Disaster Relief in Japan
Peace Winds got its start in Japan in 1996, and ever since then, our staff in Japan have been living up to Peace Winds’ dedication to disaster relief, recovery, and resilience. Currently, our teams in Japan are responding to the 2024 New Year’s Day earthquake on the Noto Peninsula.
Click here to visit the Peace Winds Japan website (Japanese only).
Donations for Japan’s Earthquake Survivors
Donations can be made from outside of Japan through Peace Winds’ GlobalGiving fundraiser and from inside Japan through Yahoo Fundraising (links below). Donations will be directed where most needed to support ongoing recovery efforts. We are grateful for your continued support and know you join us in extending our best wishes for all of the families and communities affected by this tragedy.
Click here to donate from outside of Japan (GlobalGiving)
Click here to donate from inside Japan (Yahoo Fundraising) (Japanese only)
Foundations, corporations, and institutional donors wishing to contribute can contact us directly at info@peacewindsamerica.org.
Peace Winds’ Response to the January 1, 2024 Earthquake in Ishikawa Prefecture
On January 1, 2024, a powerful earthquake struck near Ishikawa Prefecture’s Noto Peninsula on Japan’s west coast at 4:15 p.m. JST. The 7.6 magnitude earthquake is the deadliest since the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Peace Winds is on the ground responding now.
Members of Peace Winds’ airborne search-and-rescue team, ARROWS, were dispatched to the disaster zone on January 1, and the team of doctors, nurses, and disaster professionals remain on the ground providing aid. Immediately following the disaster, aid included search-and-rescue efforts and emergency medical support. As the situation progresses, Peace Winds is working to provide mid- and long-term support, including ongoing medical and mental health care, distribution of essential supplies (such as food, water, and hygiene items), operation of evacuation centers, and more long-term projects to help affected communities rebuild.
For in-depth updates, check out our blog posts by clicking here or scrolling to the bottom of this page. You can also sign up for our email newsletter and follow Peace Winds on social media for regular updates.
Saving Japan’s Stray Pets from Euthenasia (2016-Present)
Peace Winds not only rescues people in times of disaster but cats and dogs, too.
Each year, tens of thousands of abandoned pets are euthanized in Japan. Sadly, it’s common for people to keep cats and dogs without considering the cost or responsibility, and many end up abandoned after their owners are unable to take care of them. Through our “Peace Wanko” project – Japanese for “Peace Doggy” – Peace Winds is working to halt this practice by rescuing abandoned pets and retraining them.
Many of the pets Peace Winds rehabilitates get adopted into new loving homes. Others are retrained and stay with our organization as search-and-rescue dogs to help save people in times of disaster. Since 2016, Peace Winds has built a large shelter in Hiroshima and taken in more than 6,000 dogs, including the sick and injured. There are more than 100 dedicated staff members working in eight locations around Japan to rescue these animals.
We Remember 3.11: Japan’s Greatest Disaster
On March 11, 2011, the biggest tsunami ever recorded in Japan hit the Tohoku region. Peace Winds was ready to respond by distributing materials like food, water, and clothing to shelters for relief in the short term, and by working with locals to revitalize the fishing industry for recovery in the long term.
Now, Peace Winds continues to strive for disaster risk reduction in areas of Japan at high risk for tsunamis. This includes working with locals to ensure they are prepared with a disaster plan and impact reduction strategies in the event that a tsunami does strike. Click here to learn more about Peace Winds’ work following the disaster on 3.11.11.
