The term “work-life balance” has being mentioned more and more in the Japanese office over recent years.  However, the idea of having a healthy work and home life is seemingly difficult to get across to many in Japan.  The way of work up until now, has meant a commitment to your company, so great, that little time is left to pursue a meaningful life outside of the office.

My current employer is certainly being proactive in trying to become global. They have hired more foreigners than ever in the last year and are moving many operations abroad. Even still,  making changes within Japan is a slow and painful process.  The HR department talks very passionately about the importance of not overworking and taking holidays but looking at the company statistics, reality paints a very different picture.

In a new company wide rule, employees are actually being forced to take a day off per month to reduce the days in lieu, many have been accumulating over the years.  The current  system means that after 2 years, outstanding vacation days get cancelled however, even this hasn’t encouraged the majority of people to take holidays.  Every morning at the end of the main meeting, one administration assistant stands up in front of the office of 200 people, bellowing out in a large voice that “today we must all finish by 6:30 – please be sure to adhere to this”. Then there is the 育児休暇 (いくじきゅうか/ maternity leave) that the company offers yet so few actually take. They have been offering it to male employees for over 2 years now and not a single person has taken it. I don’t think they ever will.

Of course, it would be a generalisation to assume all Japanese companies suffer similar trends but these examples are not isolated cases either.

A desire to be at work

There seems to be two ways of thinking that rule how people in companies work by.  The first is that they do genuinely love the office, so much so that they would rather be there than anywhere else. I was told by one worker that he would spend even weekends at the office if he could.  Another employee told me that there was nothing to be at home for (he was married with 2 children).

This idea was summed up in a group meeting I attended, in which an older employee announced that he was to be away from the office for the next 2 days. He then said:

“I’ll be off from work but it’s going to be lonely and to be honest I have nothing to do. If there’s anything, no matter how small, just a give a call and I’ll answer straight away. Let me put it another way, just call me please”.

He joked that his wife didn’t want him at home but I think he was being serious.

A pressure to be at work

I spoke with a friend recently, a foreigner who also works at a large company in Tokyo and he spoke of this non-existent fear people have of what consequences their actions might lead to.  This unsubstantiated fear  is what he feels stops people in their daily lives doing things that may cause them to stand out. This reflects in work-life too.

In the workplace, to be the first to take a holiday when others in the team haven’t, or even just being the first to leave the office at the end of the day, is often made to be a bigger deal than in reality it is. There is also a tendency for people to say that an action might not look good or an excuse for not doing something out of the norm would be 「難しい」.  Is it really going to put somebody else? In many cases no.

A co-worker of mine was extremely stressed out recently and when I asked what the problem was, she told me she was confused about how to act at work. Apparently she felt these pressures on her to be amazingly obedient, jump up at the sight of a senior worker and stay until after certain people had left the office.  I asked her about vacation and she told me she didn’t plan to take any until she had worked there at least 18 months.

I do think there are huge pressures created with the false belief that others will look down on, or badly of you but I do think there are cases that stepping out of the box can have some backlash. I’ve heard stories of people getting sent to other departments or far off offices, missing out on promotions or responsibility being taken from them, in cases where they haven’t shown an absolute commitment (time and effort) to their company. In many cases an outdated order of hierarchy and coercive management practices make employees feel underpowered to take initiative, privileges or rights.

Of course, this discussion is a huge one and the ideas presented here don’t paint the entire picture or explain the psychology of those who find it hard to find a good work-life balance.  The Japanese office is a very unique place with complex groups dynamics and office relationships and maybe it’s not easy to understand fully unless you are Japanese. In that respect, I feel lucky to a foreigner working here.

Stereophonic is pushing the envelope once again and this time we’ve got something special for the ladies! In honor of Hina Matsuri we’re throwing fashion and glamour into the mix, along with a new venue, and two of Nagoya’s most famous DJs, to create a truly outrageous experience for the city’s hottest party people!

Ladies only entry from 9 to 11, where you can be pampered by stylish hosts, and professionally photographed in your most elegant fashions! Five VJs will turn the entire venue into a visual extravaganza, while our awesome DJs will keep the energy pumping all night long. The Lea Lea parties were amazing, but this time we’re taking glamorous clubbing to the next level. This is going to be an unforgettable night !!!

