Donate Money to Japanese Save the Children

I'm doing a series of long-distance runs in Japan this year to raise money for child victims of the tsunami/earthquake.

You know it's the right thing to do, so I won't bore you with a sob-story.

Please go to my page and donate some cash.

Dom is fundraising for GlobalGiving

Short-Term Volunteer Opportunity in Tohoku

Japan needs you.

I blogged the other day about a competition to visit all 47 prefectures in Japan in 100 days and help with tsunami cleanup.

Just in case you don't win that, here's another chance to visit/help out.

Many friends say they want to visit Japan, but they feel guilty about having fun when people in the North are suffering so badly.

At the same time, it is difficult for those living outside of Japan, and those of us who don't speak good Japanese, to arrange any kind of volunteering.

Luckily, Inside Japan Tours can help. They usually offer regular touristic tours of Japan, but in light of recent events and requests for help they have designed a volunteering trip.

The Deal

• A 4 day trip to Tohoku in collaboration with a voluntary organisation currently working out there. 
• Includes transport from Tokyo, meals, accommodation, equipment and the help of an English translator throughout.
• Will assist with cleaning tasks, restoring houses and schools and removing rubble from roads, parks and rice paddies.
  
  
• Start dates are currently Thursday 18th August and Thursday 1st September.
• And trips cost 450GBP per person, not including flights.

So if you can or will be here in Japan, here's a chance to do your bit.
Check out the website.

Those of you living out here with more time to organise might want to try PeaceBoat, who will accommodate you free of charge for week-long volunteering trips.

Tsunami Photo Exhibition London July 22nd-24th

This Friday 22nd, sees a new photo exhibition opening at 'Olympia two' in London.

It has been four months since the Tsunami devastated towns in the Sendai area and one photographer, Christina Aiton, an Australian living in Shichigahama, has documented 14 families from the area and their lives in the aftermath.

"Yet I Still Dare to Hope" uses photography, narratives from survivors and features items from the tsunami hit area to show the reality of what the residents of Shichigahama are living through. At the same time the exhibition focuses on hope, as the community begins to rebuild their lives and attempt to move on.

When and Where
The exhibition starts this Friday  July 22nd and runs until the 24th.
At Olympia Two, Hammersmith Road, London W14 8UX


Visitors will be encouraged to leave messages of support for the families directly affected which will be passed onto them.  There is also the opportunity to donate money or buy things at the shop with the proceeds going to Shichigahama residents.

More information, including a map of how to get there, can be found at this site.

Visit all 47 Prefectures in Japan... for free!

Want to visit Japan?
Want to visit all 47 prefectures?
Don't think you can afford it?

Win it!



The deal:
Some lucky person will win 100 days to visit all 47 prefectures in Japan and blog about it.

The catch:
You can't have ever lived in Japan before. Application is 5USD (100% goes to a related charity).


Travel Volunteer is offering one lucky person or couple the chance to see all 47 prefectures in 100 days, for free!

The trip starts on September 15th - December 23rd 2011, ending with a trip to Tohoku on the 24th to give Christmas presents to children displaced by the recent tsunami.

The idea is that the winner will blog about their experiences in Japan and prove to people that the whole of Japan has not been destroyed by the tsunami, and life outside of the evacuation zone continues with little or no disruption.

The closing date for applications is July 31st, so if you are interested go to http://travelvolunteer.net/ for more information and instructions on how to apply.

Disaster Donation Opportunity: Clothes

A friend of mine passed on this address which is accepting clothes donations.

989-2393 "Wataricho"
Miyagi ken, Watarigun
Watari cho Aza kyuukan 62-1
Sato kinen Taiikukan

９８９−２３９３宮城県亘理郡　
亘理町字旧館６２番地１
佐藤記念体育館

Their number is 0223-34-0505

They're looking for high quality spring and summer clothes with little or no signs of wear. They don't need winter clothes because they can't store them, or underwear as the shops there are starting to reopen.

Seismic Fault Line Map of Japan

This latest link is an incredibly detailed (because it comes from the Japan Seismic Hazard Information Station) map of the true "Danger Zones" in Japan.

On Tuesday we published a map which indicated the strength of vibration of different parts of Japan based on the surface type. However, it was misinterpreted by some as an indication of where quakes were most likely to occur.

In response, this is exactly that.

