice), Beef steak, Onion soup, Tuna sashimi on rice, Chanko-nabe (hot pot), Apple pie, Onion sauté, Minestrone, Ground chicken with egg and vegetables on rice, Fish miso soup, Hijiki seaweed mix, Fried sweet potato, Cabbage rolls, Mixed bean-curd lees and vegetables, Autumn rice, Pork miso soup, Stewed fish, Cabbage and spinach side dishes, Somen noodles, Minced fish soup, Hand-made sweet potato pies, Hand-made langue du chats, Samgyetang (Korean chicken ginseng soup), Yakitori (grilled chicken), Miso soup with tofu and shimeji mushrooms, Stewed meat and potatoes, Boiled komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach), Pasta with meat sauce, Potato salad, Miso soup with Chinese cabbage and shiitake mushrooms, Boiled field mustard, Inarizushi (fried tofu stuffed with venerated rice), Cooked radish and minced meat, Kashiwa mochi (rice cake wrapped in oak leaf), Fried whitefish, Miso soup with radish, Radish salad, Fruit Jell-O, Udon noodles, Almond Jell-O, Stir-fried meat with vegetables, Gyoza (Chinese dumplings), Borscht, Miso soup with clams, Marinated octopus, Miso soup with cabbage and Japanese mustard spinach, Raw squid with wasabi, Seafood curry and rice (with scallops, clams and shrimp), Japanese sweets and amazake (sweet mild sake), Charcoal-broiled fish, Kakigori (shaved ice with flavored syrup), Grilled corn, Kitsune udon, Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancakes), Japanese dace, Daikon-oroshi (grated Japanese radish), Pickled vegetables, Unaju (grilled eel on rice), Vegetables pickled in sake lees, Miso soup with wakame seaweed and green onion, Rice-fed pork from Sumida Town grilled with local vegetables on rice, Tada farm cheese pudding, etc.


6. Institutional Reconstruction

In coordination with local construction companies, AAR JAPAN has been repairing senior care centers and facilities for persons with disabilities in approximately 60 locations to accelerate resumption of services. From April 21st to October 31st, AAR JAPAN repaired and provided equipment to the following social welfare facilities and NGO:

1.   Rubert (Operated by Minori-kai, Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture)
2.   Clovers Pier Wasse (Operated by Shinwa-kai, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture)
3.   Workshop Himawari (Operated by Senshin-kai Yume-no-mori, Kesen-Numa City, Miyagi Prefecture)
4.   Gin-no-hoshi of Yamoto-aiiku-kai (Higashi-matsushima City, Miyagi Prefecture)
5.   Kurihara-shuho-kai (Kurihara City, Miyagi Prefecture)
6.   Himawari Family (Operated by Fureai-no-mori, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture)
7.   Echo Ryouiku-en (Operated by Yoko Fukushi-kai, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture)
8.   Coconet, Autism Peering Center (Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture)
9.   Miyama-sou Special Nursing Home (Operated by Seiwa-kai, Yamamoto Town, Watari County, Miyagi Prefecture)
10.  Kamuri Gakuen (Operated by Aisen-kai, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture)
11.  Daimatsu Gakuen (Operated by Hoshin-kai, Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture)
12.  Group Home Kamikuri-sou (Operated by Kamaishi Kyosei-kai, Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture)
13.  Yoshihama-sou Facility for Persons with Disabilities (Operated by Aisei-kai, Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture)
14.  Kojuen, Special Nursing Home for the Elderly (Rikuzen-takata City, Iwate Prefecture)
15.  Lumbini-en (Operated by Korin-kai, Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture)
16.  Asunaro Home (Operated by Sansan-kai, Rikuzen-takata City, Iwate Prefecture)
17.  Yamada Kyosei Workshop (Operated by Yamada Kyosei-kai, Yamada Town, Shimohei County, Iwate Prefecture)
18.  Taiyou-kai Social Welfare Corporation (Rikuzen-takata City, Iwate Prefecture)
19.  Machikado Counseling Link Matsubara Home (Operated by Aiiku-kai Social Welfare Corporation, Rikuzen-takata City, Iwate Prefecture)
20.  Care Home Megumi (Kesen-numa City, Miyagi Prefecture)
21.  Harakara Fukushi-kai (Shibata Town, Shibata County, Miyagi Prefecture)
22.  Cosmos House (Operated by Shiraishi Yoko Gakuen, Shiraishi City, Miyagi Prefecture)
23.  Sakurambo Club (Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture)
24.  Shiraishi Jukouen (Operated by Shiraishi Yoko Gakuen, Shiraishi City, Miyagi Prefecture)
25.  Zao Suzushiro (Operated by Harakara Fukushi-kai, Zao Town, Katta County, Miyagi Prefecture)
26.  Hatamaki Kyodo Workshop (Operated by Harakara Fukushi-kai, Igu County, Miyagi Prefecture)
27.  Riverside Song, Song of the Surf, Seaside Song (Operated by Dreamers’ Home, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture)
28.  Izumi Workshop (Operated by Aiko Fukushi Kyokai, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture)
29.  Fukushi Net ABC (Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture)
30.  Hoyu-kan (Operated by Taiyo-kai, Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture)
31. Sendai Tsudoi House (Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture)
32. Echo Ryoiku-en (Operated by Yoko Fukushi-kai, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture)
33. Tsudoi House Koppel

