{"id":29215,"date":"2013-03-08T23:05:03","date_gmt":"2013-03-09T03:05:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jetwit.com\/wordpress\/?p=29215"},"modified":"2013-03-08T23:05:48","modified_gmt":"2013-03-09T03:05:48","slug":"japan-society-of-ny-announces-7-new-recovery-grants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jetwit.com\/wordpress\/2013\/03\/08\/japan-society-of-ny-announces-7-new-recovery-grants\/","title":{"rendered":"Japan Society of NY announces 7 new recovery grants"},"content":{"rendered":"

Via Japan Society of New York<\/a>. \u00a0Dated March 7, 2013<\/em>:<\/p>\n

NYC\u2019s Japan Society Marks the 2nd<\/sup>\u00a0Anniversary of Japan\u2019s Earthquake with 7 Recovery Grants, Totaling $1.78M, and a Commemorative Programming Series, March 10-12<\/b><\/div>\n
\n

New York, NY \u2013 Approaching the second anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, Japan Society announced today seven new grants from the\u00a0Japan Earthquake Relief Fund<\/b><\/a>\u00a0(JERF)<\/b>\u00a0totaling $1,779,694.\u00a0Of the funds that have been donated so far, the Society has earmarked a total $11.1 million to 33 organizations in support of 41 projects on the front lines of relief, recovery and reconstruction in Tohoku.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe earthquake and tsunami of 2011 has had a profound effect on Japanese society that will be felt for many years to come,\u201d said Motoatsu Sakurai, Japan Society President. \u201cWe have seen tremendous progress since the triple disasters, but the hard work continues. Through the Relief Fund, Japan Society is committed to areas where support can have long-term impact: economic and community revitalization, healthcare, including mental healthcare, and youth initiatives.\u201d<\/p>\n

The latest JERF grant recipients are:<\/p>\n

Ashoka Japan<\/b>\u2019s Tohoku Youth Venture provides opportunities for junior high, high school and college students who have creative and innovative ideas for revitalizing the Tohoku region to pitch their idea as part of Tohoku Youth Venture initiative, and potentially receive seed funding to put their ideas into action.<\/p>\n

ETIC<\/b>, a leading organization in Japan that trains young social and business entrepreneurs, is using its third grant from the Relief Fund to nurture and support \u201chubs\u201d that emphasize human resource development to promote self-sustaining economic and community revitalization.\u00a0 This grant builds on previous grants to tap into ETIC\u2019s extensive network of a younger generation of business and social entrepreneurs to identify the most vulnerable (the elderly, disabled, those with special medical needs) and match them with the critical services, as well as to match fellows with specific expertise, to small businesses, entrepreneurs and NPOs in an effort to help revitalize local economies.<\/p>\n

Iitate Village<\/b>\u00a0was evacuated as a result of radioactive contamination from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Although located outside the radiation exclusion zone, radiation carried by wind contaminated the village.\u00a0 The village\u2019s dynamic Mayor, Norio Kanno, is determined to bring the village back to life, but until it is safe for villagers, the Relief Fund will support reunions organized by the village to help residents stay connected and maintain their sense of community.<\/p>\n

Created by five leading Japanese architects, Kengo Kuma, Toyo Ito, Kazuyo Sejima, Riken Yamamoto and Hiroshi Naito,\u00a0KISYN<\/b>\u00a0builds communal \u201cHome-for-All\u201d spaces in communities devastated by the tsunami. Partnering with a younger generation of architects and in close collaboration with local residents, \u201cHome-for-All\u201d provides a place of comfort for sharing information and for discussing recovery and reconstruction. The Relief Fund will support the construction of a \u201cHome-for-All\u201d for fishermen in Kamaishi city.<\/p>\n

NPO Riku Caf\u00e9\u00a0<\/b>began as a small community space where local residents could relax, come together over tea or coffee, and share information in Rikuzentaka. Given the success of the space, the Relief Fund will provide support to build a larger caf\u00e9 that will be designed, pro bono, by architect Yuri Naruse, so the organization can provide more services and activities for the community.<\/p>\n

re:terra\u00a0<\/b>created the Kesen Tsubaki Dream Project, which encompasses community, job creation, forestry conservation and tourism. Partnering with a small refinery damaged as a result of 3\/11, an NPO that helps the disabled find employment, and a group of women doctors, re:terra developed and sells Kesen Tsubaki hand cr\u00e8me using oil from camellia. re:terra also supports the conservation of the cedar forests in Kesen where the camellia plants grow.<\/p>\n

Sweet Treat 311<\/b>\u00a0is an NGO that provides educational support to children affected by the 3\/11 disasters through the Ogatsu Academy.\u00a0 The Academy will provide academic support, farming, fishing and nature programs, and IT training programs for children of Ogatsu. Additionally, Sweet Treat will bring visitors from outside the region to their programs so that visitors can interact with the local community and stimulate the local economy through tourism.<\/p>\n