This map allows you to view, in terrifying detail, the varieties or seismic faults in any region of Japan. You can also see details of all local landslides, large or small. The amount of detail available probably requires a doctorate to interpret properly, but you can get a pretty good idea of the lay of the land with the various options.

With everything switched on, it looks more like a psychologically damaged child has attacked a map of Japan with their felt-tip collection that anything scientific. Anyway, hope it's useful. Here's the link:

J-SHIS Japan Seismic Hazard information Station.

Earthquake "Danger Zones" Map of Japan

The map embedded below shows the areas of Japan most prone to certain degrees of shaking.

A translation and detailed prefectural links lie beneath.

View Earthquake Danger Zones fullscreen

This link breaks down the above image into detailed views of each prefecture (all in Japanese).

the above is not a map of where most earthquakes happen, rather a description of the structure of the land and how that will modify the intensity for people in those areas. The text below the image briefly talks about soil types and how that affects the seismic intensity. The key shows how much more severe an earthquake would be in each of the coloured areas.

Japanese Earthquake Levels (Shindo) Explained

As you may have noticed, the Japanese don't generally use the same scale as you may be used to to measure earthquake intensity. Instead of the level of magnitude which we use in the West, they have a system called 震度 "shindo". The main difference is that this scale measures the physical shaking of the surface of the earth at numerous points. This is why the earthquake report maps look like the one to the right (incidentally taken from yesterday's quake), where there is a strength gradient across affected areas.

For a visual representation of what this means, the Japanese Meteorological Agency has this useful graphic (click to enlarge):

And here it is in text:

JMA Seismic Intensity Scale
0	Nobody feels the tremor.
1	Some people indoors may feel a slight tremor.
2	Many people indoors feel the tremor. Hanging fixtures, such as lights, may slightly shake.
3	Most people indoors feel the tremor. Electrical wires may slightly shake.
4	Hanging fixtures shake considerably and dishes in the cupboard may rattle.
Lower 5	Many people feel the need to plan for safety. Dishes in the cupboard and books in the shelves may fall. Items that are not supported well may fall.
Upper 5	There is a sense of extreme danger. Heavy furniture, such as bureaus, may fall over. Many brick walls that are not supported well may topple.
Lower 6	People cannot maintain a standing position. Furniture that is not secured may move or topple over. Many doors will not open. Window glass of buildings will break and fall down.
Upper 6	Impossible to move without crawling. Furniture that is not secured may move or topple over. Most brick walls that are not supported well ill fall.
7	Unable to move or act by will. Most furniture will move, and some may seem to fly.

More detailed information about the effect on buildings etc can be found on the JMA site.

Detailed Radioactivity Readings in Water, Air, etc

Another resource issued by a foreign embassy in Japan. This time not only covering general radiation levels by prefecture, but also featuring detailed analysis of water etc. very useful for calming nerves (and family at home).

We have the good people at KEIO University to thank for translating this one.

Here's the link to the radioactivity reports.

Volunteer & Donation Information By Prefecture

AJET have published an excellent list of ways you can help Japan's current crisis. Unfortunately, volunteer opportunities are still pretty limited. However, there are dozens of donation drives for both money and essential items. Check the list for what you can do, and where, in your prefecture.

Volunteer & Donation Information By Prefecture

Donate a Place to Stay for Tsunami Victims

Not just tsunami victims, but all those affected, may be looking for a place to stay for a while. If you can help at all, please go to this link

http://www.earthdaymoney.org/topics_dt.php?id=391

Ishinomaki City Volunteering

Peace Boat, an organisation based in Tokyo, has started a volunteer programme dishing out meals etc in Ishinomaki city. You can go there with them for up to a week, or help in Tokyo with fundraising etc. More info is on their volunteering website here.

Quake/Tsunami Update: Socks for Japan

A couple of people have asked for updates on this, so here's the situation as I understand it (please comment if you have any leads).

A lot of the things which were reportedly happening turned out to be not much more than rumours. Several local authorities have sent groups of volunteers to hand out water etc, but because of logistical problems they have been very small groups, with places being filled up within hours of becoming available. Your best bet is to make a friend in your local city office and get them to keep you updated.

When larger-scale things come around, I'll be sure to post. For now, there are several things you can do, as well as donating food, baby supplies and blankets (most cities have at least one drop-off point for this kind of thing). For example, we found a website dedicated to sending socks to the needy (there's apparently a massive shortage). You can read about that here: http://jasonkelly.com/helpjapan/ This site accepts donations from all over the world, so it's a great idea to contact places of work/schools in your home countries to get a programme started.

