BPW International

The Report from Japan:

Earthquake, Tsunami and Radioactive attacked East Part of Japan

And one month has passed
Victims are going to stand up for ….

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　By Masako Hiramatsu(BPW Japan)

On behalf of BPW Japan, we thank all members of BPW International for your warm messages and donations to the serious disaster which attacked East Part of Japan on March.11.
The bed rock slide of the Pacific Ocean caused 9.0 magnitude earthquake, then tsunami of 20 meters high and highly radioactive from Fukushima nuclear power plant.  15,000 (another report says 18,000) persons are missed and a death toll will be 12,000. The disaster area was vast and wide including many cities, towns and villages of East part of Japan and which disturbed to nor NGOs and NPOs organize support system from outside area. While in this area there are two BPW clubs, Sendai and Yamagata and members started their activities at once to transport to disaster area with foods and goods, and found debris and rubbles.

Vessels were on roads and even on roof of broken houses carried by tsunami

From the day, just one month has passed, 160,000 persons who lost their houses are staying at 230 shelters placed at school auditorium and/or community centers. President of BPW Sendai club, assembly-women of Miyagi pref. started to visit shelters to meet victims and to ask them about their needs in order to organize support system. There she met a single mother with three little boy children who lost her job and house by this disaster and who told that she could not image how to feed her children hereafter. Women like her may be left to get jobs for their family.

in a shelter at school

Yamagata pref. adjoins Miyagi pref. but is few damaged. Members of Yamagata club organized a convey to transport foods and commodity goods for victims in shelters. For this purpose, they had to keep fuels by lining at gas stand for 3 hours. Then they started hot meal service at some shelters. This service was welcome because victims were served only cold foods though the outside was very cold with snow. They carried every needed material including fuels for cooking.
↓Service of hot meal by BPW Yamagata club; name is on the red plate.

 

BPW Japan opened the donation account and ask for members cooperation:

Bank name: Japan Post Bank
Payee account number:10080-32423911
Payee name: tokuhi)nihonbpwrengoukai

At the same time, BPW Japan sent boxes of Hassaku Orange with labels of BPW Japan through BPW Yamagata to shelters mainly in Miyagi according to the suggestion from BPW members. At this stage, there was no system to send them direct way.

 

President of BPW Yamagata (Ms. Tanada) deliver the boxes to president of Sendai (Ms.Yusa)



President of BPW Sendai, as assembly-woman, opened ”Support Each Other! : Local Support Center for Reconstruction”. The support system to shelters is coming better but real supports for victims to restore their social life will be hereafter. It will be how to clear up debris, to keep their houses working places and to get jobs. The objective of BPW Sendai, according to them is “Do their best at present and Support each other”.
Another member of BPW Sendai, as council woman of Sendai, organized “Support Network of NGOs “ to deal with goods for disaster area of outside of Sendai-city.
There are two kinds of support: one is for now and the other is from now.
As the support for now, supports for school supplies are requested because April is the start of new semester in Japan. There are many pupils who lost note books and bags which were prepared for new semester.
As from now issue, the most important one is how to get houses and to find their jobs and/or to rebuild their working places. Government announced temporary plan but not enough. However our great concern as BPW Japan is how to help women such as a single mother, as introduced, and widows who lost partner by this disaster in order to find jobs and to care their mental health.
It is said the personality of Tohoku-Jin (Japanese from North-Eastern) is perseverance and they will do their best to conquer difficulties and so they will defeat this crises.
But there is more serious issue; issue of radioactive caused by earthquake and tsunami. The amendment of the broken nuclear power plant is going on to stop runoff of radiation but it was not finished yet. They have press conferences almost everyday to explain their work to enclose radioactive water and to report the radiation scale of various spot including inside and outside. They say the radiation rate of outside area except in radius 30km from Nuclear plant. But the prospect for future is not visible and many are having fears for the influences of radiation.
This disaster has great influence for the electric for other countries such as France and the USA. Many scientists and technicians from these countries are giving ideas and studying causes and measures. We expect the nix of radiation before the critical situation.


 photo founded under the broken house.
Photos by members of BPW

March 18, 2011

Dear BPW members,

We greatly appreciate thoughtful words of concern to the earthquake and tsunami victims in Japan from all over the world.

