[TOKYO, TOKYO, 8 September 2011]
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| © Japan Committee for UNICEF /2011 |
The date was 11 March 2011.
Almost a half-year has passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake, a disaster of unprecedented proportions, struck northeastern Japan.
The UNICEF Photo Exhibition of the Great East Japan Earthquake is being held at the Tokyo International Forum in Yurakucho to present to the public photographs of the victims of the disaster, the myriad of challenges particularly faced by children, the reconstruction efforts being made to overcome those challenges, and the assistance activities still being carried out today.
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| © Japan Committee for UNICEF /2011 |
People had already begun to gather at the exhibition venue from 9:00 a.m. when it was scheduled to open, and all eyes were locked on the photos. In addition to the people that had planned to attend the event, other businesspeople that had just happened to stroll past the event space stopped in to view the 123 photographs taken by participating photographers, newspapers and news agencies.
One man in a business suit stared at a photograph with a stern expression on his face as he clinched a handkerchief in his hand. Another woman stood motionless for minutes in front of one photo in a moment of startled silence. The soft sound of tears that found its way through the silence was testament that everyone had taken something away from the exhibit.
Below are selected comments made by visitors to the exhibition:
Some visitors were actually victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake. One shared her feelings with us, saying, “It makes me so sad to think that the memories of this disaster that we all experienced will wither with time. So I am very happy to see people sharing the experience in a way like this.”
Do not let the memories of the Great East Japan Earthquake wither away. The photo exhibition is open until 5:00 p.m. on 11 September (Sunday). Come and view photos of scenes in the affected areas taken by photographers and journalists from across Japan.
| Location | Lobby Gallery, TOKYO INTERNATIONAL FORUM
5-1 Marunouchi 3-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
(1-minute walk from JR Yurakucho Station; 5-minute walk from JR Tokyo Station) http://www.t-i-forum.co.jp/english/ |
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| Date | Monday, 5 September 2011 – Sunday, 11 September 2011; 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Admission | Free |
| Host | Japan Committee for UNICEF |
| Support | Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UNICEF Tokyo Office |
| Cooperation | Japan Newspaper Museum, Tokyo Press Photographers Association and Tohoku Press Photographers Association |
| Sponsored | NIKON Corporation, CANON Inc., Fujifilm Corporation, Tamron Co., Ltd. |
| Logistics | Shashin Kosha Co., Ltd. |
| Photographs | Large-size photographs on exhibit (approx. 