One Year Later, AAR JAPAN Upholds its Commitment to the Survivors of the Great East Japan Earthquake
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February 2nd, 2012 - Daily necessities were distributed to Mr. Shintaro and Mrs. Yoko ABE (center), who evacuated from Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture. Mr. and Mrs. ABE lost their first son in the tsunami; their three daughters currently live separately. At left and right are Atsushi NAOE and Natsuho SHOJI of AAR JAPAN. (Yunuki Temporary Housing Complex in Soma City, Fukushima 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, with a focus on the elderly and persons with disabilities (PWDs), AAR JAPAN is also repairing welfare facilities and providing vehicles for facilities for persons with disabilities.
In addition to distributing winter necessities and equipment for snow removal to people living in temporary housing complexes, AAR JAPAN is continuing to support the Building Healthy Communities Project, offering community interaction and exchange events to disaster survivors, many of who tend to spend their entire day isolated behind closed doors. AAR JAPAN has now also initiated social events allowing survivors to explore their hobbies, such as handcrafts, in order to better meet their needs. To overcome barriers to distributing aid in Fukushima Prefecture due to radiation fears, AAR JAPAN is now preparing to set up an office in Soma City to facilitate aid distribution.
Even one year after the disaster, AAR JAPAN will continue to support ongoing reconstruction and relief efforts for the people of the disaster-affected areas. Below is a report on the activities that AAR JAPAN’s supporters have enabled us to carry out in the last year:
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
2. Psychological Care for Children in Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture
3. Supporting Pregnant Women Living in and out of Fukushima Prefecture
4. Building Healthy Communities Project
5. Delivery of Relief Supplies
6. Reconstruction of Facilities for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities
7. Vehicle Provision
8. Supporting Market Expansion for Products made by Persons with Disabilities
9. Container Housing Project
10. Hand-made Tote Bags Project
11. Heart-Warming Chocolate and Hand-Written Message Delivery Campaign
12. Charity Concerts
13. “Let’s Bring Hot Springs to the Disaster Zone!” Project (concluded)
14. Shuttle Bus Service (concluded)
15. Mobile Clinic (concluded)
16. Sanitation Services (concluded)
17. Sportswear and Textbook Support for Students who Moved to Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture (concluded)
18. Support for Food Service at Schools in Minami-soma City, Fukushima Prefecture
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March 2nd, 2012 - We delivered daily necessities such as a vacuum cleaner to Ms. Seiko KOHATA, who evacuated from Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture. At left is Takeji ASANO of AAR JAPAN. (Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture) |
We have been supporting the day-to-day livelihoods of families living in temporary housing and subsidized housing in Fukushima Prefecture in cooperation with ADRA Japan. As the Japanese Red Cross has distributed 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 Prefecture: 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. Following a request from the municipal governments of Minami-Soma City and Tomioka Town, both located within 20 km of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, we are also providing supplies to survivors who have taken refuge in other prefectures. 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 February 29th, 2012, we have completed the delivery of relief supplies to 22,591 households in the target area
2. Psychological Care for Children in Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture
Calling for psychological help for children, Soma City formed the SOMA Follower Team, of which AAR JAPAN’s president, Ms. Yukie OSA, is vice president. The SOMA Follower Team consists of 6 members, including clinical psychologists, psychiatric social workers and healthcare workers, and has been providing psychological care for students and their parents at affected kindergartens, elementary schools, and junior high schools in Soma City.
3. Supporting Pregnant Women Living in and out of Fukushima Prefecture
In order to respond to the needs of families who evacuated both inside and outside of Fukushima Prefecture, AAR JAPAN has been supporting the Project in Response to the Needs of the Infants, Children, and Pregnant Women of Fukushima (represented by Sayaka FUNADA-CLASSEN). Through this project, we have been providing careful assistance to families with infants, children, and/or pregnant women who are particularly concerned about health problems due to radiation pollution resulting from the crisis at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant, triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake. AAR JAPAN’s contribution enabled the delivery of heaters, heated carpets and humidifiers (among other items) to 9 households that evacuated to Tokyo or Miyagi Prefecture from Fukushima, as well as 160 toys and 110 stuffed animals to infants and children living in and out of Fukushima.