Reconstruction Sites
Miyagi Prefecture:
37 locations (14 in Sendai City, 2 in Shiraishi City, 4 in Kesen-numa City, 1 in Tome City, 1 in Higashi-Matsushima City, 4 in Natori City, 1 in Kurihara City, 2 in Ishinomaki City, 1 in Shiogama City, 2 in Yamamoto Town, 2 in Minami-sanriku Town, 1 in Zao Town, 1 in Marumori Town, 1 in Shibata Town)
Iwate Prefecture:
23 locations (4 in Ofunato City, 5 in Rikuzen-takata City, 6 in Kamaishi City, 1 in Hanamaki City, 2 in Otsuchi Town, 2 in Yamada Town, 1 in Miyako City, 2 in Tanohata Village)

AAR JAPAN will continue the reconstruction of facilities for persons with disabilities and senior care facilities in the disaster-affected areas of Miyagi and Iwate prefectures in coordination with each prefecture’s welfare division, social welfare council, and other related organizations.  

 
7. Vehicle Provision

October 16th, 2011 – AAR JAPAN provided a van for picking up and dropping off users at Suzuran to Katatsumuri, a facility for persons with disabilities.

AAR JAPAN has been providing vehicles as vital means of transportation for people who make use of welfare facilities. AAR JAPAN has provided vehicles for the following 12 social welfare facilities:

1. One (1) van – Nozomi Fukushi Workshop (Operated by Senshin-kai, Minami-sanriku Town, Miyagi Prefecture)
2. One (1) mini-vehicle – Huck’s House (Tanohata Village, Shimohei County, Iwate Prefecture)
3. One (1) van – Kujira-no-shippo (Operated by Ishinomaki Shoshin-kai, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture)
4. One (1) mini-vehicle – Kick-off, Career and Life Support Center for Persons with Disabilities (Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture)
5. One (1) van – Work House Atelier Sun (Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture)
6. One (1) elder-care taxi – Yamazaki Taxi (Yamada Town, Shimohei County, Iwate Prefecture)
7. One (1) compact car – Hikami-no-sono (Rikuzen-takata City, Iwate Prefecture)
8. One (1) mini-van – Group Home Kibogaoka (Operated by Harmony Utatsu, Minami-sanriku City, Motoyoshi County, Miyagi Prefecture)
9. Three (3) vehicles – Sasae-ai Yamamoto (Yamamoto Town, Watari County, Miyagi Prefecture)
10. One (1) mini-vehicle – Warabi Gakuen, Facility for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (Otsuchi Town, Kamihei County, Iwate Prefecture)
11. One (1) mini-vehicle – Kamaishi Workshop (Chidori Town, Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture)
12. One (1) van -- Suzuran-to-Katatsumuri (Takekoma Town, Rikuzen-takata City, Iwate Prefecture)

8. Container Housing Project

November 2nd, 2011 – AAR JAPAN provided easy-to-build prefabricated container housing units to be used as small shops to restore a shopping arcade in Rikuzen-takata City, Iwate Prefecture.

