Tohoku Aftermath, 3 months on
Posted on June 20, 2011
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I ran across this article yesterday and felt it was worthy to post. It really captures just how overwhelming the situation is in N.E. Japan is and just how impotent the aid and relief to this point has been. I would hope that after reading it, that you would be moved to fast with us as well.
It is an inimitable picture of Japanese order and contentment. Passengers throng Sendai Airport. In the fields and market gardens close by, farmers are tending their crops. In the city, the bullet trains are spitting out businessmen.
It is almost impossible to imagine the colossal earthquake that unleashed first a tsunami and then a nuclear nightmare just 100 days ago.
The north-eastern seaboard was devastated. Some 28,000 people are dead or missing. Sixteen towns, 95,000 buildings and 23 railway stations have been destroyed. The town of Minamisanriku has simply vanished….. Read the entire article
We are all in this together
Posted on June 13, 2011
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Kozmoz Japan Director, Barry Wyatt, and Tohoku aid supporter Bernie M. have committed to know just how it feels to go hungry. They will be fasting and giving up eating solid food until Kozmoz receives $25000 dollars in additional donations or 40 days, whichever comes first, starting from June 13th to help the victims of the March 11th tsunami in N.E. Japan.
When asked why they are making such a commitment, Director Barry Wyatt replied, "Recently, everywhere I go here in Japan people seem to think that everything there is OK now, and even more so in America and overseas where the news coverage has waned. This situation needs to be addressed Read more
Schools serve rations to students
Posted on June 10, 2011
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In today's world, it is beyond comprehension that this situation could exist when at the same time just miles away people are going to movies and dinner as if there is nothing unusual. At sometime, the donations and government support will reach the victims and those suffering from the ensuing economic downturn, but can we in good conscious sit by and allow the affected to suffer? – Kozmoz
As concerns over radiation contamination in water and food continue to hover in disaster-struck northeastern Japan, public schools in eight towns in Iwate and Miyagi are still unable to provide regular lunches to their students, according to Japanese press reports… Read more
55% of donations not reaching victims in Japan
Posted on June 8, 2011
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Less than half of the more than 80 billion yen in disaster-relief donations already sent to prefectures affected by the March 11 quake and tsunami has reached the hands of people waiting for urgently needed cash to rebuild their shattered lives, it has been learned.
Although a committee tasked with distributing cash donations to survivors of the Great East Japan Earthquake has decided how to hand out the second batch of payments, only 45 percent of the money already sent to 15 affected prefectural governments has reached people's pockets. The slow progress in the distribution of donations is largely seen as due to the loss of family registries and residents' certificates in the tsunami, as well as a lack of staff in the affected areas.
Earthquake survivors are counting on these funds to buy the cars, refrigerators and other goods needed to put their lives back on track. They also need money to secure jobs and places to live.
According to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry ….read more
Bracing for the next tsunami
Posted on May 24, 2011
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As if things were not bad enough in Japan after suffering a staggering blow from the great earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan on March 11th, there may be even worse news coming.
Here are a few interesting statistics.
For a typical family making 300000~340000 yen a year living in Miyagi prefecture where the center of damage was with grade school and junior high school age children.
Average savings per family: 1439857 yen
Average cost of living: 174000 yen
Average cost with 2 kids: 224000 yen
What does this mean in the grand scope of things? Read more
A day in the life of a Volunteer
Posted on May 23, 2011
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Sorry to be late with an update regarding conditions in the tsunami ravaged tohoku region, I was just wiped out after our last marathon vegetable delivery run to the disaster area….
Bernie n I started out on Tuesday nite this time as opposed to Sunday night that seems to always work the best so it felt like everything was just off kilter from the beginning. That day we had raced to Costco in the morning and had planned to have some coffee with my pal Jay whose students at Rainbow English paid for our fuel again. I felt like a heel as we Read more
More donations not needed in Japan!?
Posted on May 9, 2011
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Donations are piling up at distribution centers around N.E. Japan and in various cities that have gathered donations for the victims of the tsunami of March 11th that killed aprox. 30,000 people. Centers are turning away donations routinely now so the need to help is past and everything is ok?
NOT AT ALL…The problem is that there are an abundance of supplies but many are the wrong supplies, coupled with the problem of poor distribution. There is a terrible lack of communication and coordination with the government sponsored aid centers. Many of the larger centers are actually non government run ad-hoc centers that have been organized by various volunteer groups. One of the centers we visited a couple weeks ago in higashimatsushima city had slipped thru the cracks receiving nothing for days while the mountain of supplies pictured left sat growing though it was only a short drive away. So even with the abundance, people sat hungry waiting for help… Read more
A generation lost
Posted on April 22, 2011
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Okawa elementary school began classes on April 21st after having lost 70% of its students to the tsunami and earthquake that ravaged north eastern Japan on March 11th. The school is renting space for its students from a neighboring school as the facilities at the Okawa school are unusable. With the government trying to raise the declining birthrate in Japan in order to shore up the future, and the tendency for the young to move away from the rural areas to seek jobs and opportunities in the larger cities, this decimation of the next generation will be felt long after the buildings and roads are rebuilt here.
It was not only the young that was particularly hard hit by the earthquake and tsunami, it was reported that over half of the victims that died in the disaster were over 65 years old. With the wisdom of the aged and the vitality of the young gone in an instant, the Tohoku region faces a long road indeed.
Recovery a long way off
Posted on April 21, 2011
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A man does his part to help rebuild his community…. With so many issues worldwide it is easy to forget about the recent Japanese disaster or think that things are progressing bringing a sense of normalcy to the victims of north east Japan. Here is an update as of today April 21st to put things into perspective.
Approximately 18 thousand lives have been lost…..
Approximately 14 thousand people are missing. That means that their bodies have yet to be recovered and most likely never will be…..
Today, approximately 134 thousand people are living in shelters… Read more
Aid Trucks Leaving Constantly
Posted on April 17, 2011
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Trucks from Kozmoz and other volunteer driven groups are leaving daily and weekly as they are filled taking needed food and supplies to the disaster area. Our focus is still food at this point and the number one request that we have had from the shelters and municipalities is for fruits and vegetables and we are busy filling that order. We also have trucks dedicated to daily necessities as well. If you are living in Kansai, please contact Kozmoz if you have donations and they will be delivered to Fukushima, Miyagi and Iwate on our trucks.