Japan Relief & Recovery

Peace Winds responded immediately to the earthquake and tsunami in northeast Japan on March 11. We delivered 160 tons of relief supplies to over 20,000 people at shelters in Miyagi and Iwate Prefectures. Our relief and recovery programs continue in the hardest hit regions. Peace Winds is focusing on better living conditions for residents of temporary housing and on economic recovery of the fishing industry and small businesses. Please support us today!

Minamisanriku Bakery Goes Mobile

January 11, 2012 – Before the March 11 tsunami, Bakery Yuushindou was a favorite among Minamisanriku locals. Like many of the retailers in Minaminsanriku, Bakery Yuushindou closed after the March 2011 tsunami, its facilities completely destroyed. The Yuushindou family was uncertain whether their bakery would ever reopen again.
Read More.

Salmon Hatcheries Continue Their Harvest

December 16, 2011 – For decades salmon hatcheries along the Sanriku coast have maintained healthy salmon populations in the Pacific waters off northeast Japan. The hatchery process begins in early autumn when spawning salmon start their run up Sanriku rivers. There, salmon are met by fishermen who harvest the eggs and cultivate juvenile populations. Read More.

Heaters Provide Warmth through Winter

November 14, 2011 – Many temporary housing units in Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures lack adequate sources of heat. For families that lost everything in theMarch 11 tsunami, warmth and comfort through the winter are essential to recovery. Peace Winds, in concert with local governments, is providing heated carpets and space heaters for 8,000 families whose homes are without adequate heat. Read More.

White Salmon Season in Minamisanriku

October 31, 2011 – Minoru Abe, a 47 year old fisherman from Minamisanriku, considers himself one of the lucky ones. His boat spared, Abe is one of few this October that returns to Minamisanriku’s port with his daily catch of white salmon. Minamisanriku lost 85% of its fleet in the March 11 tsunami, and now Abe has no trouble docking at a port that once struggled with traffic. Read More.

PWA Supports Small Businesses

October 12, 2011 – Yachi Onodera gathered his staff for a meeting on April 1st at the site of his first coffee shop in Kesennuma. The entire staff survived the earthquake and tsunami three weeks prior, but Onodera’s two Kesennuma coffee shops were not spared. The details uncertain, Onodera promised his employees that the coffee shops would open once again. Read More.

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Opens Fishing Cooperative Offices

September 10, 2011 – On September 1st, the Shizugawa Fishing Cooperative held a ceremony with Peace Winds to open its new offices in Minamisanriku. During the ribbon cutting ceremony, Shizugawa President Norio Sasaki remarked that, “We are very encouraged to recover the fishing industry here. Thank you very much.”
Read More.

Minamisanriku Fishing Cooperatives - August 29, 2011

PWA Board Chair Jim McDermott Thanks Japan Relief Donors - August 16, 2011

Update from PWA’s Mari Poorman - July 29, 2011

New Offices for Fishing Cooperatives - July 2, 2011

Messages of Gratitude from Japan - June 6, 2011

New Homes for Families in Iwate - May 25, 2011

Support for Mobile Markets - May 18, 2011

Economic Recovery with Chamber of Commerce and Industry - May 2, 2011

Household Kits for Families in Iwate Prefecture - April 14, 2011

Peace Winds March Report for Japan Relief – April 6, 2011

Bathhouse Constructed in Ofunato – March 28, 2011

Peace Winds Expands Relief to Three Additional Cities – March 22, 2011

PWA Joins PWJ in Disaster Areas – March 15, 2011

Staff and Supplies Arrive in Kesennuma – March 14, 2011

Peace Winds Responds Immediately to Earthquake and Tsunami in Northeast Japan – March 11, 2011

Affected Areas

SeattleJapanRelief is a collaboration of Japanese American and Japan related cultural, educational, and civic organizations standing together to promote relief and recovery following the devastating earthquakes and tsunamis in Japan. Click SeattleJapanRelief to learn more.