I know this can be a bit frustrating for those of us who want to do real hands-on helping, but it's incredibly important stuff.

Japan Radiation Checker

Here's a map I found for checking the radiation levels across Japan.

A lot of people seem concerned, so here it is.

Nuclear Event Explained (for kids)

The best explanation you'll see/hear about Fukushima power plant. I hope this calms some of you down, too.

Donate for Free Through AccessJ

AccessJ will donate 100% of the revenue generated on this site to victims of the quake and those organisations helping them, as well as 100% of what we have earned so far this year (unfortunately not that much money).

We make money through out advertisements, so you can help just by clicking the adverts on the right-hand side of the screen. If you enter your details after clicking we will earn substantially more (up to 1 or 2 dollars a time), and it won't cost you anything.

Quake: Shimoina Donation Drive

A friend of mine sent me this today. I know a lot of people in Shimoina, so here's a donation guide for those people.


If you know of any other drives in your area/town, let me know so I can post it here

1fl Shimoina Regional Office (下伊那地方事務所)

2-678 Outemachi, Iida (〒395-0034 飯田市追手町2-678) - downtown Iida

Phone: 026-235-7410

Email: tohokushien@pref.nagano.lg.jp

From 8:30am till 7pm (donations are accepted on weekends and holidays too, but I suggest you to call them.)

The campaign started on March 16th and will last a whole month.

The map: click here

Website: http://www.pref.nagano.lg.jp/kikikan/jishin-gien.htm

1. Water (PET bottles 500ml, 1l, 2l)

2. Instant food (Cup Noodles, Microwave Rice (arufa kome), other instant food products - didn't know how exactly to translate the middle kanji :blush:)

3. Powdered Milk (for babies)

4. Sanitary (menstrual) pads

5. Diapers (for babies)

6. Diapers for old or disabled people

7. (Urinary) Incontinence pads 

8. Masks

9. Toilet paper

10. Tissue boxes

11. Wet tissues

12. Hokkairo (pocket/body heating pads)

13. Batteries (1-4)

14. Blankets - new or dry cleaned (I'm sure they'd accept any clean blankets)

15. (Blue) Hootch i.e. Tarpaulin

Quake: Foreigner Office Contact Details and Radioactivity Reports

A friend of mine sent this over from her consulate today. It's from the embassy, so it's going to be the most reliable information you can find right now.

There are two pdfs:

Contact information for local offices in Tohoku District (dealing with foreigners)
Official report on radiation levels (today's)

Earthquake Blood Drive Guidelines

Most Japanese cities will be holding blood drives. Beware, though, that the rules governing who can and cannot are very strict. The guy over at Mutantfrog Travel translated the Japanese Red Cross guidelines (pasted below).

The most significant of the guidelines is that people from the UK probably cannot donate, due to our history of BSE.

Here's the full text:

The following categories of people are BANNED from donating blood in Japan.
Please do not clog blood donations centers if there is even a chance you fall into one of the following categories, and instead find some other way to help.
Please also note first of all that ANYBODY who has entered Japan in the last four weeks may NOT give blood.
First, the rules relating to BSE/Mad Cow Disease
To clarify the below rules, please calculate your TOTAL amount of time spent in ANY of the countries in categories 1~4 during the relevant risk period for that country. If your total period of time in a high-risk country during a high-risk period is equal to 6 months or more than you are banned from blood donations for life.
Similarly, if you have spent a total of 5 years total in any of the countries listed in all 6 categories during risk periods, then you are banned from blood donations for life in Japan unless a new medical test in the future causes the regulations to change.
Please note that no countries in North or South America are on this list; despite the worries over Canadian/US beef it was never transmitted to humans.

