Part1 (this post)
Part2 follow up 1
Part3 follow up 2
The best way to keep up do date on my posts about Fukushima is via this link.
I am going to keep updating my blog with general information for people that want to keep up.
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Jeff (and everyone else getting this):
Thanks for emailing me. In fact I apologize for not having been in touch with
you and with others to let everyone know I am alright. I have been planning to
write long email to as many people as I could, but your email has finally made
me say to heck with it, I will just email my whole address book...well no cant
quite do that...but anyway apologies for the long mass email:
Basically what I need to say is that we are completely fine, but things are bad
elsewhere. We are actually quite far from where all the trouble is. Of course
everyone, including here in Kyoto, is worried about what is happening, and in
fact some people are quite sick about it, but as far as daily life is concerned,
everything is normal.
On the other hand, for people in Tohoku, in the shelters, things are terrible.
Because attention is focused on the reactor, people are not as aware of how
difficult it is for them, and we are encouraging people to donate to relief
organizations if they can. I've hear about fundraising that people are doing in
the US, and it is wonderful. I have done quite a bit of research, and at the
bottom of this email is a list of links of the best organizations we feel are
safe and good to give to; if you decide to give to another organization, I
strongly recommend doing your research because many organizations are
soliciting, but the funds end up in their general funds not specifically to
relief efforts in Japan, and there are even fake organizations popping up. Also,
though I think this is wrong under the circumstances, one charity watch
organization suggests there is a possibility of "overfunding", but they are
entirely mistaken about that. They are being misled by a cultural difference,
because Japanese people are perhaps stoic and reserved by nature, they will do
all they can to give the appearance to the outside world of not needing help.
But I am watching the news from inside and yukie is translating it, and what's
really happening is that as prepared as they were, the need is overwhelming.
Even the head of preparedness in Japan has admitted so. In the worst areas, the
shortage of food, medical supplies, and so on is staggering...one shelter can
only give out half a rice ball and a quarter of an apple per day! And there are
too many kids who have lost family, who are searching for family members, and
have no one to take care of them. It is heartbreaking. I can't put into words
how heart wrenching it is watching the news. Last night one man talk about
losing his wife and his first grade son. He has been left with nothing, not
even a small memento. I can't imagine trying to carry on. And it goes on and
on, he is just one of hundreds of thousands. I really hope people can give,
because the scale of this disaster is unprecedented, and will undoubtedly be the
most expensive on record, and it will be years before some places get even close
to returning to "normal", if ever.
OK, I've ranted enough. I apologize.
For people like us, outside that area, things are relatively the same. Yukie's
family is in Niigata, which is further north, and has endured a few aftershocks,
but they were mild and everyone is alright. Yukie's sister is in Tochigi, which
is a little north of Tokyo, but from what Yukie tells me there have been some
small inconveniences, but she seems to have worked them out. She was supposed to
move back to Niigata this week, for example, but because of the gas shortage she
couldn't find a moving company. Her dad is coming to the rescue. We knew a few
people who are/were in Tokyo at the time, and they said the earthquake and the
aftershocks are scary, even by japanese standards, and there was a bit of
hoarding (but no looting, folks. c'mon), but on the whole it is manageable. The
trains are running again, for example. The sense of panic there has abated. I
think all the fuss about shipping people home that was made by some governments
was a matter of people trying to err on the overcautious side, and not a
reaction to the situation as it is in Tokyo. As my friend Etsuko, who lives in
the US but is japanese and watches Japanese media, says, the truth is somewhere
in between.
Right now, in the affected areas, things are much worse. The search efforts are
being hampered by weather and other factors. For the thousands of people waiting
it out in the shelters with nothing to do, it appears that some of the shock is
wearing off, so now the real emotional impact is starting to be felt. Depression
is becoming a problem. This is very frustrating for me, because I think in the
end, this is the worst damage that this event will have inflicted. You can give
all the money in the world, you can give blankets, send people, you can have all
the medicine you need, and these ills will fade, but the need for healing is the
one thing they have most, is the hardest to take care of, and will remain, I
fear, the longest.
Anyhow, my best wishes and thanks to everyone for their concern, and I look
forward to talking with people soon. Please feel free to respond if you wish to.
Sincerely,
David and Yukie
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Aid Organizations...a focus on small local organization, and some larger, more
global ones.
One of the organization that we like is
Kyoto Nicco
We like it because it is based in Kyoto, but has experience all over the world,
and it provides direct relief.
http://www.kyoto-nicco.org/english/project/support/information/relief-activity-for-earthquake-1.html
http://www.kyoto-nicco.org/english/index.html
Japan Center for International Exchange
http://jcie.org/earthquake.html
This is an umbrella organization that uses half of it donations for direct
relief, and half for long term development (which is often overlooked after a
tragedy). I came across this organization after discovering it was supporting
the same organizations that I was considering, such as NICCO. This is good if
you are not sure of what kind of organization you like. The organizations they
support are:
* Association for Aid and Relief, Japan (AAR, Japan)—focus on people with
disabilities. Worldwide, but based in Tokyo.
* Association of Medical Doctors in Asia—medical needs. They seem very
active and have many teams.
* Japan Platform— well connected and directly involved coalition of NGOs,
corporations, and government.
* JEN—Good organization but not working in Japan at the moment.
* Nippon International Cooperation for Community Development (NICCO)—see
above. mobile clinics and portable toilets and distributing hygienic goods.
* PeaceWinds Japan—see below. free access to satellite phones and
distributing food, water, blankets, and medical supplies.
PeaceWinds Japan
This is another local organization that provides direct assistance and has a
good track record.
http://www.peace-winds.org/en/
Japanese Red Cross.
It is possible to give directly to them, without needed to go through the US
organization, via this page for example:
http://www.google.co.jp/intl/en/crisisresponse/japanquake2011.html
Save the Children
is focused on children and providing direct assistance, but I havent been able
to find out if donations can be earmarked for japan or not. However they have a
very clear long term plan for dealing with this disaster:
http://www.savethechildren.org/atf/cf/%7B9DEF2EBE-10AE-432C-9BD0-DF91D2EBA74A%7D/save-the-children-japan-earthquake-brief-20110317.pdf
http://www.savethechildren.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=8rKLIXMGIpI4E&b=6478615&ct=9183299&msource=wessnmis1010
Direct Relief
This organization focuses on health issues, all funding goes to japan, and the
organization is highly rated in terms of efficiency.
http://www.directrelief.org/EmergencyResponse/2011/JapanEarthquakeTsunami.aspx
Japan Society:
Japanese cultural society (for "the cultivation of a constructive, resonant and
dynamic relationship between the people of the U.S. and Japan.") that has
experience working on relief efforts. It is absorbing the cost of passing all
donations directly to relief organizations. They run a cultural center in NY.
http://www.japansociety.org/tohoku_earthquake_response
http://www.japansociety.org/frequently_asked_questions