120) (1) Pictures from newspaper publishing companies and news service agencies belonging to The Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association (25): Asahi Shimbun, Mainichi Shimbun, Yomiuri Shimbun, Kyodo News, Jiji Press, Sankei Shimbun, Tokyo Shimbun, Chunichi Shimbun, Iwate Nippo, Iwate Nichinichi, Kahoku Shimpo, Fukushima Minpo, Fukushima Minyu Shimbun, To-o Nippo Press, Daily Tohoku Shimbun, Hokuu Shimpo, Akita Sakigake Shimpo, Yamagata Shimbun, Niigata Nippo, Ibaraki Shimbun, Shizuoka Shimbun, Iwaki Minpo, Joyo Shimbun, Shiba Nippo, and Saitama Shimbun (random order) (2) Freelance photographers of the Japan Committee for UNICEF, members of the Japan Advertising Photographers’ Association (21): Naomi Toyoda, Masaya Noda, Kuninori Takahashi, Satoshi Ueda, Takeyoshi Tanuma, Masaaki Nishimiya, Tuneo Enari, Hironobu Nozawa, Keisuke Kumagiri, Kazuyoshi Nomachi, Kazuma Momoi, Yojiro Adachi, Yasuaki Kagii, Takashi Hanai, Yasuo Kubo, Eiko Hosoe, Takashi Morizumi, Shisei Kuwabara, Ko Sasaki, Q.Sakamaki, Kenichi Shindo (honorifics omitted; random order) (3) UNICEF assistance activity records (photos by JCU, etc.) |
| Curator | Kenichi Shindo (Photo journalist and former Photo Editor for Kyodo News) |
| Scheduled/candidate locations for overseas exhibitions | United States, Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Australia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Greece, Spain, Hungary, England. |
| Inquiries | Information and Public Affairs Division Japan Committee for UNICEF Phone: 03-5789-2016 Fax: 03-5789-2036 E-mail:jcuinfo@unicef.or.jp |
| Receiving Prefecture |
Type of Emergency Supplies |
Arrival Date |
Quantity | Donating Company |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miyagi | Water | 19 Mar. | 12,288 bottles |
VanaH Co., Ltd. | Two-liter plastic bottles |
| Fukushima | Water | 22 Mar. | 12,672 bottles |
VanaH Co., Ltd. | Two-liter plastic bottles |
| Miyagi | Underwear for boys and girls | 22 Mar. | 200,000 | ||
| Iwate | Underwear for boys and girls | 23 Mar. | 30,000 | ||
| Fukushima | Water | 23 Mar. | 4,680 bottles |
KIRIN MC DANONE WATERS Co., Ltd. | Two-liter plastic bottles |
| Miyagi | Children’s shoes | 23 Mar. | 10,000 pairs |
||
| Miyagi | Children’s diapers | 24 Mar. | 80 packs | P&G Japan | |
| Iwate | Children’s underwear | 24 Mar. | 9,700 | ||
| Fukushima | Water | 24 Mar. | 12,288 bottles |
VanaH Co., Ltd. | Two-liter plastic bottles |
| Iwate | Shoes | 26 Mar. | 1,404 pairs | Achilles Corporation | |
| Iwate | Underwear for boys and girls | 27 Mar. | 28,266 | ||
| Iwate | Boots | 27 Mar. | 7,462 pairs | ||
| Iwate | Wipes | 28 Mar. | 1,200 | P&G Japan | For babies |
| Miyagi | Recreation kits Early Childhood Development kits |
2 Apr. | 50 of each | Procured from the UNICEF Supply Division | |
| Iwate | Recreation kits Early Childhood Development kits |
2 Apr. | 50 of each | Procured from the UNICEF Supply Division | |
| Miyagi | Book bags | 6 Apr. | 70 | Nihon New Bag Chain | |
| Iwate | Book bags | 6-7 Apr. | 340 | Seiban | |
| Miyagi | Schoolbags | 8 Apr. | 18,000 | Procured from the UNICEF Supply Division | |
| Iwate | Schoolbags | 8 Apr. | 18,000 | Procured from the UNICEF Supply Division | |
| Miyagi | Personal security buzzers (for crime prevention purposes) | 8 Apr. | 5,000 | ||
| Iwate | Personal security buzzers (for crime prevention purposes) | 8 Apr. | 5,000 | ||
| Miyagi | Minicar | 8 Apr. | 3 cars | ||
| Miyagi | Nutritional supplements | From early April | 4,000 bottles | ||
| Fukushima | Water | 11 Apr. | 1,536 bottles | VanaH Co., Ltd. | Two-liter plastic bottles |
| Miyagi | Replenishments for recreation kits | 12 Apr. | 60 sets | ||
| Miyagi | Miniature toy cars | 12 Apr. | Approx. 1,200 | TAKARA TOMY | |
| Sagamihara* | Water | 12 Apr. | 12,288 bottles | VanaH Co., Ltd. | Two-liter plastic bottles |
| Miyagi | Play mats | 13 Apr. | Two types; 80 of each type | IKEA | |
| Miyagi | Drawing sets | 13 Apr. | 60 sets | IKEA | |
