UPDATE: A list of organizations that still need help as of Sept. 30 can be found here.
Via Prof. David Slater and the Social Science Japan forum, here is a VERY lengthy and helpful list of websites with information on volunteering in Tohoku.
———————–
Below is a list of volunteer opportunities, compiled
from your suggestions and my Jochi students’ fast
net-work. (Thanks to both groups!)
No information on radiation or economics or
donation–just volunteering. We hope it is useful to
some.
Also, here are some advice from organizers:
Our first step in relief is still to give money;
contribute to local organizations; or even to organize
food and supply drives yourself where you are. Much of
the work esp. up north is still being done by
professionals. Let’s support them.
But many people want to donate time and energy, esp. up
north. That is great, too. But if you go, do NOT go on
your own. It might be dangerous, but mostly it probably
is a poor use of your time and energy. Go through an
organization or group already set up. MOST ACCEPT
VOLUNTEERS AS THEY NEED THEM, NOT ALL THE TIME. So,
don’t just show up; contact them first.
We have tried to find places that foreigners would be
able to volunteer at, but of course these are organized
to solicit and support Japanese volunteers first. (If
you have no Japanese language ability, go with someone
else who does; otherwise you will be draining off
resources that could be spent other places.)
Remember, there are all sorts of work that needs to be
done for all ages and levels of physical strength. But
this work is not easy, whether you are cleaning out
homes, moving
drift wood, bathing elderly people or cooking 2 meals a
day for 500 people. If you are not healthy yourself,
get full information on the sort of work expected.
If you go, please keep these in mind:
1. Dress appropriately for the cold.
2. Wear work clothes, including boots and gloves,
etc.
3. You should have proper identification and
insurance–some places will not accept you unless you
do.
4. No picture-taking (no “disaster tourism;”
what a term!)
5. For day-work, you are usually expected to
supply your own food and water, and toilet paper, etc
6. Be ready to work hard, at least for a while;
but be ready to stand around waiting, also. That is
part of the deal.
7. Go with others….
It was suggested that you in groups-either groups of
friends or better, with some school or work group. This
work is stressful and rather shocking esp. if you head
up north, and support for the supporters is useful.
Also, it is more likely that people will continue to
volunteer again if there is some institutional link,
eg., “Smash Tennis Club Relief to Miyagi” or “Hedge
Fund Directors’ Collection Agency,” etc. that could
organize things where you are and repeat trips to other
sites.
Disclaimer: some links might be down or a bit
different. And while all of these groups have some at
least one recommendation, of course, we cannot
guarantee all of the organizations here are working
smoothly by the time you read this. Check it out
yourself.
Good luck,
dhs
*************************
Some Volunteer Opportunities for Tohoku
This is a clearly incomplete list of volunteer sites,
as of April 4, 2011.
Please send updates to d-slater@sophia.ac.jp
Contents: 1. First stops, 2, General info, 3. Foreign
groups, 4. Faith-based groups, 5. Other NPO, 6.
Facebook groups, 7. Aggregator sites, 8. Social welfare
offices, 9. List of city offices.
(Language of the site noted.)
1. FIRST STOPS
Good sites that give you guidelines how, and how not,
to volunteer.
Please read these first; English and Japanese
http://www.foreignvolunteersjapan.org/
Foreign Volunteer Japan
https://japanvolunteers.wordpress.com/
Put up by Sarajean Rossitto, who is all over the NPO
scene in Japan!
http://www.pippikochi.or.jp/2011/03/post-32.shtml
Similar instructions in Japanese for Tohoku
2. GENERAL INFORMATION, INCLUDING VOLUNTEERING
http://disasterjapan.wordpress.com/
Disaster Japan: a useful clearing-house of information,
including on volunteering
Also has a Facebook group of the same name.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Japan-Guide-Consortium-Vo
lunteer-Interpreters-
“Japan Guide Consortium Volunteer Interpreters-
Earthquake Relief.” Particularly for those with
Japanese and English ability3. KEY SITES FOR FOREIGN ORGANIZATIONS
These three are established organizations in Japan set
up for foreign volunteers, little or no Japanese is
necessary. (For the vast majority of sites listed here,
even if part of the homepage is in English, it would be
desirable and maybe necessary for you to speak some
Japanese.)