As you may know in the media, the gigantic earthquakes and tsunami hit the North-Eastern region of Japan on March 11th. They were so devastating and destructing that it is expected that the death toll and the number of missing people combined will swell to more than 16,000. We still have a series of strong aftershocks even now. There are still many areas where no water and/or electricity, and more than 280,000 people are in the emergency evacuation centers. Further, Japan now faces the serious threat from badly damaged nuclear plants. We are trying to cope with this crisis together, caring for others. Members of BPW Sendai Club, while they themselves are amid disaster, are now devotedly assisting people who are more seriously suffering.

We, BPW Japan, are heartened by the many warm concerns expressed by the worldwide BPW member countries. We would like to accept contributions from you to provide emergency assistance for suffering people in Sendai and North-Eastern region of Japan. Please see the next page for the bank account we have set up for this particular purpose.

Thank you for your kind consideration and support.

Sincerely yours,

Toshimi Matsubara
President, BPW Japan
National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs of Japan

2-21-11Yoyogi, Fusen Kaikan Bldg.303

Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0053

JAPAN

On March 21, BPW Korea members donated US$7,500 to BPW Japan which will provide emergency assistance for suffering people in Sendai and North-Eastern region of Japan.

Warm words by BPW Korea members to encourage BPW Japan members and pray for the quick recovery from the earthquake and Tsunami were separately delivered to BPW Japan.

Three clubs of BPW Korea had twinning with clubs of BPW Japan:  SaeSeoul Club with Sendai Club, Seoul Club with Tokyo Club, and Inchon Club with Nagasaki Club.

Warm regards,

Eunmee Hwang ,President BPW Korea

Dear BPW Japan President, Toshimi Matsubara,

BPW Japan Past Presidents, Nobuko Kurosaki, Masako Hiramatsu

All BPW members of Japan,

As I witness at this moment the horrific devastation in your country created by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami, I wish on behalf of the International Executive Board and all your BPW Sisters worldwide to extend our thoughts and prayers for the safety of all the members in Japan at this time of crisis. We wish you much strength and hope that you and all your families and loved ones are spared of suffering. We are touched by the terrible scenes that are displayed and can only hope and pray that you are all safe.  Please know that in our hearts we share your apprehension and will be waiting anxiously for further news from you.

With Kind Regards

Liz Benham

BPW International President 2008-2011

March 15, 2011

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all our BPW sisters in Japan affected by the catastrophic disaster of the earthquake and tsunami in addition to the nuclear radiation concerns that are now ongoing.  We are all united in our thoughts that human suffering and further tragedy may be spared as we watch and hope that all our members are safe. Past President of BPW Japan and President of Medicines sans Frontiers Japan - Nobuko Kurosaki, (honored on our website as a past Woman of the Week) according to the last news received was headed up to Sendai by helicopter. There is a BPW Club in Sendai.    News also from past president Masako Hiramatsu has acknowledged our emails and has advised that electricity is a major problem. Further news has been limited and we are waiting anxiously for more updates that we will advise when received.

We are thankful and grateful for the positive information so far.

Dear Ms. President of BPW International,

On behalf of BPW Japan, Ms.Matsubara as the president of BPW Japan, send our heartful thanks to you and all BPW members for the kind and encouraging messages.

Ten days passed but the critical situation of Fukushima nuclear power plant is still going.

The help and aid to damaged areas are starting but the area is too wide and complicated so the speed of help actions is slower than expected..

I was asked from our president to send you her letter and a short report from BPW Yamagata which is located very close to the damaged area. Our president proposed to bpw members that the donations to be used for BPW Sendai club which is the most serious damaged prefecture.

As members of BPW Japan we are going to do their rebuilding including Nobuko Kurosaki who is working as a leader of Medical Doctors Group.

With Best Regards,

Masako Hiramatsu with Toshimi Matsubara, President of BPW Japan