2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The occurred at 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC) on 11 March. The magnitude 9.0–9.1 (M) undersea megathrust earthquake had an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region, and lasted approximately six minutes ...
, Japan received messages of condolence and offers of assistance from a range of international leaders. According to Japan's foreign ministry, 163 countries and regions, and 43 international organizations had offered assistance to Japan as of September 15, 2011. The magnitude of the earthquake was estimated at 9.1. This article is a list of charitable and humanitarian responses to the disaster from governments and
non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
s. As of March 2012, donations to areas affected by the disaster totalled ¥520 billion and 930,000 people have assisted in disaster recovery efforts.
Requesting and handling of foreign aid
Japan had a history of blocking or slowing foreign rescue teams in case of disaster, most notably the crash of
Japan Airlines Flight 123
Japan Air Lines Flight 123 (JAL123) () was a scheduled domestic Japan Air Lines passenger flight from Haneda Airport in Tokyo to Itami International Airport in Osaka. On August 12, 1985, the Boeing 747SR operating this flight suffered a sudden ...
in 1985 and the
Great Hanshin earthquake
The , or Kobe earthquake, occurred on January 17, 1995, at 05:46:53 JST (January 16 at 20:46:53 UTC) in the southern part of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, including the region known as Hanshin. It measured 6.9 on the moment magnitude scale and had ...
in 1995. This time the Japanese government made shift response to request foreign help.
At 18:00, March 11, 2011, the Foreign Ministry of Japan announced to the public that it had specifically requested eight countries to send teams to help Japan, including South Korea, Singapore, Germany, Switzerland, the United States, China, the United Kingdom and New Zealand. Later, it also requested the activation of the
International Charter on Space and Major Disasters
The International Charter "Space and Major Disasters" is a non-binding charter which provides for the charitable and humanitarian acquisition and transmission of satellite data to relief organizations in the event of major disasters. Initiated by ...
, allowing diverse satellite imagery of affected regions to be readily shared with rescue and aid organizations.
The Japanese government softened rules for various matters after being subjected to huge criticism in the
Great Hanshin earthquake
The , or Kobe earthquake, occurred on January 17, 1995, at 05:46:53 JST (January 16 at 20:46:53 UTC) in the southern part of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, including the region known as Hanshin. It measured 6.9 on the moment magnitude scale and had ...
for not being flexible in accepting foreign aid, including quarantining foreign rescue dogs and foreign goods, using medicine unapproved in Japan brought by foreign aid teams, customs tax for humanitarian goods, etc. The effectiveness of the Japanese bureaucracy in handling international aid had been subject to much academic research.
Governmental responses
* The city of
Kandahar
Kandahar (; Kandahār, , Qandahār) is a List of cities in Afghanistan, city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on the Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city after Kabul, with a population ...
donated $50,000 to Japan.
* Prime Minister
Sali Berisha
Sali Ram Berisha (; born 15 October 1944) is an Albanian conservative politician and former cardiologist who served as the second President of Albania from 1992 to 1997 and Prime Minister from 2005 to 2013.
He is also the current chairman of t ...
announced in a cabinet meeting that his government was sending US$100,000 in aid.
* The government of Armenia donated $500,000 in humanitarian assistance and offered to send a rescue team of 25 people from the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
* prepared the frigate HMAS ''Sydney'' and heavy landing ship HMAS ''Tobruk'' to carry helicopters. Australian Army engineers and medical teams would be sent to Japan if this was requested by the Japanese government.
Fire and Rescue NSW
Fire and Rescue New South Wales (previously known as New South Wales Fire Brigades), an government agency, agency of the Government of New South Wales, Australia, is responsible for firefighting, rescue and hazardous material, HazMat services i ...
sent a 76-member
Urban Search and Rescue
Urban search and rescue (abbreviated as USAR or US&R) is a type of technical rescue operation that involves the location, extrication, and initial medical stabilization of victims trapped in an urban area, namely structural collapse due to natu ...
team, some of which had recently been rotated through the
Christchurch earthquake
A major earthquake occurred in Christchurch on Tuesday 22 February 2011 at 12:51 p.m. local time (23:51 UTC, 21 February). The () earthquake struck the entire of the Canterbury region in the South Island, centred south-east ...
recovery effort, and 20 tonnes of rescue equipment. The team was transported to Japan by a
Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
C-17 Globemaster III
The McDonnell Douglas/Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft that was developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas. The C-17 carries forward the name of two ...
transport aircraft as Operation Pacific Assist, which remained in the country to contribute to the disaster relief effort. Two other RAAF C-17's were deployed to Japan to transport supplies and equipment, all three moving over one million pounds of cargo.
* The government of Azerbaijan donated $1 million in aid to Japan for the elimination of the consequences of the disaster.
* sent a search and rescue team consisting of a medical wing to Japan. Bangladesh also gave medicine, 2,000 blankets, 500 rubber boots and 1,000 rubber gloves.
* sent blankets, food and bottled water, and offered housing in its countryside for homeless Japanese citizens.
* Prime Minister
Hun Sen
Hun Sen (; km, ហ៊ុន សែន, ; born 5 August 1952) is a Cambodian politician and former military commander who has served as the prime minister of Cambodia since 1985. He is the longest-serving head of government of Cambodia, and o ...
ordered the Cambodian government to donate US$100,000 in aid.
* initially offered a 17-member victim identification team and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear decontamination equipment. Prime Minister
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of Canada from 2006 to 2015. Harper is the first and only prime minister to come from the modern-day Conservative Party of Canada, ...
offered
Canadian Forces
}
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force.
...
airlift, medical and engineering capabilities. On March 16, 2011, Canada announced that it will send further aid. Canada has readied staff with nuclear expertise. The Canadian Red Cross alone has collected over $6 million in aid. Canada put on standby members of the Canadian military DART team in order to offer a continuous supply of fresh drinking water.
*, sent US$167,000 in aid along with a 15-member rescue team which left Beijing on March 13, 2011, with an additional pledge of RMB 30 million
Chinese yuan
The renminbi (; symbol: ¥; ISO code: CNY; abbreviation: RMB) is the official currency of the People's Republic of China and one of the world's most traded currencies, ranking as the fifth most traded currency in the world as of April 202 ...