Stereophonicはまたまた限界に挑みます！今回は特別に女性向けに素晴らしいイベントをご用意！３月３日のひな祭りにちなみ、会場も新た に、イベントにファッションやグラマーな雰囲気を盛り込みます。そして、名古屋で最も有名なDJを2名招いているので、ホットなパーティ好きの貴方に今ま でにない、斬新なイベントを体験してもらえること間違いなし！

女性の入場は9pm-11pmと決まっています。入口でオシャレなホストにち やほやされての入場となりますよ！おまけに、プロのカメラマンによる撮影もあるので、衣装は是非エレガントにキメてきてください！5名のVJが会場全体を 視覚効果でド派手に演出。我らが誇るDJ達が一晩中、エネルギーをみんなにお届け。StereophonicのLea Lea パーティももちろんスゴイけど、今回のこのイベントは、グラマラスなクラブライフを次のレベルへと引き上げます。きっと忘れられない夜となります!!!

Check out the details here

Naoi-shinji, also known as the “Hadaka Matsuri” (naked festival) is held at Konomiya Shrine in Inazawa city and is one of the most famous and unique festivals in Japan, attracting between 200000 and 300000 spectators every year.  A chosen male volunteer re-enacts an old ritual of being chased around a shrine naked, caught, beaten and then driven out of the town taking all bad luck with him.

Participants gather ready to chase down the "chosen one"

The festivals’ origins can be traced as far back as the year 767AD (the Nara Period) when the Emperor Shotoku ordered the governors of all districts to offer invocations to rid evil spirits and disease away. As the tale goes, an unlucky male was randomly selected if he happened to be out and about in the same direction from the shrine that was decided ‘lucky’ for that year. He would be taken back to the Shrine to then be driven out again naked, in violent fashion by the town’s people. The principle behind the ritual has remained, which is to drive out bad luck and welcome in the good, however these days, it’s all performed in good spirit with people coming from afar to join in the celebrations. It’s considered a huge honour to be the chosen “man” and so a long selection and voting process decides the representative each year.

The Shin-otoko is carried out of the shrine

The “chosen one” must purify his body and spirit before the event and so spends 3 nights and 3 days in the shrine, shutting his life off from the outer world. He has to shave off all his hair on his body leaving only eyebrows and eats only rice porridge and water during the soul cleansing period. A gigantic 4-ton rice-(mochi) cake is prepared and is presented to the shin-otoko on the eve of the main festival.

The festival begins in the mid-afternoon of the 13th day of the lunar New Year (4th Feb this year) when groups of participants mostly of the ages 24 or 42 (considered unlucky ages for men) and dressed only in white cotton loincloths, carry large, decorated bamboo poles, known as “Naoizasa” to the shrine. The bamboo poles are covered with pieces of paper excusing (in written form) people who couldn’t make it to the festival that year.

Proceedings start at 3pm with participants carrying the "Naoizasa" to the shrine.

The Shinotoko runs a chosen course around the shrine completely naked, chased around by the hundreds of other loincloth clad participants, who all try to touch or hit him (lightly) on the way, passing their bad luck off and blessing themselves with good fortune in the process. The Shinotoko’s guards, who attempt to stop him getting killed in the crush, throw cold water on the crowds to help cool things down. After the struggle, the Shinotoko prays at the shrine before being driven out of town, taking all the bad luck along with him.

Smiles all around: The end of a wild day in the middle of winter

The festival is rough and rowdy but all in good spirit with copious amounts of sake being drunk and loincloths ending up everywhere except where they should be. As would be expected, there are plenty of yatai stalls set up around the area to feed to hungry crowd and considering this event is smack bang in the middle of winter, the hot snack food is very welcome.

Festival Details:

When:

Saturday, February 4th (2012 schedule)

Where:

Konomiya Shrine, Inazawa City, (1-1-1 Konomiya, Inazawa city)

Closest Station:

Konomiya (3mins walk from Station)

Contact Tel:

0587-23-2121

Access:

Take a Meitetsu Line train from Nagoya Station bound for Gifu and get off at Konomiya Station (roughly 13minutes from Nagoya Sta.)
The Shrine is a 3-min. walk from Konomiya Station.

Cost:

The train fare is 340Yen and leaves from Platform 1.