4. Building Healthy Communities Project
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February 18th, 2012 - Faces relax during an OT/PT massage. (Kawashimo Community Center in Higashi-Matsushima City, Miyagi Prefecture) |
AAR JAPAN has been providing massages, calisthenics and psychological care, as well as 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.
・Massages/Calisthenics
AAR JAPAN has been sending occupational therapists and physiotherapists to evacuation centers, senior care centers, facilities for persons with disabilities, temporary housing, and individual homes in Miyagi and Iwate prefectures, offering massages and calisthenics to prevent disuse syndrome among 790 people from July 9th to February 26th, 2012.
・Seiyukan Health and Welfare Center on the Oshika Peninsula, Miyagi Prefecture (July 9th, 2011)
・Community center and private homes in Ayukawa, Oshika Peninsula, Miyagi Prefecture (July 9th, 2011)
・Shizugawa High School in Minami-sanriku Town, Miyagi Prefecture (July 16th, 2011)
・Nonbiri Sumichan House Welfare Facility in Higashi-Matsushima City, Miyagi Prefecture (July 26th, 2011)
・Hibiki Temporary Housing Complex in Higashi-Matsushima City, Miyagi Prefecture (July 26th, August 13th, September 10th, October 22nd and November 12th, 2011; January 22nd, 2012)
・Harunomorikara Welfare Facility in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture (July 27th, 2011)
・Miyako Ability Center, a vocational aid center for persons with disabilities in Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture (July 28th, 2011)
・Fureai-so, a nursing home for the elderly in Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture (July 28th, 2011)
・Community center of the Shichigahama Temporary Housing Complex in Miyagi County, Miyagi Prefecture (August 6th, 2011)
・Temporary housing complex on the premises of Showa-en in Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture (August 7th, 2011)
・Kojirahama Temporary Housing Complex in Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture (August 20th, 2011)
・Community center of the Ayukawahama Temporary Housing Complex in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture (August 21st, 2011)
・Nonbiri Sumichan House welfare facility in Higashi-Matsushima City, Miyagi Prefecture (August 28th, 2011)
・Hamanasu no Sato welfare facility in Higashi-Matsushima City, Miyagi Prefecture (August 28th, 2011)
・Temporary housing complex on the premises of Onagawa Elementary School No. 3 in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture (September 3rd and November 5th, 2011)
・Community center of Temporary Housing Complex No. 7 in Otsuchi, Kamihei County, Iwate Prefecture (September 4th, 2011)
・Community center of Temporary Housing Complex No. 5 in Kizuchi, Kamihei County, Iwate Prefecture (September 4th, 2011)
・Kasshi Town Plot No. 7 (Ohata West) in Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture (September 11th, 2011)
・Kyubun-hama Temporary Housing Complex in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture (September 17th, 2011)
・Wano and Sanoya Temporary Housing Complexes in Kamihei County, Iwate Prefecture (September 18th, 2011)
・Sports Center No. 1 in Miyagi County, Miyagi Prefecture (September 23rd, 2011)
・Kashinai Temporary Housing Complex in Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture (September 24th, 2011)
・Obuchihama Temporary Housing Complex in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture (October 1st, 2011)
・Kugunarihama Temporary Housing Complex in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture (October 14th, 2011)
・Community center of the Shichigahama Temporary Housing Complex in Miyagi County, Miyagi Prefecture (October 15th and December 4th, 2011)
・Sasae-Ai Yamamoto Welfare Facility in Watari Town, Miyagi Prefecture (November 26th, 2011)
・Hakosaki No. 3 Temporary Housing Complex in Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture (December 3rd and 18th, 2011; January 14th and 15th, February 25th and 26th, 2012)
・Oguni no Sato, a temporary housing complex for persons with disabilities in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture (December 11th, 2011, and February 5th, 2012)
・Sayuri Senior Care Center in Rikuzen-takata City, Iwate Prefecture (December 17th, 2011)
・Chiraku-so Welfare Facility in Yamamoto Town, Miyagi Prefecture (January 21st, 2012)
・Kami-Osabe Temporary Housing Complex in Rikuzen-takata City, Iwate Prefecture (January 28th, 2012)
・Kariyado Fishing Port in Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture (January 29th, 2012)
・Nonbiri Sumichan House Welfare Facility in Higashi-Matsushima City, Miyagi Prefecture (February 4th, 2012)
・Kami-Osabe Temporary Housing Complex in Rikuzen-takata City, Iwate Prefecture (February 11th, 2012)
・Hakozaki Kariyado Fishing Port Community in Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture (February 12th, 2012)
・Watari Central Industry Apartment Complex in Watari Town, Miyagi Prefecture (February 18th, 2012)
・Kawashimo Community Center in Higashi-Matsushima City, Miyagi Prefecture (February 19th, 2012)
・Psychological Care
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 552 people between August 6th, 2011 and February 19th, 2012.