(US$4.57 million) of humanitarian supplies announced by China's Ministry of Commerce the following day. The Chinese government decided to donate 20,000 tons of fuel consisting of 10,000 tons of gasoline and 10,000 tons of diesel. The Chinese navy hospital ship
Peace Ark
''Daishan Dao'' is a Type 920 hospital ship of the People's Liberation Army Navy of the People's Republic of China. ''Daishan Dao'' is also known as ''Peace Ark'' during peacetime, and has received NATO reporting name Anwei class (meaning comfo ...
was standing by to assist whilst awaiting approval from Japan, but Japan declined the offer. The northeastern Chinese city of
Changchun
Changchun (, ; ), also romanized as Ch'angch'un, is the capital and largest city of Jilin Province, People's Republic of China. Lying in the center of the Songliao Plain, Changchun is administered as a , comprising 7 districts, 1 county and 3 c ...
, a sister city of
Sendai
is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Miyagi Prefecture, the largest city in the Tōhoku region. , the city had a population of 1,091,407 in 525,828 households, and is one of Japan's 20 Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, desig ...
, sent 10 tonnes of drinking water to Japan. The provincial government of
Jilin
Jilin (; alternately romanized as Kirin or Chilin) is one of the three provinces of Northeast China. Its capital and largest city is Changchun. Jilin borders North Korea (Rasŏn, North Hamgyong, Ryanggang and Chagang) and Russia (Prim ...
also said it will donate 100,000 US dollars to the Miyagi prefecture government while the municipal government of Changchun, capital of Jilin, pledged 500,000
Renminbi
The renminbi (; symbol: ¥; ISO code: CNY; abbreviation: RMB) is the official currency of the People's Republic of China and one of the world's most traded currencies, ranking as the fifth most traded currency in the world as of April 2022. ...
to the municipal government of Sendai. A super-sized 62-meter long mechanized water-pump arm was donated by China's Sany group, along with an accompanying team of 5 engineers and consultants to quell the overheating and radiation problems of the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant on 23 March 2011.
* The Croatian government donated 500,000 as financial aid and offered medical capacities and hospitality for injured in the disaster. On March 18, the Croatian Red Cross transferred 520,000 to the
Japanese Red Cross Society
The is the Japanese affiliate of the International Red Cross.
The Imperial Family of Japan traditionally has supported the society, with the Empress as Honorary President and other imperial family members as vice presidents. Its headquarters ...
. From March 12, more than 700,000 have been raised, of which 630,000 by public and private donations and more than 65,000 by telephone calls made by Croatian citizens. The
Croatian Mountain Rescue Service
Croatian Mountain Rescue Service ( hr, Hrvatska gorska služba spašavanja, HGSS or GSS) is a national, voluntary, professional, humanitarian and non-partisan association working in the public interest. It is dedicated to preventing accidents, an ...
put itself at service if necessary, as well as the National Protection and Rescue Directorate.
* offered to send a hundred men to remove the debris.
* The Estonian government donated 200,000.
* sent rescue teams consisting of 134 members. The French nuclear accident response organization
Groupe INTRA Groupe INTRA is a French emergency response organization created by the French CEA, and the French nuclear companies Areva and EDF. It maintains a number of emergency intervention teams equipped with high-power radiation-hardened teleoperated mo ...
has shipped some of its radiation-hardened
mobile robot
A mobile robot is an automatic machine that is capable of locomotion.Hu, J.; Bhowmick, P.; Lanzon, A.,Group Coordinated Control of Networked Mobile Robots with Applications to Object Transportation IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, 2021 ...
equipment to Japan to help with the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident. 130 tonnes of equipment has been shipped to Japan.
* donated US$1 million via the Red Cross to relief efforts in Japan.
* sent search and rescue specialists from the
Technisches Hilfswerk
The (THW, English: ''Federal Agency for Technical Relief'') is the federal civil protection organisation of Germany. It is controlled by the German federal government. 99% of its 79,543 members (2019) are volunteers.
Tasks
The tasks of the ...
. Furthermore, the
German Aerospace Center
The German Aerospace Center (german: Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., abbreviated DLR, literally ''German Center for Air- and Space-flight'') is the national center for aerospace, energy and transportation research of Germany ...
RapidEye
RapidEye AG was a German geospatial information provider focused on assisting in management decision-making through services based on their own Earth-observation imagery. The company operated a five-satellite constellation producing 5-meter res ...
-satellite imagery of the affected area.
*: According to the MTI, the Hungarian National Disaster Management sent a rescue team to the area, consisting of eight
technical rescue
Technical rescue is the use of specialised tools and skills for rescue, including vehicle extrication, confined space rescue, rope rescue, trench rescue, structural collapse rescue, water rescue, and wilderness search and rescue. These often requi ...
first responders
A first responder is a person with specialized training who is among the first to arrive and provide assistance or incident resolution at the scene of an emergency, such as an accident, disaster, medical emergency, structure fire, crime, or terr ...
were also dispatched to Japan from the
Iranian Red Crescent Society
The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), officially the Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran ( fa, جمعیت هلال احمر جمهوری اسلامی ایران, Jamʿiyyat-e Helâl-e Ahmar-e Jomhuri-ye Eslâmi-ye Irân) is a n ...
.
* sent members of the humanitarian aid organizations
IsraAID
IsraAID (The Israel Forum for International Humanitarian Aid) is an Israel-based non-governmental organization that responds to emergencies all over the world with targeted humanitarian help. This includes disaster relief, from search and rescu ...
and
ZAKA
ZAKA ( he, זק"א, abbreviation for ''Zihuy Korbanot Ason'', , literally: "Disaster Victim Identification") is a series of voluntary community emergency response teams in Israel, each operating in a police district (two in the Central Distr ...
, which consist of first responders, search and rescue specialists, logistical, emergency medical personnel and water specialists to the devastated regions of Japan. Israel also established a
field hospital
A field hospital is a temporary hospital or mobile medical unit that takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent facilities. This term was initially used in military medicine (such as the Mobile A ...
near
Minamisanriku
is a town in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. , it had an estimated population of 12,516, and a population density of 77 persons per km² in 4504 households. The total area of the town is . It is a resort town on a coastline of wooded islands and moun ...
, 290 miles north of Tokyo. An initial team of five set up the surgery in preparation for a larger team once needs are assessed. Israel also provided aid including mattresses, blankets, coats, gloves and chemical toilets for those left homeless by the disaster. On March 27, a 53-member delegation of medical personnel from the
Home Front Command
The Home Front Command ( he, פיקוד העורף, ''Pikud HaOref'') is an Israel Defense Forces regional Command (military formation), command, created in February 1992 in response to the lessons of the Gulf War,IDF’s Medical Corps arrived and opened a clinic on March 29. The clinic includes surgical, pediatric and maternity wards, an intensive care unit, pharmacy and laboratory. The delegation also brought 62 tons of medical supplies.