1. Anybody who has spent a TOTAL of 30+ days in the UK between the years 1980 and 1996.
2. Anybody who has spent a TOTAL of 6+months in the UK between 1997 and 2004. (Note: Also include period of stay under category 1,3,4 in this total.)
3. Anybody who has spent a TOTAL of 6+ months in Ireland, Italy, Holland, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Germany, France, Belgium, Portugal, between the years of 1980 and 2004. (Note: Also include period of stay under category 1,2,4 in this total.)
4. Anybody who has spent a TOTAL of 6+ months in Switzerland between the years of 1980 and 2004. (Note: Also include period of stay under category 1,2,4 in this total.)
5. Anybody who has spent a TOTAL of 5+ years in Australia, Austria, Greece, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, between the years 1980 and 2004. (Note: Also include period of stay under category 1,2,3,4,6 in this total.)
6. Anybody who has spent a TOTAL of 5+ years in Iceland, Albania, Andorra, Croatia, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Czech Republic, Vatican City, Hungary, Bulgaria, Poland, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Macedonia, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Norway, Lichtenstein, Romania, between the years of 1980 through the present day.  (Note: Also include period of stay under category 1,2,3,4,5 in this total.)

Next the rules relating to blood parasite diseases.

• Anybody who has entered the country in the past four weeks.
• Anybody who has entered Japan after visitinga malaria high-risk area within the last year. This is true even if you were only at a resort area of the country. HOWEVER, if you have been specifically tested for malaria and been found negative you may donate blood.
• Anybody who has entered Japan after living in a malaria high-risk area within the last three years.
• Anybody who has ever lived in a region known for Chagas Disease, AKA American trypanosomiasis. (This is a blood parasite like malaria.)
• Anybody recently returned from Africa or who has lived in Africa and ever tested positive for African trypanosomiasis (African sleeping sickness.)
• Anybody who has ever tested positive for babesiosis, another blood parasite most commonly found in tropical regions such as Africa or Latin America.
• Also anybody who has engaged in medical work, research, field work, etc. in any regions known for similar diseases should not donate blood.

Last are other categories of persons who may not donate blood.

• Anyone who has or has had heart disease, or malignant tumor,
• Anyone who has rheumatic fever or is on antibiotics due to risk of rheumatic fever
• Sufferers from any convulsive disorder
• Sufferers from blood-loss related diseases such as hemophilia or purpora.
• Asthmatics
• Stroke victims
• Anyone with medicine allergies, nephritic syndrome, chronic inflammation disorders.
• Anyone currently experiencing extreme hunger or sleep deprivation.
• Anyone currently taking prescription drugs, except for those such at vitamins with no harmful side effects.
• Pregnant women or breast-feeding mothers.
• Anybody with a fever, specifically temperature of 37℃ or higher
• HIV, hepatitis infected persons (free AIDS testing centers link)
• Anyone who has ingested marijuana or other psychoactives within the last year
• Any man who has engaged in homosexual behavior
• Anyone with a history of sex with anonymous partners
• Anyone who has been treated for hepatitis A within the past 6 months. Also, since it is often transmitted by shellfish, anybody whose family member has been treated for hepatitis A within the past 1 month. Hepatitis B and C stay in your system, so you are permanently banned.
• Anybody who has ever RECEIVED a blood transfusion. (Due to the possibility of viruses as yet unknown to medical science.
• Anybody who has gotten a body piercing (ears included) within the past year.
• Anybody with a piercing on a mucous membrane such as the lip, tongue, nose, no matter when you got it.
• Anybody who has gotten a tattoo within the past year.
• Anyone who has been vaccinated using an inactive vaccine within the past 24 hours for diseases such as influenza, Japanese encephalitis, cholera, hepatitis A, pneumonia, whooping cough (pertussis), tetanus (may not be a complete list)
• Anyone who was given anti-HBs human immunoglobulin in combination with a hepatitis B vaccine, anyone who was given an emergency rabies vaccine (that is, after being bitten) within the past 1 year.
• Anyone given a vaccination for mumps, rubella/German measles, Bacille Calmette-Guerin (tuberculosis vaccine), or other mildly active vaccine (live attenuated) vaccine or any hepatitis B vaccine within the past 4 weeks.
• Anyone vaccinated against smallpox within the past 2 months.
• Anyone given an antisterum for tetanus, snake bite or other poison, gas gangrene, botulism etc. within the past 3 months.
• Anyone who has had dental surgery that caused bleeding within the past 3 days.

Now please go to Mutantfrog and thank the source.

Quake: Power Outage Area Map

Group3 - Yellow - 6:20～10:00
Group4 - Red - 9:20～13:00
Group5 - Blue - 12:20～16:00
Group1 - Green - 15:20～19:00
Group2 - Orange - 18:20～22:00

A Yahoo maps version (Japanese) has also been made.

View power outage area map in a larger map. Courtesy of Sawa Shima via Facebook.