・Community Interaction and Exchange Events
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February 5th, 2012 - Participants at a handcrafts class enjoy making dolls out of old cloth. (Uchihibiki Temporary Housing Meeting Space in Higashi-Matsushima City, Miyagi Prefecture) |
・Community Interaction and Exchange EventsAAR 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 Shichigahama Town, Miyagi Prefecture (July 23rd, 2011)
・Temporary housing complex on the premises of Showa-en in Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture (August 7th, 2011)
・Bon Festival in Onagawa Town, Miyagi Prefecture (August 15th, 2011)
・Higashihama Elementary School on the Oshika Peninsula, Miyagi Prefecture (August 18th, 2011)
・Toni Town, Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture (August 20th, 2011)
・Senior care center in Otomo Town, Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture (August 20th, 2011)
・Offering aromatherapy at Higashihama Elementary School in Miyagi Prefecture (August 23rd, 2011)
・Workshop for persons with disabilities in Yamada Town, Shimohei County, Iwate Prefecture (August 26th, 2011)
・Temporary housing complex in Kasshi Town, Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture (August 27th, 2011)
・Temporary housing complex in Shichigahama Town, Miyagi Prefecture (August 28th, 2011)
・Temporary housing complex in Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture (September 11th, 2011)
・Gym of Nakano Junior High School in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture (September 17th, 2011)
・Community room at Kashinai Temporary Housing Complex in Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture (September 24th, 2011)
・Temporary housing complex in Kuribayashi Town, Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture (September 25th, 2011)
・Gym of Nakano Junior High School in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture (September 25th, 2011)
・In front of a shop in Sakuragi-cho, Otsuchi Town, Kamihei County, Iwate Prefecture (September 28th,2011)
・Temporary housing complex in Kesen Town, Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture (October 2nd, 2011)
・Festival at Kurosaki Shrine in Hirota Town, Rikuzen-takata City, Iwate Prefecture (October 9th, 2011)
・“Everyone's Festival Bureiko” in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture (October 10th, 2011)
・Dosen Subsidized Apartments in Kasshi Town, Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture (October 16th, 2011)
・Higashihama Elementary School in Ishinomaki City, Iwate Prefecture (October 11th, 2011)
・Temporary Housing Complex No. 9 in Otsuchi Town, Kamihei County, Iwate Prefecture (October 23rd, 2011)
・Takinosato in Takekoma, Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture (October 25th, 2011)
・Workshop Himawari in Kesen-numa City, Miyagi Prefecture (October 29th, 2011)
・Hakosaki No. 3 Temporary Housing Complex in Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture (October 30thand November 27th, 2011)
・Temporary housing complex on the premises of Onagawa Elementary School No. 3, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture (November 5th, 2011)
・Atelier Sun, an employment support center for persons with disabilities in Hokuda, Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture (November 12th, 2011)
・Parking lot in front of A. Sasaki's house in Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture (November 13th, 2011)
・Shokei University in Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture (November 19th, 2011)
・Tenjin Temporary Housing Complex in Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture (November 20th, 2011)
・Nakano Sakae Community Center in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture (November 27th, 2011)
・Temporary housing complex on the Ishinomaki bypass construction site in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture (December 10th, 2011)
・Yamada Kyosei Sagyosho, an employment support center for persons with disabilities in Yamada Town, Iwate Prefecture (December 13th, 2011)
・Shakunagenokai, a medical care facility for persons with severe disabilities in Sadanai, Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture (December 14th, 2011)
・Community room of Hibiki Temporary Housing Complex in Higashi-Matsushima City, Miyagi Prefecture (December 14th, 2011)
・Higashihama Elementary School in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture (December 15th, 2011)
・Tsubaki Factory, a workshop for persons with intellectual disabilities in Ikawa Town, Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture (December 19th, 2011)
・Suzuran-to-Katatsumuri, a workshop for persons with disabilities in Rikuzen-takata City, Iwate Prefecture (December 20th, 2011)
・Unosumai Temporary Shopping Arcade in Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture (January 7th, 2012)
・Hirata Temporary Housing Complex in Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture (January 15th, 2012)
・Suzuko Town Temporary Store in Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture (January 27th, 2012)
・Ono Central Park Temporary Housing Meeting Space in Higashi-Matsushima City, Miyagi Prefecture (February 5th, 2012)