* sent search and rescue specialists. An unidentified number of Red Cross personnel travelled to Japan.
* contributed large amounts of resources with a total of US$550,000,000 in crude oil and other humanitarian aid supplies.
* donated US$100,000 in aid.
*'s government has helped Japan with 100,000 euros. The funds would be allocated to reconstruction of damaged buildings from the earthquake. Additionally, the Macedonian authorities announced they were in contact with the Japanese embassy in order to provide any future assistance if required.
* Prime Minister
Najib Razak
Dato' Sri Haji Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak ( ms, محمد نجيب بن عبد الرزاق, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset, ; born 23 July 1953) is a Malaysian politician who served as the 6th prime minister of Malaysi ...
Mercy Malaysia
MERCY Malaysia or Malaysian Medical Relief Society is a non-profit organisation focusing on providing medical relief, sustainable health related development and disaster risk reduction, risk reduction activities for vulnerability, vulnerable com ...
left Kuala Lumpur International Airport and went to Narita International Airport.
* shipped 90,000 cans of tuna to feed the people in the worst affected areas.
* sent eight
search and rescue
Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
specialists, five search dogs, and two specialists in structural evaluation.
* sent eleven search and rescue specialists, seven search dogs, and attentional equipment. The unit was part of the '' Force Publique's'' ''
Corps des Sapeurs-Pompiers
The Public Services (french: link=no, La Force publique) are the military force of Monaco. However, the country has a very limited military capability and depends almost entirely upon its larger neighbour, France, for defence. In total, there a ...
''.
* government announced that the country sent rescue teams composed of 12 members from the National Emergency Management Agency of Mongolia to Japan after it had donated US$1 million and relief supplies. The people of Mongolia from workers to the President donated their wages.
* sent letters of condolences and donations, including a donation of 100,000 US dollars.
* donated US$1,000,000 in emergency relief funds.
* sent an
urban search and rescue
Urban search and rescue (abbreviated as USAR or US&R) is a type of technical rescue operation that involves the location, extrication, and initial medical stabilization of victims trapped in an urban area, namely structural collapse due to natu ...
team. They had spent the previous three weeks searching buildings following the
2011 Christchurch earthquake
A major earthquake occurred in Christchurch on Tuesday 22 February 2011 at 12:51 p.m. local time (23:51 UTC, 21 February). The () earthquake struck the entire of the Canterbury region in the South Island, centred south-east ...
New Zealand also sent 15 tonnes of rescue equipment. The government donated $2 million to the
Japanese Red Cross Society
The is the Japanese affiliate of the International Red Cross.
The Imperial Family of Japan traditionally has supported the society, with the Empress as Honorary President and other imperial family members as vice presidents. Its headquarters ...
to support relief efforts.
* donated US$100,000 to the relief fund, with North Korean leader
Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il (; ; ; born Yuri Irsenovich Kim;, 16 February 1941 – 17 December 2011) was a North Korean politician who was the second supreme leader of North Korea from 1994 to 2011. He led North Korea from the 1994 death of his father Kim ...
personally donating US$500,000 to
Chongryon
The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, " ''
Korean residents in Japan.
* The government of Pakistan sent two
Pakistan Air Force
, "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional)
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = ...
C130 cargo airplanes carrying 24 tons of relief goods, which contained high energy biscuits, milk packs and drinking water for the areas affected by the earthquake. The Pakistani embassy in Tokyo sent a team to Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture on March 15 to assess the situation and welfare of affected residents. A volunteer team organized by the Pakistani community in Japan was also sent to Sendai with food supplies.
* The Philippine government made ready to deploy a joint rescue mission composed of 41 members from three of its best search and rescue teams. It was to be complemented by a Philippine Air Force C-130 cargo plane and its crew. The
Philippine Government
The Government of the Philippines ( fil, Pamahalaan ng Pilipinas) has three interdependent branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The Philippines is governed as a unitary state under a presidential representative and d ...
also donated US$10 million to Japan. A 2-man team has been sent in advance to assess the situation. Due to the overwhelming response by the global community its search and rescue teams were not deployed. Instead it offered relief goods with the AFP's six-man advance team being in charge of distribution.
* The Polish government has offered to help rescue trapped Japanese citizens in affected areas. Polish firefighters comprised the team sent by the European Union to help Japan.
* On June, 28th, relief supplies from the Romanian government arrived at Narita Airport following the Great East Japan Earthquake. The relief supplies are 15,360 bottles of mineral water (2 liters), which were donated to the affected areas.
* State-controlled gas giant
Gazprom
PJSC Gazprom ( rus, Газпром, , ɡɐzˈprom) is a Russian majority state-owned multinational energy corporation headquartered in the Lakhta Center in Saint Petersburg. As of 2019, with sales over $120 billion, it was ranked as the larges ...
provided additional
liquefied natural gas
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is natural gas (predominantly methane, CH4, with some mixture of ethane, C2H6) that has been cooled down to liquid form for ease and safety of non-pressurized storage or transport. It takes up about 1/600th the volu ...
supplies, the company diverting two tankers of 150,000 tons to the affected area. Russia's Emergencies Ministry official Irina Andrianova confirmed that Russia will send one
Mi-26
The Mil Mi-26 (russian: link=no, Миль Ми-26, NATO reporting name: Halo) is a Soviet/Russian heavy transport helicopter. Its product code is ''Izdeliye 90''. Operated by both military and civilian operators, it is the largest and most po ...
helicopter along with a team of 50 Russian rescuers to search for survivors, and promised more aid. A team of Russian rescuers will join the search for survivors. According to Russia’s Emergencies Ministry spokesperson Irina Andrianova, "An Il-76 plane of the Russian Emergencies Ministry sent 50 rescuers, three relief and rescue vehicles and the necessary equipment which later arrived and covered by RT news media.” The Russian emergency services agency EMERCOM offered 40 people three search and rescue dogs. Russia has sent liquidators of the
Chernobyl disaster
The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the No. 4 reactor in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, near the city of Pripyat in the north of the Ukrainian SSR in the Soviet Union. It is one of only two nuc ...
to Japan. The Russian relief group was among the largest to go to Japan to render aid and consists of 161 personnel.
* provided petroleum products equivalent to US$20 million through the Saudi Arabian state oil company, Saudi Aramco. After coordination between Japan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia following this offer, the two countries agreed to establish the Saudi LPG Emergency Relief Fund within the Japan LP Gas Association and to distribute support to the region through the fund.