Additional:

You can alternatively take the JR Tokaido Line train from Nagoya Station to Inazawa Station and then walk 15-minutes to the shrine.
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Video:

Guest DJ: Danny Howells (Dig Deeper, UK)

DJ’s (A-Z):
Andy S (Stereophonic)
Babur x Nick Edges (Stereophonic)
e-M (Metro/ Haram)
Masa8 (mystic/wicked)
Saru (From Osaka)

Advance Ticket: ￥2,500
Door: ￥3,000

For more details see: http://nagoya-info.com/event/danny-howells-japan-tour/

The popular Touhoushinki

Over the past 5 years or so, the influx of Korean culture into Japan has been incredible. Just take a walk around Shin-Okubo station in Tokyo and you can certainly feel the impact. the streets around the area are lined with k-pop gift stores, Korean restaurants and snack stalls.  If you’re lucky, you may even see one of the (many) new idol groups walking around the streets mingling with fans. The boom has hit so hard and fast that the music industry has overnight, been turned on its head. There is still AK48 and a host of “Janīzu entertainment” boy groups to keep the Japanese flag flying, but the k-girl groups of Shoujoujidai, Kara and their hugely popular male counterparts, SHINee, 2PM and 東方神起 (touhoushinki) to name just a few, have taken a huge share of a multi-trillion yen market.

Where it all started…..

BoA: First to break the Japanese market

The origins are interesting but the fall of barriers restricting the import and export of entertainment between the countries since the end of WW2, coinciding with a huge boom in the domestic market (Korea) for pop groups which began in the early 1990′s can be thought of as the catalyst. Speak to most Japanese people over 25 and they’ll remember the singer “BoA” for being the first to break the Japanese market and be successful. She debuted in Japan in 2001 after taking singing, dancing and Japanese lessons in preparation for the move into the Japanese music industry. She had been moderately successful with an album release in Korea but the strategic approach to focus attention on Japan, is one which is being practised widely with young Korean acts presently. What is phenomenal about BoA is that she debuted in Japan at just 15 years of age and although she is considered in the “generation which preceded the current wave”, is still only 25.

Recently Kim Taehee(left) and back in 2003, Bae Yong Joon(right) - have both enjoyed success in Japan

Following BoA’s success, the attention then seemed to shift to Korean dramas and in particular Actor Bae Yong Joon (pictured left), for his role in the Drama “Winter Sonata” （冬のソナタ）, a huge hit in Japan in 2003. “Yon-Sama” as he is known in Japan is a “housewife favourite” even though he doesn’t enjoy the same success with the younger generation.  He was followed by numerous other actors and actresses, Lee Byung-hun to name just one,  who became huge hits in Japan. Recent years has seen a host of appearances by Korean actors in Japanese Dramas. The beautiful “Kim Taehee”(pictured in the red dress, left) recently starred in the popular Drama “Boku to Star no 99 Nichi”(My 99 days with a star). Japan and Korea enjoyed considerably better relations over these years than they ever have, then number of students going back and bother between the two countries to study and exchange of culture brought the countries closer together. In the Summer of 2002, Japan co-hosted the World Cup with Japan in what was another show of how relations between the two nations had improved. Japan reached the last 16 and South Korea the last 4 in a memorable world cup for both countries.

A global phenomenon…..

K-Pop hasn’t only enjoyed success in Japan, but has stormed Asia as a whole winning over fans most in East and South East Asia, including Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, China and Vietnam. The Girl Group “Wonder Girls” broke into the US billboard 100 in 2009 and in a recent trip to the UK fans of the Korean group “Big-Bang” gathered screaming their idols names in a scene which proved K-pop is making a global move.

What is the Korean appeal in Japan?

Kara: Dancing their way into Japanese hearts

A lot has to do with taste but for the girls, Korean guys are considered that little bit more ‘macho’ and are slightly taller on average than their Japanese counterparts. National service for 2 years is compulsory in Korea, this toughens up the guys and is thought to add to the appeal of being ‘manly’ in some sense. Korean male stars are hand picked for their looks and then trained and the credentials for making it big are often stricter than those in the Japanese idol industry. The result is a batch of the tallest, fittest and most handsome of the guys being placed into pop groups. The same can be said for the girls, there seems more focus on being “sexy” rather “cute”, as it is in Japan. The recent success of girl groups “Kara” and “Shoujoujidai” has been down to how they have been marketed; tall, slim and glamorous.  Dancing is huge part of the Korean act, more so choreography is often more complex than is seen with Japanese groups.