・Uchihibiki Temporary Housing Meeting Space in Higashi-Matsushima City, Miyagi Prefecture (February 5th and 27th, 2012)
・Takekoma Town Workshop in Rikuzen-takata City, Iwate Prefecture (February 10th, 2012)
In coordination with Ingram Co., Ltd., which is responsible for the Peace Project, AAR JAPAN organized soup kitchens at a total of 73 locations in Miyagi and Iwate prefectures between March 31st, 2011 and January 7th, 2012. Since August, the soup kitchens have been operated as part of the Building Healthy Communities Project.
Location | 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, Rice balls with chestnuts, Soba with tempura, Boiled taro, Konnyaku with bean paste, Congee with seven leaves, etc. |
5. Delivery of Relief Supplies
Needs have altered as seasons change, and people’s lives inch toward normalcy. AAR JAPAN has been delivering winter necessities and shovels for snow removal to meet the harsh cold of the season, as well as chocolate with messages of support for survivors.
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January 20th, 2012 - AAR JAPAN distributed shovels for snow removal to temporary housing complexes in Kuji City. Residents told us they were relieved to be prepared for the coming snow. At right is Hiromi SATO of AAR JAPAN. (Kuji City, Iwate Prefecture) |
Relief Supplies Delivered to Affected Areas from March 14th, 2011 to February 29th, 2012
Provided to 181,835 people in 1,606 locationsDistributed Area | Miyagi Prefecture: Sendai City, Ishinomaki City, Kesen-numa 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 Type of 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), Care beds (31 units), Folding beds (2 units), Futon sets (30 units), Wheelchairs (22 units), Care chairs (2 units), Walkers (35 units), Power generators (3 units), Laundry machines (29 units), Drying machines (23 units), Refrigerators (30 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 (33 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, Down jackets, Fleeces and other winter clothes, Farming boots, Garden supplies, Table tennis sets, Foot-operated aspirators (54 units), Hearing aids, Braille printers, Cultivators, Air purifiers, Heated carpets, Rugs, Kotatsu (heated table) sets, Gas and electric heaters, Hot water bottles, Electric blankets, Curtains, Christmas trees, Portable power generators (168 units), Snow plows (115 units), Shovels for snow removal (1319 units), Portable heaters (1,418 units), and others. |
6. Reconstruction of Facilities for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities
In coordination with local construction companies, AAR JAPAN has been repairing senior care centers and facilities for persons with disabilities in approximately 50 locations to accelerate resumption of services. From April 21st, 2011 till now, AAR JAPAN repaired and provided equipment to the following social welfare facilities and NGOs:
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 (Operated by 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 (Operated by Aisei-kai, Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture)
14. Kojuen (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 (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 Koppel (Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture)
32. Nakata Sun Farm (Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture)
33. Jiai Fukushi Gakuen (Operated by Taiyo-kai, Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture)
34. Kamaishi Work Station (Operated by Hoyu-kai, Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture)
35. Warabi Gakuen (Operated by Warabi-kai, Otsuchi Town, Kamihei County, Iwate Prefecture)
36. Huck’s House (Tanohata Village Shimohei County, Iwate Prefecture)
37. Hamanasu Gakuen (Operated by Shinwa-kai, Yamada Town, Shimohei County, Iwate Prefecture)
38. Smile Workshop (Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture)
39. Kibo-en (Operated by Katei Fukushi-kai, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture)
40. Miyako City Center for Persons with Disabilities (Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture)
41. Muraden Ltd. group home, Kesen-numa City, Miyagi Prefecture
42. Saiwai Town Welfare (Operated by Miyagi Persons with Disabilities Association, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture)
43. Full House Free Space Soleil (Taihaku Ward, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture)
44. Headquarters of Harakara Fukushi-kai (Izumi Ward, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture)
45. Kosen Gakuen (Operated by Aisen-kai, Izumi Ward, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture)
46. Work Fale (Operated by Aisen-kai, Izumi Ward, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture)
47. Yamamoto Town Workshop (Operated by Yamamoto Town Social Welfare Cooperation, Yamamoto Town, Watari County, Miyagi Prefecture)
48. Fuboen (Shiroishi City, Miyagi Prefecture)
AAR JAPAN maintains its ongoing support for reconstructing facilities for persons with disabilities and the elderly in cooperation with the Department of Social Welfare, social welfare councils, and other related organizations in the disaster-affected areas of Miyagi and Iwate Prefectures.