* First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Ivica Dacic ordered a Division of Emergency Situations rescue team, part of the
Serbian Ministry of the Interior
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Serbia ( sr, Mинистарство унутрашњих послова, Ministarstvo unutrašnjih poslova; abbr. MUP) or the Ministry of Interior, is a cabinet-level ministry in the Government ...
, to ready for deployment to Japan. Many cities announced sending supporting financial aid. One of the first to announce aid was the city of
Prokuplje
Prokuplje ( sr-cyrl, Прокупље, ) is a city and the administrative center of the Toplica District in southern Serbia. According to 2011 census, the city urban area has a population of 27,333 inhabitants, while the administrative area has 4 ...
, who sent $10,000. There is a Serbian Red Cross, mobile operators and other independent fundraising initiatives. The Serbian Red Cross raised US$2,321,570.
* The Singapore Red Cross (SRC) appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs coordinated Singapore’s relief efforts to Japan. The government of Singapore donated S$500,000 and sent a search and rescue team. The SRC sent 2 consignments of relief goods consisting of 10,000 bottles of drinking water (500 ml), 6,200 blankets, 200 mattresses and 4,000 collapsible water containers. The SRC raised a total of S$4.1 million (excluding the S$500,000 by the government) for the relief efforts.
* sent the 'Rescue South Africa Disaster Response' team to help with rescue and relief activities in the city of Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture.
* was among the first foreign emergency rescue teams consisting of 5 rescuers and 2 rescue dogs who arrived in Japan on March 12, while another team of 102 rescuers arrived 2 days later. The government, corporations, media, and community groups including former
comfort women
Comfort women or comfort girls were women and girls forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army in occupied countries and territories before and during World War II. The term "comfort women" is a translation of the Japanese '' ia ...
lead campaigns for donation. By 22 March, the government announced that the donations reached 58.1 billion KRW (52 million USD). In addition to human aid, Korea sent
boric acid
Boric acid, more specifically orthoboric acid, is a compound of boron, oxygen, and hydrogen with formula . It may also be called hydrogen borate or boracic acid. It is usually encountered as colorless crystals or a white powder, that dissolves ...
to weaken nuclear reactions and power sources for electricity. Many provinces have offered aid as well.
Gyeonggi-do
Gyeonggi-do (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Its name, ''Gyeonggi'', means "京 (the capital) and 畿 (the surrounding area)". Thus, ''Gyeonggi-do'' can be translated as "Seoul and the surrounding areas of Seoul". Seoul, the na ...
offered US$1 million and raised additional aid. The South Korean consulate staffs in Sendai were crucial in escorting a Croatian citizen, Vinko Hut Kono, safely to the Akita Airport.
*, which was still recovering from the
2004 Indian Ocean tsunami
An earthquake and a tsunami, known as the Boxing Day Tsunami and, by the scientific community, the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake, occurred at 07:58:53 local time (UTC+7) on 26 December 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of northern Suma ...
, announced US$1 million in aid, as well a team of medical and rescue workers.
* sent The Swiss rescue team consist of 25 rescuers and nine sniffer dogs to Japan. Two specialists from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit in Beijing flew into the country.
* provided over US$252 million in combined aid, and were among the largest contributors in monetary aid. President
Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou ( zh, 馬英九, born 13 July 1950) is a Hong Kong-born Taiwanese politician who served as president of the Republic of China from 2008 to 2016. Previously, he served as justice minister from 1993 to 1996 and mayor of Taipei from ...
asked the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...
to donate
NT$
The New Taiwan dollar (code: TWD; symbol: NT$, also abbreviated as NT) is the official currency of Taiwan. The New Taiwan dollar has been the currency of Taiwan since 1949, when it replaced the Old Taiwan dollar, at a rate of 40,000 old dollars ...
100 million (approximately 300 million Japanese yen or US$3.3 million) to Japan two days after the disaster. On the third and the fourth day respectively, two rescue teams, a 35-member civilian-organized team and a 28-member
Ministry of the Interior
An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs.
Lists of current ministries of internal affairs
Named "ministry"
* Ministry ...
team, were dispatched to Sendai and other affected areas. Besides the central government's actions, major political parties, many local governments, schools, companies, and charities arranged fundraising concerts and events. The Speaker of
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...
,
Wang Jin-pyng
Wang Jin-pyng (; born March 17, 1941) is a Taiwanese politician. He served as President of the Legislative Yuan from 1999 to 2016, which makes him Taiwan's longest-serving legislative speaker. Once a leading figure of the Kuomintang (KMT), Wang ...
, and other officials visited Japan on April 20 to give a donation. By the end of 2011, the government, Red Cross Society of Taiwan,
Tzu Chi Foundation
Buddhist Tzu Chi Charity Foundation, known for short as the Tzu Chi Foundation ( zh, t=佛教慈濟慈善事業基金會, p=Fójiào Cí Jì Císhàn Shìyè Jījīn Huì, l=Buddhist Compassionate Relief Charity Foundation), is a Taiwanese in ...
, and the
Chi Mei Corporation
CHIMEI Corporation (; CMC) is a Taiwan-based performance materials company. It has long been known as the world’s largest vendor of ABS resins. It has factories in Tainan, Zhenjiang and Zhangzhou. It also produces advanced polymer materials, syn ...
, among other civilian organizations and celebrities, collected more than
NT$
The New Taiwan dollar (code: TWD; symbol: NT$, also abbreviated as NT) is the official currency of Taiwan. The New Taiwan dollar has been the currency of Taiwan since 1949, when it replaced the Old Taiwan dollar, at a rate of 40,000 old dollars ...
7,364 million (approximately 20,000 million Japanese yen or US$252 million) from the public. Among them, Mr.
Chang Yung-fa
Chang Yung-fa CBE (; 6 October 1927 – 20 January 2016) was a Taiwanese businessman. He founded and chaired the Evergreen Group.
Biography
Chang was born in Su'ao, while Taiwan was under Japanese rule. When he was seven, the family moved ...
, chairman of the
Evergreen Group
The Evergreen Group () is the Business group, organizational designation used by a Taiwan-based Conglomerate (company), conglomerate of shipping, transportation, and associated service companies. The Evergreen Group arose in 1975 from the divers ...