How Korea is benefiting

Obviously the surge in popularity of all things Korean in Japan has had its economic impact on the Korean economy. Visitor arrivals to Korea have been increasing rapidly over the past few years and as of 1 December 2011, the annual number of foreign tourists to Korea surpassed the nine million mark. Over the past three years, Korea has seen growth of international visitors to the country of over one million visitors per year.

Visitor arrivals have jumped from only two million visitors to Korea in 1988, the year of the Seoul Olympic Games to five million in 2000, seven million in 2009, eight million in 2010, and now to over nine million in 2011. There has been a 7% increase of Japanese tourists to Korea compared to last year reaching three million visitors as well as an excellent 17% increase of Chinese tourists exceeding two million for the first time in history.

History

Tsushima Island - Unresolved territory dispute

Relations have been much improved between the two countries, although the Japanese 30+ year oppression of Korea and issues from WW2, including the infamous “comfort women” debate, have yet to be fully forgiven and therefore left unresolved.  This has kept both countries close but never too close in what has been a delicate relationship for the last 60 years. There are also island disputes; Both Japan and Korea claim sovereignty over “Takeshima” and “Tsushima” (sparsely inhabited and both located in between Japan and Korea) although both islands are relatively small and for what they actually are, not particularly significant.   They also clash over the naming of the sea between the two countries, Japan claiming the official name to be “The Japan Sea” but Korea holding strong that it be named “The East Sea”.  There has though been more unity between the two, now recognised as the 2nd and 3rd largest powers in Asia. The speed at which China’s economy has thrust forward, has benefited  Japan and Korea but, both have been weary of China’s ultimate intentions and close relations with North Korea.   Both Japan and Korea have had their run-ins with Chinese fishing trawlers, the Japanese case gaining worldwide attention and in Korea’s case, one of their coastguard troopers being killed in a struggle with the captain of the Chinese vessel.  The Nuclear threat from North Korea combined with incidents of Missile launching over Japan and the shell attack on the South in November this year has seen Japan and Korea united politically in their fears.  So, while still history still keep both countries from fully embracing each other, relations have been truly shifting towards closer mutual trust.

Another common custom during hatsumōde is to buy a written oracle called omikuji. After reading you can tie it onto a tree on the shrine grounds, along with the hundreds of others. Some say it’s only bad luck readings that are tied up but people tend to follow the rule no matter what is written. The omikuji goes into detail explaining you how you will do in various areas in your life, such as business and love, for that year.

In the Nagoya, the famous Atsuta Jingu is where the most people gather at New Years with over 2 million visitors over the period. Atsuta Jingu is served by the JR Tokaido line, Meitetsu and the Meijo subway line and located less than 10 minutes from Nagoya Station by train, making it extremely accessible from the city.

The New Year Period in Japan

Most Japanese companies are off work from December 28/29th until January 3rd or 4th. Schools tend to finish around the 20th of December and start back up around the 4or or 5th of January depending on when the weekend falls. It is during the new year break that the 大掃除 “big clean” of the house or office is carried out, friends and family are greeted and visited and gifts are exchanged. For the younger members of the family お年玉, a kind of new years gift money,　is given. It’s not uncommon to hear stories of children receiving upwards of 100000yen in total if they have a lot of relatives.

New Year’s Day traditionally starts with eating hot soba noodles at midnight to welcome in the new year. The following morning, many families start the day with お雑煮　(おぞうに / Ozouni)　a hot dashi based soup with mochi and vegetables. As Japanese people will tell you, Ozouni varies depending on the area of Japan you are in, very simple soups to Ramen like versions with sliced pork.

The New Year Sales

Shopping in Japan is pretty crazy around this time of year but to be fair, no more so than it is i Europe or America. The large department stores and electric outlets in particular are swamped with crowds looking to grab a bargain or buy big with their winter bonuses.

Many department stores and shopping malls start their New Year bargain sales on Jan 2nd although a few of the larger shops are starting to opening on New Years Day. Everywhere you go “fukubukuro” (lucky bags) will be the main attraction. “Fukubukuro” 福袋 / ふくぶくろ are sealed bags with the contents double to 3 times the expense of what you pay for it. The catch is, you don’t know what is in the bag, can’t exchange item and get money back after the purchase. Commonly the bags for clothes stores are between 5000-20000 yen are depending on the store, are extremely popular. The Fukubukuro is a way for most shops to unload the previous seasons stock off in bulk so most items inside won’t be the newest fashion. Saying that, fashion moves at such an incredible pace in Japan so consider the contents to be this “years fashion”.

