Japan Earthquake Disaster Recovery

Announcing Our New, All-in-One Project Page

PWA would like to thank all of our supporters of the fishing sheds program. We are happy to announce that this page will now be our Global Giving site for all our Tohoku recovery projects. Including the fishing sheds progam we will post updates here about our other revitalization activities, initiatives with survivors still in temporary housing, and more. In March 2011 we made a commitment to long-term relief and recovery in Tohoku. Now over three years later it is thanks to your support that we continue to honor that commitment. 

Lighting up the Night in Minamisanriku Ports

We received a report from our partner in Peace Winds Japan that the Minamisanriku ports lighting project has been completed, and it looks fantatic! Six area ports received solar-powered LED lights to improve safety and security for the fishermen there: Minato, Tanoura, Ishihama, Natari, Baba, and Isatomae. Takaki Oikawa, a local fisherman, said, "The solar light helps me work better in the night and around dawn. And it is installed at the best point in the bayside where we keep our ships. In case of bad weather in the night time, we will be able to draw our ships up to the ground safely and quickly." Thanks to your help the operating hours of the local fishermen have been extended.

Fishing Sheds Phase Concludes in Togura

Our partners in Japan have finished construction of the latest round of sheds in Togura, a Minamisanriku neighborhood. A total of 21 sheds were constructed in the villages of Mitobe, Zaigo, and Tsunomia. Battling the winter cold and heavy snowfall the sheds were built, allowing each recipient family to return to work. Our implementing partner Rimpei Kozawa said, "Life goes on and there is evidence of the people’s strong will for recovery. The piers are bustling with wakame processing, and the fishermen are taking delivery of new boats." The new sheds have given the fishing families the ability to rejoin the industry. PWA is currently researching a new phase of shed construction in the area, building the success of this last program.

Thank you to our many donors! Your continued support keeps this program going!

With Need Still High, A Focus on Providing Additional Sheds

With every completed district, Peace Winds America has surveyed the results of the fishing sheds program. How have these sheds affected the lives of the recipients? What difference are we making restoring livelihoods of displaced residents? What do the district leaders say about the program? 

We are pleased to report that demand for the sheds remains high - a clear sign of the value of this program. PWA has begun planning our next expansion of the fishing sheds program.  Three districts are being considered: Fujihama, Nagashizu, and Terahama. These are all located in the Togura area of Minamisanriku. Our partners on the ground report that all have residents who meet our criteria for selection: they are active fishermen in the cooperatives who lost their home in the tsunami. 

With your help we will be able to take advantage of the coming spring. As the snow melts and the ground in Tohoku thaws, the time is ripe for new construction. Once we have completed our assessment and selected recipients we can begin constructing these critical buildings. With over 267,000 Tohoku residents still in temporary housing, these economic revitalization projects do make a difference!

A Matching Opportunity From Global Giving

Beginning March 10th, GlobalGiving is supporting Tohoku recovery programs with a 100% match. Projects helping Tohoku are eligible, so this is an ideal opportunity to give us the momentum to keep the successful sheds project going. Your contribution will go twice as far today and may be the key to PWA providing one more family with a needed shed. Thank you for your generous support - we look forward to updating you soon with the results of our program expansion.