, donated 1 billion Japanese yen (approximately US$12,350,000). Starting March 14, the government and other organizations sent about one thousand tons of generators, sleeping bags, blankets, clothes, food, and other daily essentials to Japan. In particular, tens of volunteers of the
Tzu Chi Foundation
Buddhist Tzu Chi Charity Foundation, known for short as the Tzu Chi Foundation ( zh, t=佛教慈濟慈善事業基金會, p=Fójiào Cí Jì Císhàn Shìyè Jījīn Huì, l=Buddhist Compassionate Relief Charity Foundation), is a Taiwanese in ...
advanced to the disaster areas to offer hot food, drinks, materials, and shelters for victims. In addition, the Taiwanese government also assisted more than one thousand Taiwanese, Japanese, American, European, and other foreign nationals in relocating to Taiwan during the nuclear emergency. Speaker Wang and the mayor of
Tainan
Tainan (), officially Tainan City, is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality in southern Taiwan facing the Taiwan Strait on its western coast. Tainan is the oldest city on the island and also commonly known as the "Capital City" ...
,
William Lai
William Lai Ching-te (; born 6 October 1959) is a Taiwanese politician who has been the Vice President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) since 2020. He served as a legislator in the Legislative Yuan from 1999 to 2010, and as Mayor of Tainan from ...
, led hundreds of Taiwanese tourists to visit Japan in May and June to show support. The
Tourism bureau
The Tourism Bureau, MOTC () is the government agency under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications of Taiwan (Republic of China) responsible for the administration of domestic and international tourism policy making, execution and dev ...
, the
Tainan City Government
The Tainan City Government () is the municipal government of Tainan, Taiwan. It was formed after the merger of Tainan County and Tainan City in December 2010. Its chief administrator is the directly elected Mayor of Tainan.
Administration
...
among other institutions also provided opportunities for victims in the affected regions free tours to Taiwan for relief and to demonstrate how Taiwan recovered from the 1999
921 earthquake
The Chi-Chi earthquake (later also known as the Jiji earthquake) (), also known as the great earthquake of September 21 (), was a 7.3 ML or 7.7 Mw earthquake which occurred in Jiji (Chi-Chi), Nantou County, Taiwan on Tuesday, 21 Se ...
.
* The Thai government made an initial offer of 5 million baht (around $167,000), with an additional donation of 200 million baht (or about US$6.6 million), accompanied by 15,000 tons of rice, tinned food, as well as other necessities such as blankets and clothing. Search-and-rescue teams consisting of 35 specialist medic crews proficient in Japanese, officials and sniffer dogs were also dispatched. Aside from this, the Thai public through massive fundraising campaigns spearheaded by major local television stations, private firms, banks and other charitable organizations, including the Thai Red Cross, also donated more than 400 million baht (or more than US$12 million) in relief funds.
* Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency of the Republic of Turkey offered humanitarian assistance: 52 tonnes of humanitarian aid, valued at US$360,000, were shipped to Tokyo. The aid materials consisted of 5,000 blankets, 10,000 cans of tuna, 20,000 cans of peas, 12,000 cans of pike, and 10,000 iodine tablets to prevent radiation absorption.
* sent a cargo aircraft full of relief supplies, including gas masks,
radiometers
A radiometer or roentgenometer is a device for measuring the radiant flux (power) of electromagnetic radiation. Generally, a radiometer is an infrared radiation detector or an ultraviolet detector. Microwave radiometers operate in the microwave wa ...
, and 2,000 blankets. A rescue team was also dispatched to
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
to provide assistance. The government of
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
also stated that they would be ready to provide more aid if requested.
* sent 70 rescuers to Japan, including two search dogs, a medical support team and 11 tons of specialised rescue equipment.
* designated its military response to the earthquake and tsunami as
Operation Tomodachi
was a United States Armed Forces (especially U.S. Forces Japan) assistance operation to support Japan in disaster relief following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The operation took place from 12 March to 4 May 2011; involved 24,000 U ...
(Japanese for "friend"). Various branches of the military participated, notably the carrier group and aviators based at
Yokota Air Base
, is a Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) and United States Air Force (USAF) base in the Tama Area, or Western Tokyo.
It occupies portions of Akishima, Fussa, Hamura, Mizuho, Musashimurayama, and Tachikawa.
The base houses 14,000 personnel ...
, among several other personnel. The US Agency for International Development's
Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance The Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) was an organizational unit within the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) charged by the President of the United States with directing and coordinating international United ...
sent
Urban Search and Rescue California Task Force 2
Urban Search and Rescue California Task Force 2 or CA-TF2 is a FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force based in Los Angeles County, California. CA-TF2 is sponsored by the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
CA-TF2 is one of two Task Forces that ...
and Virginia Task Force 1, some of whom worked with Canadian SARS teams in Miyagi Prefecture. US personnel were dispatched to restore the
Sendai airport
is an international airport located in the city of Natori, Miyagi, south southeast of Sendai metropolis, Sendai, Japan. The airport is alternatively referred to as .
History
In 1940, the Imperial Japanese Army built Sendai Airport in order t ...
, which sustained extensive damage and flooding. The State Department moved its embassy operations, set up contact information systems and issued travel advisories and later evacuation orders for American civilians.
* Carlsberg Uzbekistan produced beer in bottles with notes that read ''Yaponiyani qoʻllab-quvvatlaylik!'' (''Let's support Japan!'').
* The Vietnam Red Cross National Headquarters launched Official Appeal on March 16, 2011, to call people from all ministries, governmental agencies, Fatherland Front, organizations, corporations, enterprises, and people all over Vietnam to assist people affected by the tsunami and earthquake in Japan. On June 17, 2011, the Vietnam Red Cross organized the evaluation meeting of the appeal. In total, the government and the people of Vietnam have donated VND 161,303,484,931, equivalent to US$7,783,393, contributing to the assistance of people affected by the tsunami and earthquake in Japan.
Non-governmental responses
*The
Japan Center for International Exchange
Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE) is an "independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan organization dedicated to strengthening Japan's role in international networks
of dialogue and cooperation." Founded in 1970 by Tadashi Yamamoto, their ...
finds that individuals, groups, and corporations in the United States have donated at least $746 million for relief and recovery efforts, the third highest philanthropic outpouring from American donors for any overseas disaster and the most for any disaster in another rich country.
*Local
Soka Gakkai
is a Japanese Buddhist religious movement based on the teachings of the 13th-century Japanese priest Nichiren as taught by its first three presidents Tsunesaburō Makiguchi, Jōsei Toda, and Daisaku Ikeda. It is the largest of the Japanese ...
facilities became refugee shelters and distribution centers for relief supplies. Efforts also included worldwide fundraising for the victims, youth groups, and spiritual support.
*A fundraising concert and show in
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
attended by some 300 Taiwanese singers and celebrities raised US$26 million for Japan relief.