Make no mistake about it, when winter hits in Japan, escaping the cold is a challenge and not always an easy one either. Unless you are lucky enough to live in a luxury apartment block with double glazing and underfloor heating, you will most probably be investing in a heating unit of some kind. You see, most homes in Japan are not equipped with central heating (apparently due to the number of earthquakes) so common practice is to get a heater or two and strategically heat rooms where you spend the most time. Below is a guide to some of the more popular heaters or you can buy in Japan.

1. Aircon – エアコン

The air conditioner (commonly known as the “aircon” in Japan), are equipped with a heating function “暖房”(だんぼう/Danbou). It does a pretty good job of heating a room, although you often find heat rises to the ceiling which was somewhat pointless if you spend most of your time sitting on the floor and don’t have a ceiling fan. If you do have a ceiling fan however, that makes a big difference even though it may sound a little strange to be switching it on in the winter.

Some find that running the aircon can be expensive. It is the case if you have in on 24/7 but in reality air conditioners these days are much more energy efficient (look for 省エネ on the outside or description). If your place doesn’t already have one then be prepared to splash out between 30000-60000 yen depending on the brand and its power capabilities.

2. Oil heater – オイルヒーター

These typically look like radiators some of may be used to from back home. They work really well in that they disperse heat evenly, without drying the air – something parents with young babies worry about. Some are better than others when it comes to energy use but typically they are not cheap to run. The 1200 watt versions (the highest level) cost and estimated ¥15-20/hour although it can vary. Prices for the units range from ¥5,000 – 30,000, although it is possible to find cheaper options at a recycle store (this goes for all of the following options as well).

3. Panel heater – パネルヒーター

Shaped like…a panel, they are cheaper looking versions of the oil heaters. They emit decent heat but unlike the oil heaters, the heat doesn’t radiate and when switched off the heat immediately vanishes . The mini ones operate around 300 watts or less, and probably cost hardly more than ¥5-7 an hour. The larger ones vary depending on the size and what level you use them at – I’ve seen some that claim to only cost 9 yen an hour, and others that average around 15 yen an hour. Mini panel heaters start around ¥3,000, while larger versions run around an average of ¥20,000 – 30,000.

4. Halogen heater – ハロゲンヒーター

Halogen heaters, like other electric heaters, operate at different wattage levels, depending on the heater. Of course you can get smaller ones that operate at around 300 watts or so, or a larger one that operates up to 1200 watts (and a range in between).

5. Carbon heater – カーボンヒーター

These have become popular as of about 5 years back when they hit the stores. They look similar to a halogen heater, although claim to heat more effectively and are safer. They are pretty good electricity and I personally use one. Like Halogen heaters however they are very temporary is that heat doesn’t stay around for long once switched off but balanced against the running costs are economical options.

6. Ceramic heater – セラミックヒーター

These tend to be more expensive of the space heaters, in terms of energy consumption, but I have seen some that claim energy efficiency. In addition, you can also get ceramic heaters that have built-in air purifiers and/or humidifiers (you can get a nice 3-in-1 for ¥20,000 – 30,000). On high, around 1100 to 1200 watts for most of these kind of heaters, the cost typically runs as high as ¥25-30/hour. Estimate the low setting to be about half that.

 7. Kerosene heater – 石油ヒーター (せきゆ, sekiyu means oil/kerosene)

With kerosene heaters you can expect the electricity bill to be very low, though you will have to buy the kerosene direct or have it delivered. The good thing is that kerosene is typically quite cheap and heaters are commonly used throughout Japan. If you choose to use one, be SURE to allow air circulation in your home, such as opening a window or vents after using. This may sound as if its defeating the purpose of heating your home, (I would agree) but there are dangers associated with faulty machines so be careful.

*Note: the word for kerosene is 灯油 (とうゆ, touyu), rather than 石油, but the gas heaters all use 石油 in the name. *Also, some heaters are actually called Gas heaters (ガスヒーター) and appear to use the same gas that typical gas stoves use.

8. Kotatsu – こたつ

A kotatsu is a low table with a heater attached directly underneath the table top and a blanket sandwiched between the table top and legs. Its wonderfully warm and cosy to sit under the blanket, so much so that getting out isn’t fun. You can find a wide range of kotatsu tables of varying colours and styles and sizes and on average, they cost between ¥5,000 and 20,000, although some can cost more.