7. Vehicle Provision
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March 8th, 2012 - At Suzuran to Katatsumuri, a vocational center for persons with disabilities. “We’ll use this vehicle to sell ice cream and make a living. Thank you so much!” At right is Toru OIKAWA of AAR JAPAN. (Rikuzen-takata City, Iwate Prefecture) |
AAR JAPAN has been providing vehicles as vital means of transportation for people who make use of welfare facilities. The vehicles were procured through collected funds and through generous individual donations. AAR JAPAN has provided 23 vehicles to date:
1. One van – Nozomi Fukushi Workshop (Operated by Senshin-kai, Minami-sanriku Town, Miyagi Prefecture)
2. One mini-vehicle – Huck’s House (Tanohata Village, Shimohei County, Iwate Prefecture)
3. One van – Kujira-no-shippo (Operated by Ishinomaki Shoshin-kai, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture)
4. One mini-vehicle – Kick-off Career and Life Support Center for Persons with Disabilities (Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture)
5. One van – Atelier Sun Work House (Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture)
6. One elderly-care taxi – Yamazaki Taxi (Yamada Town, Shimohei County, Iwate Prefecture)
7. One compact car – Hikami-no-sono (Rikuzen-takata City, Iwate Prefecture)
8. One mini-van – Kibogaoka Group Home (Operated by Harmony Utatsu, Minami-sanriku Town, Motoyoshi County, Miyagi Prefecture)
9. Three vehicles – Sasae-ai Yamamoto (Yamamoto Town, Watari County, Miyagi Prefecture)
10. One mini-vehicle – Warabi Gakuen (Otsuchi Town, Kamihei County, Iwate Prefecture)
11. One mini-vehicle – Kamaishi Workshop (Chidori Town, Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture)
12. One van – Suzuran-to-Katatsumuri (Takekoma Town, Rikuzen-takata City, Iwate Prefecture)
13. One vehicle – Madoka Arahama (Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture)
14. One elderly care taxi – Otsuchi Taxi (Otsuchi Town, Iwate Prefecture)
15. One vehicle – Aozora (Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture)
16. One wagon with wheelchair lift – Yamada Kyosei Workshop (Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture)
17. One vehicle and one wagon – Kesen-numa Living Support Center for Persons with Disabilities (Kesen-numa City, Miyagi Prefecture)
18. One van – Kamaishi Work Station (Operated by Shoyu, Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture)
19. One mini-vehicle –Kamikuri-so Group Home (Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture)
20. One mini-van – Suzuran to Katatsumuri (Takekoma Town, Rikuzen-takata City, Iwate Prefecture)
8. Supporting Market Expansion for Products made by Persons with Disabilities
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February 14th, 2012 - Many companies invited AAR JAPAN to sell products made by persons with disabilities in the disaster-affected areas. At Ricoh Co., Ltd.’s Ebina office, the products successfully sold out. (Ebina City, Kanagawa Prefecture) |
AAR JAPAN supports various workshops for persons with disabilities, many of which raise funds by selling products such as home-made sweets in their local area. Sales in the disaster-affected areas have decreased sharply since the Great East Japan Earthquake, and AAR JAPAN has been supporting the exploration of new markets for these welfare facilities’ products. We are currently supporting the following facilities:
1. Harakara Fukushi-kai (Shibata Town, Shibata County, Miyagi Prefecture)
2. Kurihara-shuho-kai (Kurihara City, Miyagi Prefecture)
3. Smile Workshop (Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture)
4. Kamuri Gakuen (Operated by Aisen-kai, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture)
5. Fukushi Net ABC (Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture)
6. Shomatsu-kan (Rikuzen-takata City, Iwate Prefecture)
7. Asunaro Home (Rikuzen-takata City, Iwate Prefecture)
8. Miyako Work Station (Miyako City, Miyagi Prefecture)
9. Kamaishi City Fukushi Workshop (Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture)
10. Warabi Gakuen (Otsuchi Town, Kamihei County, Iwate Prefecture)
11. Hoyu-kan (Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture)
12. Izumi Workshop (Operated by Aiko Welfare Company, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture)
13. Yamamoto Town Workshop: Kobo Earth Village (Operated by Yamamoto Town Social Welfare Corporation, Yamamoto Town, Watari County, Miyagi Prefecture)
14. Madoka Arahama (Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture)