*Th Jewish Federations of North America and th American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee raised more than US$2 million. They are working with the Jewish community of Tokyo an JEN a Japanese NGO, to provide relief to the residents in the Tohoku region. In association with
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the Israel, State of Israel. It consists of three servic ...
,
JDC
JDC can refer to:
* American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, a worldwide relief organization
* Jeju Free International City Development Center
* John Deere Classic, a PGA Tour golf tournament
* John Dickson Carr (1906–1977), American myster ...
set up the a field hospital on the ground in Minamisanriko.
*The
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
provided large outreach and prayer for the victims of the disaster and offered large monetary donations from local parishes and churches, along with aid from the Vatican and a call for unity by Pope Benedict.
*The
United Methodist
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelic ...
Committee on Relief has a team responded to the disaster.
*The
Disciples of Christ
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. The denomination started with the Restoration Movement during the Second Great Awakening, first existing during the 19th ...
Church respond to needs through a Week of Compassion.
*
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
has committed "Substantial financial help" to Japan. The Church also provided equipment to Japanese fisherman who were unable to work since the earthquake.
*The UUA/Unitarian Service Committee (UUSC) Japan Relief Fund has been established to support the recovery efforts in Japan, as they consider the specific efforts to take to support the work of recovery.
*The N.C.
Baptist
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...
Men’s search and rescue team is in Japan assessing needs and distributing food.
*A Samaritan’s Purse disaster relief team has arrived in Japan and provide relief supplies to affected residents.
*The volunteer medical assistance team in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
sent a portable field hospital, medical supplies, and medical personnel. Several non-governmental agencies such as the
Canadian Red Cross
The Canadian Red Cross Society ()Philippine National Red Cross
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC; fil, Krus na Pula ng Pilipinas) is a non-profit humanitarian organization and a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
The PRC was established in 1947, with roots in the Philippine Rev ...
raised
₱
The Philippine peso sign (₱) is the currency symbol used for the Philippine peso, the official currency of the Philippines. The symbol resembles a Roman letter P with two horizontal strokes. It differs from the currency symbol used for the pe ...
73,336,619.74 (in addition to US$10,000 and ¥30,000) in donations, for a total that exceeded $1.6M.
*Relief organizations and local civic groups in South Korea such as the Korean Disaster Relief Association,
UNICEF
UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...
, and the Korean Community Chest set up campaigns to collect donations and aid supplies. Business groups such as
Samsung Group
The Samsung Group (or simply Samsung) ( ko, 삼성 ) is a South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea. It comprises numerous affiliated businesses, most of them united under the ...
, South Korea's largest business conglomerate, said it has donated 100 million yen (US$1.22 million) to help Japan's earthquake relief.
*Charitable organizations in
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
such as
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestant church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. The organisation reports a worldwide membership of over 1.7million, comprising soldiers, officers and adherents col ...
,
Hong Kong Red Cross
The Hong Kong Red Cross (HKRC, ) is the national Red Cross society of Hong Kong as part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Its head office is in West Kowloon.
It was established officially on 12 July 1950 as a branch of ...
, and various student groups have accepted donations for relief efforts.
*Charitable organizations in Taiwan such as the
Red Cross Society of the Republic of China
The Red Cross Society of the Republic of China (Taiwan) () is the Red Cross Society of the Republic of China (Taiwan). The society is not recognized by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) because it does not meet all the condit ...
and the
Tzu Chi Foundation
Buddhist Tzu Chi Charity Foundation, known for short as the Tzu Chi Foundation ( zh, t=佛教慈濟慈善事業基金會, p=Fójiào Cí Jì Císhàn Shìyè Jījīn Huì, l=Buddhist Compassionate Relief Charity Foundation), is a Taiwanese in ...
launched efforts to raise more funds for relief aid.
*Public efforts in
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
include several charity organizations, fund-raising drives and donation through television and mobile phone networks. Three big mobile phone networks enabled subscribers to raise money by sending text messages to specific numbers, with the network providers then passing on the revenue to the fund-raising drive. Many organizations in
Phuket
Phuket (; th, ภูเก็ต, , ms, Bukit or ''Tongkah''; Hokkien:普吉; ) is one of the southern provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, the country's largest island, and another 32 smaller islands of ...
, where the
2004 Asian tsunami
An earthquake and a tsunami, known as the Boxing Day Tsunami and, by the scientific community, the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake, occurred at 07:58:53 local time (UTC+7) on 26 December 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of northern Suma ...
struck, such as
Bangkok Hospital
Bangkok Hospital ( th, โรงพยาบาลกรุงเทพ) is a hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. It was opened in 1972 by a team of physicians, pharmacists and 30 nurses. It is one of the largest privately owned hospitals in Southeast ...
Phuket have set up donation drives for non-perishable items such as blankets, canned foods and children's essentials.
*Numerous
NGO
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
s in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
have contributed to the relief efforts in Japan. Influential business organizations have also made large donations for near-term relief and recovery efforts (e.g.
Walmart
Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
committed US$5 million in cash and in-kind donations .
JPMorgan Chase
JPMorgan Chase & Co. is an American multinational investment bank and financial services holding company headquartered in New York City and incorporated in Delaware. As of 2022, JPMorgan Chase is the largest bank in the United States, the ...
committed US$5 million). Mobile network services such as
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the world's largest telecommunications company by revenue and the third largest provider of mobile tel ...
have also offered conditional free phone calls from the United States and
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
to Japan until March 31, 2011. The American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, the
International Medical Corps
International Medical Corps is a global, nonprofit, humanitarian aid organization that provides emergency medical services, healthcare training and capacity building to those affected by disaster, disease or conflict." It seeks to strengthen medi ...
and a number of other
nonprofit organisation
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
s have launched mobile donation efforts with groups such as the Give Foundation, the
Mobile Giving Foundation
Mobile may refer to:
Places
* Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city
* Mobile County, Alabama
* Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S.
* Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador
Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels
* Mobile ( ...
, and Mobile Cause to provide aid for those affected. Among the US-based celebrities to have made major donations is
Ichiro Suzuki
, also known mononymously as , is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder who played professionally for 28 seasons. He played nine years of his career with the Orix BlueWave of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), where he began his ...
, a Japanese
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
superstar with the
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...
, who donated ¥100 million ($1.24 million) to the Japanese Red Cross toward the relief effort.
*
ShelterBox
ShelterBox is an international disaster relief charity established in 2000 in Helston, Cornwall, UK, that provides emergency shelter and other aid items to families around the world who have lost their homes to disaster or conflict.
Shelt ...
