.: Help Tohoku :.

On March 11, 2011, the Tohoku region of Japan – a country used to earthquakes and tsunamis, and perhaps the best-prepared in the world for them – was hit by one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded, and then hit by one of the largest tsunamis ever recorded.

The loss of life and property was catastrophic: almost 20,000 people were killed and over 470km² (180 sq miles) of land devastated by the tsunami (sometimes up to 10km/ 6 mi inland). In many cases, entire towns were wiped out.

The hardest hit areas were Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures in Tohoku Region, and Ibaraki and Chiba prefectures in Kanto Region. In Fukushima prefecture, Reactors 1, 2 and 3 at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant (also known as Fukushima Daiichi, as "daiichi" means "number one") went into meltdown due to tsunami damage, releasing radiation into the environment and causing over 200,000 people to be evacuated.

As the destruction and suffering caused by the earthquake and tsunami recede from the news headlines, the Japanese people – as they have for centuries – have gone about the task of burying their dead, caring for their injured and rebuilding the lives shattered in the catastrophe.

Along with aid agencies and emergency services, you can help the people of Japan, and the people of the Tohoku and Kanto regions. Direct donations to aid agencies are a great way to help people in need, but there are also ways to help the region’s economy, and to help the hardworking people help themselves.

Visit the Tohoku and Kanto regions. Visiting Japan is safe and affordable. Despite the sensational headlines, there is no Chernobyl-style radiation leak from Fukushima (even within the evacuation zone), and even cities like Sendai are still functioning and welcoming visitors.
Have the Tohoku and Kanto regions visit you. We can't all visit the affected regions, but we can bring them to us by buying products made in the Tohoku region. This website aims to highlight products which are made in Tohoku, and help you bring these products to the attention of friends and family who may also buy them.