15. Miyako Activity Center (Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture)
16. Atelier Sun Work House (Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture)
9. Container Housing Project
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February 9th, 2012 - AAR JAPAN set up 2 container houses at Hiragai Happy Dream House, a volunteer facility. These will be used for a variety of purposes, such as a meeting space and study space for people in Koizumi Ward. (Kesen-numa City, Miyagi 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 57 units in Onagawa Town in Oshika County, Minami-sanruku Town in Motoyoshi County, Yamamoto Town in Watari County, Miyagi Prefecture, and in Rikuzen-takata City, Iwate Prefecture. These container housing units are being used by evacuees as private residences and small shops.
10. Hand-made Tote Bags Project
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February 23rd, 2012 - Tote Bags received from all over Japan. Children loved the mascot straps, too! (Tachibana Kindergarten in Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture) |
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. By November 14th, AAR JAPAN had received 2,781 bags, which we are now distributing in the disaster-affected areas. Adults use our bags for shopping, while children use them for school.
11. Heart-Warming Chocolate Delivery Campaign
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February 4th, 2012 - Both the messages and the chocolate cherish the disaster affected people. At left is Shuji OMATSU of AAR JAPAN. (Okuni-no-Sato, a temporary facility for persons with disabilities, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture) |
In cooperation with Rokkatei Confectionery Co., Ltd., AAR JAPAN has been delivering chocolate to evacuees in the disaster-affected areas. When people order chocolate for themselves, they also buy chocolate for people in the disaster-affected areas, writing a message to accompany their donation. As of February 17th, 2012, we have received 2,017 orders, distributing packages of chocolate to evacuees at temporary housing complexes, social welfare facilities, and childcare centers in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures.
12. Charity Concerts
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, 2011. 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. Watanoha Junior High School (Ishinomaki City, 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, 2011, 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, 2011, 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.
13. “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.
14. 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.
15. 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, 2011. Home-care nurses visited an additional 387 people in temporary housing in Ishinomaki City between August 10th and September 15th, 2011. This service ended on September 30th, 2011 as local medical facilities resumed operation.
16. 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, 2011 to August 31st, 2011. This service ended on August 31st, 2011.
17. Sportswear and Textbook Support for Students who Moved to Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture (Concluded)
In temporary housing complexes in Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture, people who evacuated from other areas in the prefecture (Minami-Soma City, Futaba Town, etc.) are settling into their new homes after a series of relocations. With each move, parents had to obtain new school sportswear and textbooks, which differ from school to school, when their children matriculated in local elementary schools. To ease the burden on parents, AAR JAPAN has been obtaining school sportswear and textbooks for students in Soma City, making distributions to 46 students between September and December 2011.
18. Support for Food Service at Schools in Minami-soma City, Fukushima Prefecture(concluded)
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 Ward was also experiencing a shortage of vehicles for delivering food to schools, so AAR JAPAN secured rented vehicles for food delivery from August 23rd, 2011 to the end of February 2012.
※All of the relief efforts outlined above are based on financial and material aid from private companies, various organizations and associations, schools, and individuals as well as Japan Platform. 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.
YOUR CONTINUOUS SUPPORT QUICKENS RECOVERY