, a disaster relief charity, has provided emergency accommodation to nearly 1600 families, in response to initial requests by
Iwate Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. It is the second-largest Japanese prefecture at , with a population of 1,210,534 (as of October 1, 2020). Iwate Prefecture borders Aomori Prefecture to the north, Akita Prefectur ...
authorities for accommodation for 1000 refugees at each of the towns Miyako,
Yamada
Yamada (山田, ) is the 12th most common Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include:
*, Japanese model, actress and idol
*, Japanese field hockey player
*, Japanese illustrator and manga artist
*, Japanese rugby union player
*, Ja ...
,
Kamaishi
is a city located on the Sanriku rias coast in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 32,609, and a population density of 74 persons per km2, in 16,230 households. The total area of the city is
Geography
Kamaishi is ...
,
Rikuzentakata
is a city located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. In the census of 2010, the city had a population of 23,302 (2005: 24,709), and a population density of 100 persons per km². The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami caused extensive damage to the c ...
and Ofunato. The charity has stated it can provide a further 5000 "Shelterboxes" to accommodate another 50,000 people if required.
*
World Vision
In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...
Japan, partnering with
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the List of airlines by foundation date, world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atla ...
transported aid workers and relief supplies to Japan. Delta frequent flyer's
SkyMiles
SkyMiles is the frequent-flyer program of Delta Air Lines that offers points (or "miles") to passengers traveling on most fare types, as well as to consumers who utilize Delta co-branded credit cards, which accumulate towards free awards such as ai ...
card holders could donate their miles to World Vision Japan, collectively 5 million miles were donated. Additionally World Vision partnership across the globe is appealing for $10 million to fund its response in Japan, which may continue for several years. World Vision staff planned to focus their attention on providing vital relief supplies and Child-Friendly Spaces.
*
Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is a global non-governmental, humanitarian aid organization operating in transitional contexts that have undergone, or have been undergoing, various forms of economic, environmental, social and political instabilities. The organizatio ...
worked in devastated areas of northeastern
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
alongside local partner () to bring relief and recovery to survivors. In the weeks after the earthquake and tsunami, the two organizations focused on providing relief items – tents, tarps, blankets, heaters, clothes, water, food and school and hygiene supplies – to survivors. As supplies of essential items have become more accessible, efforts have shifted to economic recovery and post-trauma work. Together,
Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is a global non-governmental, humanitarian aid organization operating in transitional contexts that have undergone, or have been undergoing, various forms of economic, environmental, social and political instabilities. The organizatio ...
and Peace Winds Japan projects have helped to support 148,000 people in need who live in four northeastern towns: Ofunato,
Rikuzentakata
is a city located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. In the census of 2010, the city had a population of 23,302 (2005: 24,709), and a population density of 100 persons per km². The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami caused extensive damage to the c ...
,
Kesennuma
is a city in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 59,803 and a population density of in 26,390 households. The total area of the city is . Large sections of the city were destroyed by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake an ...
and
Minamisanriku
is a town in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. , it had an estimated population of 12,516, and a population density of 77 persons per km² in 4504 households. The total area of the town is . It is a resort town on a coastline of wooded islands and moun ...
.
*Numerous charitable organizations in
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
have offered to raise funds to the relief efforts for Japan Mercy Relief has collected S$722,000, including a cheque by the Singapore Soka Association to help aid workers in Japan to purchase relief supplies such as food, blankets and drinking water. It had a five-member team in Japan distributing relief supplies to victims near
Iwate Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. It is the second-largest Japanese prefecture at , with a population of 1,210,534 (as of October 1, 2020). Iwate Prefecture borders Aomori Prefecture to the north, Akita Prefectur ...
. World Vision Singapore has also collected more than S$400,000 thus far.
*The music industry's four largest record labels (
EMI
EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...
,
Sony
, commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
,
Universal
Universal is the adjective for universe.
Universal may also refer to:
Companies
* NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company
** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal
** Universal TV, a t ...
, and
Warner
Warner can refer to:
People
* Warner (writer)
* Warner (given name)
* Warner (surname)
Fictional characters
* Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner, stars of the animated television series ''Animaniacs''
* Aaron Warner, a character in ''Shatter Me s ...
) collaborated to make ''
Songs for Japan
''Songs for Japan'' is a charity compilation album created to benefit relief efforts for the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. A collaborative project between the music industry's "big four" record labels (EMI, Sony, Universal, and Warner), th ...
''. All proceeds generated from this
charity record
A charity record or charity single is a song released by musicians with most or all proceeds raised going to a dedicated foundation or charity.
George Harrison's " Bangla Desh" single in 1971 is commonly acknowledged as the first ever purpose-m ...
will go to the Japanese Red Cross Society.
*On March 23, 2011,
Music for Relief
Music for Relief is a 501(c)(3) charitable trust founded by the rock band Linkin Park in response to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Throughout its first twelve years, the organization responded to over 30 natural disasters across four continen ...
, a charity founded in 2005 by rock band
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. The band's current lineup comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, bassist Dave Farrell, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn and drummer ...
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...
. The proceeds will go to
Save the Children
The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization established in the United Kingdom in 1919 to improve the lives of children through better education, health care, and economic ...
for the victims of the disasters.
*
Team Fortress 2
''Team Fortress 2'' is a 2007 multiplayer first-person shooter, first-person shooter game developed and published by Valve Corporation. It is the sequel to the 1996 ''Team Fortress'' Mod (video gaming), mod for ''Quake (video game), Quake'' and ...
players donated US$430,543.65 to Japan through an in-game hat donation campaign by
Valve
A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fittings ...
.
*
ChildFund
ChildFund, formerly known as Christian Children's Fund, is a child-focused international development organization that provides assistance to children facing poverty and other challenges in 24 countries, including the United States. ChildFund's h ...
Japan distributed emergency supplies to evacuation centers in Natori and Sendai. The emergency supplies included masks, propane gas, diapers, powdered milk, rice canned food, noodles, and seasoning.
*A group of seven independent Scottish Whisky Distilleries are collaborating to produce a one-time limited bottling of blended single malt whisky and to donate all proceeds to disaster relief efforts in Japan. Each distillery will donate a cask of their single malt, which will be blended together and named the Spirit of Unity. Production is expected to be roughly 2,000 bottles; 1,200 being sold in the UK, and the remainder being sold in Japan. A small quantity will be sold in New Zealand with proceeds being donated to relief efforts in the wake of the February
2011 Christchurch earthquake
A major earthquake occurred in Christchurch on Tuesday 22 February 2011 at 12:51 p.m. local time (23:51 UTC, 21 February). The () earthquake struck the entire of the Canterbury region in the South Island, centred south-east ...