http://www.2hj.org/index.php/
Second Harvest is Japan’s largest foodbank, and they
are in full-swing, although now they are stressing
donations as the most urgent need. Bilingual
http://www.peaceboat.org/index_j.html
http://www.peaceboat.org/info/news/2011/110321.html
Peace Boat is now coordinating teams of volunteers to
travel to Ishinomaki City as soon as possible to assist
in rebuilding the lives of those affected, and
particularly to prepare hot meals. Bilingual
http://hands.org/2011/03/29/japan-project-tohoku-announ
cement/
All Hands is a US-based volunteer non-profit already
set up on Fukushima: English
4. FAITH-BASED INITIATIVES
Church groups appear to have gotten to the scene very
quickly and have organized volunteer groups. Most
accept volunteers of all faiths and affiliations.
https://sites.google.com/a/sendai-ymca.org/volunteer_su
pport/home
仙台ＹＭＣＡボランティア支援センター; 東日本大震災支援
のため全国YMCAを通して活動するボランティアのコーディ
ネートを行ないます。
YMCA Volunteer Center in Sendai
http://www.crashjapan.com/
Christian Relief, Assistance, Support and Hope (CRASH)
is a network supporting Christians to do relief work in
Japan and around the world, and on Facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/crashjapan: English
http://www.caritas.jp/
カリタスジャパンとは、日本カトリック司教協議会の社会司
教委員会を構成する一委員会です
Caritas Japan is a committee of the Catholic Bishops’
Conference of Japan which cooperates with the
activities of the worldwide Catholic Church in the
field of relief,
welfare and development.
http://www.lutheranchurchcharities.org/
Lutheran Church Charities; English
http://ja-jp.facebook.com/FBNERJ#!/FBNERJ?sk=wall&filte
r=2
宗教者災害救援ネットワーク; Faith-based network for
Earthquake Relief in Japan: Japanese
http://www.tohokuhelp.com/list_relief.asp
A list of other faith-based groups; not clear how many
of them are accepting volunteers: English
5. NPO SITES SPECIFIC TO A PARTICULAR GROUP OF TYPE OF
VOLUNTEERING
http://blog.ap.teacup.com/bi-vo/
Volunteers to bring supplies by motorcycle
全国からバイクボランティアの有志が各被災地入りして、小
さな声 を拾い、きちんとした声にして支援体制を再構成した
いと考えています.
http://resemom.jp/article/2011/03/29/1753.html
Homestay for children. Osaka: Japanese; looking for
host family for the children made homeless東北地方太平
洋沖地震等による被災 児童のホームステイ受入れボランティ
アの募集
http://www.seikatubunka.metro.tokyo.jp/volunteer2/volun
teer2.html
Tokyo Volunteers; looking for interpreter for those who
can’t speak Japanese.
日本語がわからなくて困っている外国人を助け るための語学
ボランティアを募集しています。
http://sites.google.com/site/jgcvolunteers/for_supporte
rs
Japan Guide Consortium, looking for interpreters
http://nikkeiyouth.com/2011/03/26/day-0-and-day-1-in-is
hinomaki/
A group of youth volunteers already up and running,
doing good work; English
http://www.earthdaymoney.org/topics_dt.php?id=391
Earth Day Money: Calling for Host families for
Earthquake Evacuees: English
6. FACEBOOK GROUPS
Facebook has been a important source of updated
information, but are sometimes hard to find information
in their format. Many of the references on this list
were culled from different Facebook pages-many thanks
to them! Reading them should give you an idea of the
range, tenor and needs of different organization as
they evolve. The experiences of different volunteers
are often shared on these pages.
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/home.php?sk=group_1
78425178871091&ap=1
Tokyo Quake Cleanup, a Facebook group devoted to
gathering and circulating information about volunteer
work in the Tokyo area.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_1603106040240
09
About the need and opportunities for English
translators: English
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Youthfor311/1565516377366
65?ref=ts
東北地方太平洋沖地震、被災地復興のためのボランティア支
援
Japanese FB page for youth volunteers
http://www.facebook.com/OGAFORAID
東日本大震災救援
Set up by OGA International School in Aomori
http://ja-jp.facebook.com/FBNERJ#!/FBNERJ?sk=wall&filte
r=2
宗教者災害救援ネットワーク; Faith-based network for
Earthquake Relief in Japan: Japanese
7. AGGREGATOR SITES WITH USEFUL LINKS; MOSTLY JAPANESE
http://www.sinsai.info/ushahidi/
このサイトは震災情報をみんなで集め公開しているサイトで
す。被災地復興を願うボランティアスタッフが運用していま
す
A general site that brings earthquake, relief and
volunteer information; Japanese
http://311.chofu-cw.com/
東日本大震災被災者支援のための調布ボランティア情報を掲
載しています。
Useful site of up to date volunteer opportunities
http://volunteerjapan.jp/
東日本大震災におけるボランティア支援プロジェクト-
Volunteer Support Project for Earthquake Disaster in
Eastern Japan
http://www.jpn-civil.net/
「東日本大震災 災害ボランティア活動に初めて参加される
方へ」基礎事項フォーマットを掲載; Japan Civil Network
for Disaster Relief in East Japan: Japanese
http://www.jifh.org/
日本国際飢餓対策機構（Japan International Food for the
Hungry: 略してJIFH）は、非営利の民間国際協力団体（NGO）
です。
http://www.nhk.or.jp/nhkvnet/spots/_volunteer.html
NHK’s portal; points out the importance of volunteers
being insured; in Japanese
8. SOCIAL WELFARE OFFICES
This appears to be the biggest single volume of
volunteers? Due to the huge destruction, in many cases
they were not up early, organized or ready to accept
volunteers. They seem to be ready now, although not all
are accepting volunteers when this list was compiled.