| Iwate | Preschool-size chairs, tables and low tables | 14 Apr. | 75 chairs; 11 tables; 9 low tables | Donated to preschools, primary schools, junior high schools and high schools in the disaster area as well as their new locations | |
| Miyagi | Mopeds | 15 Apr. | 5 | ||
| Iwate | Notebooks and stationery sets for primary and junior high school students | 15. Apr. | 16,700 sets | ||
| Fukushima | Notebooks and stationery sets | 16 Apr. | 390 sets | ||
| Miyagi | 183 computers; 57 copiers and fax machines; 61 printers | 18-21 Apr. | Distributed to preschools, primary schools, junior high schools and high schools in the disaster area as well as their new locations | ||
| Fukushima | Movable blackboards | 21 Apr. | 10 | ||
| Fukushima | Temporary toilets | 22 Apr. | 20 | ||
| Iwate | Geiger counters | 28 Apr. | 14 | For schools in Soma City | |
| Iwate | Dressing room/ breastfeeding partition system | 29 Apr. | 21 sets | ||
| Saitama* | Milk | From late April | Shelter in Futabamachi, Kazo City | ||
| Saitama* | Yogurt | From early May | Danone Japan | Shelter in Futabamachi, Kazo City | |
| Iwate | Color pencils (120 sets) and paint (240 sets) | 13 May | |||
| Iwate | Student lamps | 14 May | 15 | ||
| Iwate | Stationery sets | 16 May | 840 sets | ||
| Fukushima | Lockers | 16 May | 22 sets | For the Board of Education of Minamisoma City | |
| Fukushima | Computers | 16 May | 1 | Ishikawa Town Board of Education | |
| Miyagi | 2 copiers; 2 computers; 2 printers | May | For Higashi-Matsushima Day-Care Center and Watari Day-Care Center | ||
| Iwate | Water receiving tank, water purifier tank, water supply tank | May construction | |||
| Miyagi | Solar-powered vaccine refrigerator | 18 May | |||
| Fukushima | Fans | 30 May | 112 | Minamisoma City Board of Education | |
| Fukushima | Masks | 30 May | 100,000 | Minamisoma City Board of Education | |
| Iwate | 1 copy machine | 2 June | Preschool | ||
| Miyagi | Rain coats | 4 June | 1,000 | ||
| Saitama* | Shoes | 15 June | 460 pairs | Converse Footwear Co., Ltd. | |
| Fukushima | Fans | 21 June | 21 | Minamisoma City Board of Education | |
| Miyagi | Jerseys for teachers and windbreakers for students (various sizes) | June | Akashi Hifuku Kogyo Co., Ltd | Junior high schools in Kesennuma City (6 schools) | |
| Miyagi | Used digital piano | June | 1 | ||
| Miyagi | Digital scale | 6 July | 200 | Ishinomaki City Offices | |
| Miyagi | Fans | 6 July | 5 | ||
| Miyagi | Child-size tables and chairs; toys | 22 July | IKEA | ||
| Iwate | Candles for events | 23 July | |||
| Iwate | Wall-hanging fans | 1 August | 200 | ||
| Iwate | Recreation kit replenishments | Regular | |||
| Fukushima | Fans | 2 August | 95 | Minamisoma City Board of Education | |
| Miyagi | Hand sterilizer | 3 August | 4,680 | Lion Corporation | Preschools, etc. |
| Miyagi | Antibacterial freshener | 3 August | 3,600 | Magnet Corporation; Antimicrobial Technology Co., Ltd.; Jutech Corporation; Clean Techno Co., Ltd.; Mitani Valve Co., Ltd.; HY Corporation | Preschools, etc. |
-Number of UNICEF Children’s Mini Libraries distributed: Approximately 240,000 books to over 1,900 locations (as of 4 August 2011).
-Number of children that have participated in the UNICEF “Let’s Play! The Outdoors Playtime Project” in Fukushima Prefecture (including planned numbers): More than 31,000 (as of 4 August).
*Areas receiving disaster victims.
*In certain cases some supplies may be taken from prefectural supply storage warehouses and distributed to shelters and disaster sites in other prefectures.
As of 9:00 a.m. on 4 August 2011 (compiled by the Information and Public Affairs Division).