The full list of organizations and projects supported to date can be found at\u00a0http:\/\/www.japansociety.org\/fund_recipients<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In addition to the latest round of relief fund grants, Japan Society also holds a series of programming March 10-12 to commemorate the two-year anniversary of the disasters.\u00a0Hope, Struggle & Rebirth in the Shadow of 3\/11: Film, Concert & Lecture<\/i><\/b><\/a>\u00a0<\/i><\/b>explores the impact and aftermath of 3\/11 as seen through the eyes of an award-winning film director, an acclaimed pianist and visual artist, and a leading scholar on Japan. On Sunday, March 10, the Society screens the New York Premiere of\u00a0The Land of Hope<\/i>, famed Japanese director Sion Sono\u2019s impacting fictional film about the human and emotional toll from the Fukushima crisis. On Monday, March 11, composer\/performer\/visual artist Tomoko Mukaiyama gives the U.S. premiere concert of her powerful multimedia work\u00a0Nocturne<\/i>\u00a0that combines classical and contemporary pieces and other music for solo piano with soundscapes from the impacted Tohoku region, such as a children\u2019s choir. The concert opens with classical works performed on a violin made from tsunami debris. Finally, on Tuesday, March 12, MIT\u2019s Richard Samuels discusses his book\u00a03.11: Disaster and Change in Japan<\/i>, considered the first broad assessment of the effects of the 3\/11 disasters on Japan\u2019s government, society and on the U.S.-Japan alliance.<\/p>\n

Discussing the series, Mr. Sakurai said, \u201cWith these special events around the second anniversary of the disasters, we take a moment to reflect on the resilience of the Japanese people\u00a0<\/i>and the long road of recovery still ahead. Through programming like this and our efforts through the Japan Earthquake Relief Fund, Japan Society is committed to providing support over the long term.\u201d<\/p>\n

Launched March 12, 2011, the\u00a0Japan Earthquake Relief Fund<\/b><\/a>\u00a0<\/b>has received $13,125,378.79 (as of February 5, 2013) from over 23,000\u00a0<\/i><\/b>individuals, companies and foundations. Contributions have been received from all 50 states, and nearly 60 countries around the world. One hundred percent of the fund goes directly to support people affected by the disasters. Those wishing to donate to the fund can go to\u00a0japansociety.org\/earthquake<\/a>\u00a0or mail a check to Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street, New York, New York 10017; Attn: Japan Earthquake Relief Fund. Checks should be made payable to \u201cJapan Society\u201d and indicate \u201cJapan Earthquake Relief Fund\u201d on the memo line of the check. For additional information, emailjapanrelief@japansociety.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In June 2012, the Society premiered a\u00a0short video<\/a>\u00a0highlighting work of three of the JERF grant recipients, including JEN, which supported four fishing villages on the Oshika Peninsula in Ishinomaki; the Japanese Medical Society of America in collaboration with Iwate Prefecture University Medical Center delivering of mental health services to Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture; and the Supporting Union for Practical-use of Educational Resources and its partners to organize and implement the Fukushima Kids Camp.<\/p>\n

In a 2012\u00a0Reuters profile<\/a>\u00a0of the Society\u2019s relief work, Mr. Sakurai stated that focus of the relief fund should be on local entrepreneurship and lasting sustainable projects. \u201cIt is very, very evident in Japan this recovery process will continue for more than 10 years,” he said.<\/p>\n

Japan Society<\/b>\u00a0is an American nonprofit committed to deepening mutual understanding between the United States and Japan in a global context. Now in its second century, the Society serves audiences across the United States and abroad through innovative programs in arts and culture, public policy, business, language, and education. For more information, visit\u00a0www.japansociety.org<\/a>\u00a0or call 212-832-1155.<\/p>\n

# # #<\/p>\n

Media Contacts:<\/p>\n

Shannon Jowett, 212-715-1205,\u00a0sjowett@japansociety.org<\/a><\/p>\n

Kuniko Shiobara, 212-715-1249,\u00a0kshiobara@japansociety.org<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Via Japan Society of New York. \u00a0Dated March 7, 2013: NYC\u2019s Japan Society Marks the 2nd\u00a0Anniversary of Japan\u2019s Earthquake with 7 Recovery Grants, Totaling $1.78M, and a Commemorative Programming Series, March 10-12 New York, NY \u2013 Approaching the second anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, Japan Society announced today seven new grants […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[378,102],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29215","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-earthquake-tsunami","category-japan-society-round-up"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pkZ7m-7Bd","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jetwit.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29215","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jetwit.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jetwit.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jetwit.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jetwit.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29215"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/jetwit.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29215\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29218,"href":"https:\/\/jetwit.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29215\/revisions\/29218"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jetwit.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29215"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jetwit.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29215"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jetwit.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29215"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}