But be sure to call first-do not just show up! All in
Japanese unless otherwise noted.
http://blog.goo.ne.jp/vc00000
全社協 被災地支援・災害ボランティア情報
National Volunteer Information Network
http://www.tvac.or.jp/tuna/21011.html
東京都では、このたびの東北地方太平洋沖地震による被災地
の方々へ送る救援物資を都民から集めております
Tokyo Bureau of Social Welfare and Public Health:
Bilingual in parts
http://www.fukushimakenshakyo.or.jp/frame/saigaibokin.h
tm
社会福祉法人福島県社会福祉協議会では、災害ボランティア
活動のための支援資金を募集しております。皆様の温かい善
意をお待ちしております。
Fukushima Disaster Volunteer Center
Their blog: http://ameblo.jp/pref-f-svc/
http://www.city.iwaki.fukushima.jp/topics/010548.html
いわき市災害救援ボランティアセンターでボランティア募
集。いわ き市内在住の方、避難所での支援物資の受け入れ作
業です
Iwaki City volunteer center: A volunteer helping out
the procedures of receiving supplies.
http://minamisouma.hida-ch.com/
Minami-souma volunteer center
① 引越手伝い － ひまわりデイサービスセンターを避難
所として開設します。その準備のため、引越しの手伝いをお
願いします。
<volunteer to help out moving out>
② 在宅者確認手伝い － 鹿島区在住で在宅の高齢者等の
安否確認をしております。地域の民生委員さんとペアで安否
確認で訪問していただきます。
<finding alive elderly – working in pair with the
area’s welfare commissioner>
http://msv3151.c-bosai.jp/
宮城県災害ボランティアセンターは、市区町村災害ボラン
ティアセンターの運営支援と情報提供を行う協働型の組織で
す
Miyagi Disaster Volunteer Center
http://www.miyagi-sfk.net/
宮城県災害ボランティアセンター
宮城県災害ボランティアセンターを設置し、情報を収集して
おります。なお、一部の市区町村でも災害ボランティアセン
ターが設置されています。
Miyagi Social Welfare
http://www.shakyo-sendai.or.jp/
地域で活動する地区社協、民生委員児童委員、NPO、ボラン
ティア団体等と連携・協働して、「だれもが安心して暮らす
ことができる福祉のまちづくり」を推進しています。
Sendai Social Welfare Counsel
http://www.hachinohe-shakyo.or.jp/
Hachinohe Social Welfare
http://www.iwate-shakyo.or.jp/
Iwate Counsel of Social Welfare
http://misawa-shakyo.jp/
Disaster Volunteer Center Misawa
http://awshakyo.exblog.jp:80/
Disaster Volunteer Center, Aizu-Wakamatsu
http://www.joso-shakyo.jp/
Joso City Center disaster
http://www.mito-syakyo.or.jp/
Disaster Volunteer Center, Mito City
http://www.ibaraki-welfare.or.jp/
Disaster Volunteer Center Ibaraki
http://chiba-saigai-vc.info/
Disaster Volunteer Center Chiba
http://urayasu-shakyo.sakura.ne.jp/
Disaster Volunteer Center Urayasu
http://www5.plala.or.jp/asahishi-syakyo/saigaiborannvor
asen.html
Disaster Volunteer Center, Asahi City
http://www.abiko-shakyo.com/
Disaster Volunteer Center Abiko
http://www.pref.kanagawa.jp/osirase/02/0051/saigai-v/in
dex.html
Kanagawa Volunteer Support Center Citizens
9. List of city groups accepting volunteers (no net
access; just telephone numbers)
http://49981367.at.webry.info/201103/article_6.html
thanks for this information…we have individuals that want to go and help…