9. Hot Carpet – ホットカーペット

Basically, this is just a rug that you plug in and it heats up…..what else could it be?! For those who sit on the floor often or just want a warm rug in your living room/area, this is for you. The cheaper ones cost around ¥5,000, but you can get some that resemble wood floors too, and those and others cost upwards of ¥12,000 – 20,000.

10. Electric blanket – 電気毛布 (でんきもうふ, denki moufu)

Need I say more? Perfect for sleeping in a cold room, or you just want to snuggle up in a warm blanket without the heater.

Other:

There are a host of other heating option in Japan ranging from full body warmer suits, hot pouches to hold or put in your pocket and electric foot warmers. However you choose to fight the cold in Japan this year don’t try to do without just to save a few hundred yen…catching the flu is a hell of a lot worse, believe me!

Have you ever wanted to act? Next year, Nagoya based community theatre group Nameless Media and Productions Theatre will be embarking on a large scale production of William Shakespeare’s HAMLET, and we want you to be part of it!

On December 10th and 11th, we will be holding auditions for HAMLET.

The auditions are open to all regardless of experience. It’s a big show with numerous roles available from large to small.

The audition will be held at the Nameless Media and Productions office from 4pm to 7pm each day.

To sign up for an audition slot, please email info@nmptheatre.com or complete the audition form on our website at http://bit.ly/tW83XV

We are looking forward to seeing you there!

Directions to the Nameless Media and Productions office

Leave exit 2 from Fujigaoka station and turn left at Mister Donut. After passing Circle K on your right, turn right at the intersection. Walk one and a half blocks to the IF building on your right. Nameless Media and Productions is on the fourth floor.

Since the disaster of March efforts to help rebuild the worst affected areas have been huge however, the “no-go” restricted zone has been largely left alone for obvious reasons. For the weekend, I joined up with the JEARS groups of animal rescue workers which have been working tirelessly to save, feed, re-home and control the animal population in North East Japan after events of March 11th.  In Fukushima their work has been to look after animals which have been left behind, some intentionally and others not, by home-owners who simply could not take pets with them chose to leave them behind. Its a sad story for many of the animals, especially those who have been left to fend for themselves, not used to being anything but petted animals.  We visited one home where the owners decided to leave their dog tied up outside.  The owners apparently return once a week to feed him but it’s no life sitting and waiting for days on end  in a highly radiated area with not a soul in sight.  His excitement to see people as we approached with food was heart wrenching. In his case, the owners are refusing to let JEARS take him in to their shelter. There are those animals too who although were not owned directly, still were fed by residents.  In all, hundreds of animals have been left to survive alone, a problem as many will breed (and have done) making the issue even worse.

As we drove closer to the 30km evacuation zone the Geiger Meter in the car started rising and my heart began beating a little faster than before.  Above 2.0 μSv/h and you are not supposed to breath in the air directly, so we don masks and watch as levels race up to beyond 3.0μSv/h.  At it’s highest in the 20km zone the Geiger counter measured around 15μSv/h which  is high.  The long term affects of living in an environment such as this are unknown, but thought adverse.  There are some stubborn residents who refuse to leave the homes they grew up in, built or planned to retire in and its understandable.  For many of the old who feel life isn’t going to offer them many more years anyway, they would rather stay and face the radiation than leave everything the ever knew to spend their last few years in temporary housing.

I heard one story of a man who saved money his entire life to build his dream home in Fukushima, a feat he accomplished just 2 months prior to the most powerful Earthquake in Japan’s history.  He was forced to up and leave and no doubt never return. This story adds a different perspective to the feeling of complete loss for those affected by March 11th.  Lives were turned upside down for those in the tsunami ravaged NE areas, destruction beyond our worst nightmare.  Those fleeing dangerously high radiation in Fukushima, never saw a wave and direct damage from the quake was minor, yet the question of how to move forward and rebuild a life, sometimes from scratch, is one they too have to find an answer for.   For many, it is still a case of one day at a time, little by little and step by step.  I can’t even begin to relate to the heart ache of those affected, but after my short stay I understand it so much more than I could before.

Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support (JEARS) is a collaboration of three established and registered no kill animal rescue NPOs in Japan.The intention behind the creation of JEARS is to coordinate rescue and support efforts for animals in crisis due to the March 11 Earthquake and Tsunami in Northern Japan.