. The total proceeds of this initiative are estimated to be at least US$80,000. The collaborating distillers are: Arran, BenRiach, Bladnoch, GlenDronach, Mitchell’s Glengyle, Kilchoman and Springbank.
*The
Japanese Federation of the Deaf
The (JFD) is the national organization of the Deaf in Japan. JFD is also a member organization of the World Federation of the Deaf.
The JFD supports Deaf culture in Japan and works to revise laws that prevent the Deaf in Japan from participating ...
and Disabled Persons International were among those helping with relief efforts for those with special needs and disabilities.
*
VANK Vank or VANK may refer to:
* VANK, the Voluntary Agency Network of Korea, a South Korean Internet-based organization
*Nederlandsche Vereeniging voor Ambachts- en Nijverheidskunst (VANK)
*Vank (վանք), the Armenian language word for monastery. By ...
, a South Korean NGO that often contests against Japan, donated 10,000,000 won (US$9000) to the victims on March 16.
*
Anime Detour
Anime Detour is an annual three-day anime convention held during March/April at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The convention run by the non-profit organization Anime Twin Cities.
Programming
The convention typically off ...
, a Minneapolis-St. Paul based convention with 4,500 attendees held yearly holds a charity auction every year. With the earthquake and tsunami in Japan a month before the 2011 Convention the group that holds Anime Detour had all the funds of the charity auction sent to the Red Cross for Japan Relief Effort as well as donation boxes located around the convention. Anime Detour raised $36,243.84 during the three-day convention for the relief efforts.
*The Polish catholic organization " Caritas" gathered 3,057,370 PLN for victims in Japan. Polska Akcja Humanitarna gathered 700,000 PLN. All the Polish Catholic bishops appealed for help in their dioceses. Donations were collected on Sunday 27 March. There were numerous concerts and collection in aid of tsunami victims.
*The North Korean
Chongryon
The General Association of Korean Residents in Japan, " ''
-affiliated ''Fukushima Korean School'' sheltered 18 Japanese citizens from March 18 until the end of March.
*Japan's three largest
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
All Japan Pro Wrestling
(AJPW/AJP) or simply All Japan is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established on October 21, 1972 when Giant Baba split away from the Japanese Wrestling Association and created his own promotion. Many wrestlers had left with Baba, ...
,
New Japan Pro-Wrestling
(NJPW) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV Asahi and Amuse, Inc. own minority shares ...
and
Pro Wrestling Noah
(stylised as Pro Wrestling NOAH) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2000 by former All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) ace Mitsuharu Misawa after he had led a mass exodus in which 24 of AJPW's 26 contracted wrestlers left the ...
, came together on August 27, 2011, in Tokyo, for a charity event named '' All Together'', raising $769,211 for the earthquake victims relief fund. A second ''All Together'' event was held on February 19, 2012 in Sendai.
*
Riot Games
Riot Games, Inc. is an American video game developer, publisher and esports tournament organizer based in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in September 2006 by Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill to develop ''League of Legends'' and went on t ...
donated US$160,000 to the
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the desi ...
in response to this disaster by hosting a special sale of Akali, a character in
League of Legends
''League of Legends'' (''LoL''), commonly referred to as ''League'', is a 2009 multiplayer online battle arena video game developed and published by Riot Games. Inspired by ''Defense of the Ancients'', a Mod (video games), custom map for War ...
whose design was based on Japanese culture.
*
Rogers Communications
Rogers Communications Inc. is a Telecommunications in Canada, Canadian communications and media company operating primarily in the fields of mobile phone operator, wireless communications, cable television, telephony and Internet access, Intern ...
a major Canadian ISP and Cable television provider unlocked all restrictions for Japanese channels for non subscribers and customers for a week following the disaster to allow loved ones to get around the hour coverage from Japanese news stations to assist loved ones with information on relatives and areas effected, they also provided a text number to pledge 5CAD donation toward disaster relief.
*The website
Something Awful
''Something Awful'' (SA) is an American comedy website hosting content including blog entries, forums, feature articles, digitally edited pictures, and humorous media reviews. It was created by Richard "Lowtax" Kyanka in 1999 as a largely per ...
held a fundraiser of sorts that started after posters in their message boards got tired of a user trying to use them as help for his homework, saying they would donate if the user was banned. It later added a head-shaving portion and a blood drive. At least $70,000 dollars was donated to charity, $1,750 in shaved heads and 30 pints of blood was ultimately given.
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Sanrio
is a Japanese entertainment company. It designs, licenses, and produces products focusing on the ''kawaii'' ("cute") segment of Japanese popular culture. Their products include stationery, school supplies, gifts, and accessories which are sold ...
Hello Kitty
, also known by her full name , is a fictional Character (arts), character created by Yuko Shimizu, currently designed by Yuko Yamaguchi, and owned by the Japanese company Sanrio. Sanrio depicts Hello Kitty as an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphi ...
beanie baby. She is dressed as a nurse. On her pinafore is the
Japanese flag
The national flag of Japan is a rectangular white banner bearing a crimson-red circle at its center. This flag is officially called the , but is more commonly known in Japan as the . It embodies the country's sobriquet: the Land of the Rising S ...
. Underneath the red sun, the text reads "I eartJapan". Proceeds from the sale of each plush toy was donated to the American Red Cross for Japan disaster relief.
*Right after the disaster,
Direct Relief
Direct Relief (formerly known as Direct Relief International) is a nonprofit humanitarian organization that provides emergency medical assistance and disaster relief in the United States and internationally.
The organization is headed by an inde ...
, an emergency response organization, and the
Japanese American Citizens League
The is an Asian American civil rights charity, headquartered in San Francisco, with regional chapters across the United States.
The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) describes itself as the oldest and largest Asian American civil right ...
established the Japan Relief and Recovery Fund where they committed 100 percent of all contributions to be used exclusively to help people in Japan in the most productive, efficient manner possible.
Corporate donations
Total corporate donations were US$130,008,543.
Private donations
See also
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Songs for Japan
''Songs for Japan'' is a charity compilation album created to benefit relief efforts for the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. A collaborative project between the music industry's "big four" record labels (EMI, Sony, Universal, and Warner), th ...
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Hideaki Akaiwa
(in Ishinomaki, Miyagi prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese doctor who was recognized as a hero for his actions in the aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
Overview
Akaiwa was at work when the earthquake struck at 2:46 p.m. on Mar ...