At the recommendation of international journalist Izuru SUGAWARA, AAR JAPAN has been providing easy-to-build prefabricated container housing units in the disaster zone. To date, we have installed 43 units in Onagawa Town in Oshika County and in Minami-sanriku Town, Miyagi Prefecture, and in Rikuzen-takata City, Iwate Prefecture. These container housing units are being used by evacuees as private residences and small shops. This project has been conducted in cooperation with Goldman Sachs Asset Management Co., Ltd and Roland Berger Ltd.


9. Hand-made Tote Bags Project

October 16th, 2011 – Hand-made tote bags are very popular at a temporary housing facility in Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture. At left is Haruka HINOSUGI of AAR JAPAN.

AAR JAPAN collected hand-made tote bags in response to requests from people in evacuation centers and senior care facilities for bags in which to carry their personal belongings. By May 20th, AAR JAPAN had received 5,000 bags from inside and outside of Japan. Volunteers helped to attach AAR JAPAN’s “Sunny-chan” mascot straps to the bags and deliver them to evacuees, with a special focus on the elderly. Survivors who received the bags were pleased not only with the bags themselves, but also with the various encouraging messages written inside. The project was such a success that AAR JAPAN began collecting bags again in October, to be sent to the disaster-affected areas after November 14th. Even now, some stores have yet to reopen, and locals find the bags convenient both for school and for everyday use.

10. Psychological Care for Children (Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture)


AAR JAPAN has been supporting the SOMA Follower Team, a nonprofit organization formed by Soma City to provide psychological care for children. The six-person team includes clinical psychologists, psychiatric social workers, and healthcare workers who have been providing psychological care for students and their parents at affected kindergartens, elementary schools, and junior high schools in Soma City.

From August 8th to 11th, children from Soma City went camping in Awashimaura Village in Niigata Prefecture, where they had a chance to interact with other children their age. From August 27th to 28th, at the invitation of the Foundation for Global Children, they were able to attend JFA Football Day, where the children, who had not been able to play outside due to radiation concerns, were able to enjoy playing soccer.

From September 30th to October 2nd, the team showed movies at a day room in a temporary housing complex in Soma City. After the movie, the room was filled with the smiles of children and their parents.

AAR JAPAN is committed to offering continued care for the children of Soma City.


11. Charity Concerts

October 20th, 2011 – The concert “Hope” was a great success at the Lyceum Theatre in Shanghai.

In cooperation with Support 21 Social Welfare Foundation, AAR JAPAN’s sister organization, we held a fund-raising concert at the Opera City Concert Hall in Tokyo on May 20th. Through concert revenues we provided 227 musical instruments to the following institutions, at an equivalent value of 35 million yen:

1. Takata Senior High School (Rikuzen-takata City, Iwate Prefecture)          
2. Takata Elementary School (Rikuzen-takata City, Iwate Prefecture)
3. Kamaishi Higashi Junior High School (Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture)
4. Watanoba Junior High School (Ishinomaki Ciity,Miyagi Prefecture)
5. Minato Junior High School (Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture)
6. Kobunkan Senior High School (Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture)
7. Noda Junior High School (Noda Village, Iwate Prefecture)
8. Ishinomaki Brass Band Association (Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture) 

On August 5th we held another concert entitled “Concert of Heart: Hope” at Seinen Bunka Center in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, which many disaster survivors were able to enjoy for free.

On October 20th, AAR JAPAN co-hosted “Hope” at the Lyceum Theatre in Shanghai, China, where eight Shanghai-based musicians performed a concert supporting reconstruction in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake. Led by Mr. Kaoru SHINSHI, the Shanghai-based Japanese volunteer group Friend played a vital role in the concert’s planning committee, which was headed by Mr. Hiroyoshi IKEDA of the Shanghai branch of MYTS Co., Ltd. AAR JAPAN’s Deputy Chairperson, Taki KATOH, presided at the concert.
 

12. “Let’s Bring Hot Springs to the Disaster Zone!” Project (Concluded)

In coordination with Manyo Club Co., Ltd. (Yokohama City, Kanagawa), Ascendia Inc. (Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo) and other companies, AAR JAPAN implemented the “Let’s Bring Hot Springs to the Disaster Zone!” Project. With the cooperation of Kanagawa Prefecture’s Yugawara Onsen (hot spring), on the first day of the project, April 9th, AAR JAPAN delivered hot spring water to four sites that were used as evacuation centers in Matsushima City, Miyagi Prefecture: Yamoto Dai-ichi Junior High School, Akai City Center, Ushiami Community Center, and Asai Civic Center. After April 12th, in partnership with Miyagi Prefecture’s Onikobe Onsen (hot spring), AAR JAPAN delivered hot spring water every day except Sundays to six evacuation centers: Yamoto Dai-ichi Junior High School (later divided into two locations), Ushiami Community Center, Akai City Center, Asai Civic Center, and Miyato Elementary School in Higashi-matsushima City, as well as Ishinomaki Shoshin-kai Social Welfare Corporation in Ishinomaki City. These six delivery points enabled 500-600 evacuees to bathe every day, and AAR JAPAN provided the service until the end of May.


13. Shuttle Bus Service (Concluded)

In Miyagi, AAR JAPAN aided in the operation of a shuttle bus service on Ishinomaki City’s Oshika Peninsula, providing mobility for those who had lost their regular means of transportation. A light shuttle bus circulated twice a day in the Ogihama area and once a day in the Ayukawa area. Beginning April 10th, approximately 530 people in the Ogihama area and 220 people in the Ayukawa area used the buses. The service was concluded on June 4th after roads were repaired and normal bus lines resumed operation.


14. Mobile Clinics and Health-related Services (Concluded)

AAR JAPAN visited Makinohama, Takenohama, Kitsunezakihama, Sudachi, Fukkiura, Kozumihama, and Kobuchihama on the Oshika Peninsula, where approximately 640 survivors are taking shelter in their homes. Led by Dr. Toshiaki YASUDA, a local medical practitioner, AAR JAPAN’s medical team established a mobile clinic and implemented health-related services such as checking up on sufferers of chronic illnesses, preventing the spread of infectious diseases, and implementing psychological support. We examined a total of 817 people between March 19th and September 18th. Home-care nurses visited an additional 387 people in temporary housing in Ishinomaki City between August 10th and September 15th. This service ended on September 30th as local medical facilities resumed operation.


15. Sanitation Services (Concluded)

AAR JAPAN implemented sanitation services for approximately 1,000 people in evacuation centers in Ishinomaki City and Minami-sanriku Town, Miyagi Prefecture. As futons, blankets, and mattresses became dirty as a result of long-term use in evacuation centers, we dried them in the sun and collected old and dirty futons to be replaced with summer-season bedding. We also engaged in general cleaning in evacuation centers, where the summer rise in humidity and temperature led to deterioration in sanitary conditions, including a huge increase in flies and mosquitoes. AAR JAPAN also distributed futon driers, vacuum cleaners, dehumidifiers, cleaning equipment, insect repellent and insecticides (fly tape, mite killer, etc.) with instructions on their use. To reduce the risk of food poisoning, we delivered refrigerators to evacuation centers that lacked them. We implemented these efforts in 25 evacuation centers from June 14th to August 31st. This service ended on August 31st.

All of the relief efforts outlined above are based on financial and material aid from private companies, various organizations and associations, schools, and individuals. While it would be impossible to introduce all of our individual supporters, we offer you our sincerest thanks. We deeply appreciate your generous and continued support. 
To see some of the international donors supporting our Great East Japan Earthquake Relief Activities, please refer to the following URL:




AAR JAPAN will ensure that your support reaches earthquake and tsunami survivors.