U.S. Marines to the Rescue in Kumamoto

Seen here in this photo by Cpl. Jessica Collins USMC are V-22 Ospreys of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265,  31st Marine Expeditionary Unit preparing to lift off from their base at Futenma Air Station to assist the Japan's SDF in Earthquake Relief efforts. Much like the efforts of Operation Tomodachi in the days following the Tohoku Disaster on 3/11, American Military Units throughout Japan are lending a helping hand to the people stricken by the earthquakes that have hit the area in and around Kumamoto Prefecture.

As of late, some 42 people are reported dead from the two powerful earthquakes and some 110,000 people have been forced to evacuate. With American help, the SDF will be able to reach villages and other areas inaccessible by roads due to earthquake damage. We at American Mishima will continue to pray for the People affected by this disaster and hope relief comes to them soon.

津波の回復 Japan Six Months Later

Six months later, Japan is still recovering from the black waters that swept away lives but not the resilience of the Japanese people to carry on. Please continue to support the relief efforts for Japan.

2011年地震 A Mother's Love

As month's pass by, many untold stories of the March 2011 triple tragedies that hit Japan are only starting to emerge. As is such the case we came across one such heartbreaking story that exemplifies both a mother's love and the overall Japanese Character. One can only be moved by such humanity and self sacrifice made so that others may live.
-American Mishima

-Reposted from the web.
After the Earthquake had subsided, when the rescuers reached the ruins of a young woman’s house, they saw her dead body through the cracks. But her pose was somehow strange that she knelt on her knees like a person was worshiping; her body was leaning forward, and her two hands were supporting by an object. The collapsed house had crashed her back and her head.
With so many difficulties, the leader of the rescuer team put his hand through a narrow gap on the wall to reach the woman’s body. He was hoping that this woman could be still alive. However, the cold and stiff body told him that she had passed away for sure.

He and the rest of the team left this house and were going to search the next collapsed building. For some reasons, the team leader was driven by a compelling force to go back to the ruin house of the dead woman. Again, he knelt down and used his had through the narrow cracks to search the little space under the dead body. Suddenly, he screamed with excitement,” A child! There is a child! “

The whole team worked together; carefully they removed the piles of ruined objects around the dead woman. There was a 3 months old little boy wrapped in a flowery blanket under his mother’s dead body. Obviously, the woman had made an ultimate sacrifice for saving her son. When her house was falling, she used her body to make a cover to protect her son. The little boy was still sleeping peacefully when the team leader picked him up.

The medical doctor came quickly to exam the little boy. After he opened the blanket, he saw a cell phone inside the blanket. There was a text message on the screen. It said,” If you can survive, you must remember that I love you.” This cell phone was passing around from one hand to another. Every body that read the message wept. ” If you can survive, you must remember that I love you.” Such is the mother’s love for her child!!

お盆 Photo for Obon

It has been months since the devastating triple disaster struck the Japanese Main Island. During this time of Obon many celebrations honoring our ancestors and those who came before us take place. For residents of the Sendai Region in Japan there are no celebrations as in times past, instead there are only solemn belated memorials for 10,000 friends & family that were lost last March of 2011. We came across this photo and thought we would share it here. We feel it captures a moment with heartfelt emotion that words alone can not convey. This photo was taken in the town of Okuma deep inside the irradiated exclusion zone near the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant. And though people may have moved on elsewhere, in Japan people are still suffering. We thank those who have kept the victims of these disasters in their prayers and ask that you continue to do so. ありがとう

ありがとう! US Women's Soccer Team for Japan

This video was made prior to this year's FIFA 2011 Women's World Cup in Germany. The USWNT cares much for their friends on the Japanese National Women's Team and for the People of Japan as do we. Here at American Mishima we would like to offer them a heartfelt ありがとう and ask that they like many of my fellow countrymen & women continue to do so. ありがとう ございます!

救済の取り組み Ken Watanabe's Street Team Sends Love from Little Tokyo

Actor Ken Watanabe's Kizuma 311 Street team filmed this in Japanese Plaza, Little Tokyo sending heartfelt messages and prayers for the People of Japan. The connection between the Japanese-American Community here and that of Japan remains as strong as ever. All of us here shall continue to pray for those lost and for the survivors who have endured so much.

JFAのサッカー Japan’s J-League – So What’s Next?

It’s been well over a week since Japan’s most devastating series of disasters resulting from the magnitude 9 earthquake hit the Sendai area. In response to this national tragedy, Japan’s JFA J-League (Japan Football Association) had suspended all matches since the March 11^th earthquake prompting many players to help in the relief efforts. While many of the leagues foreign players have left the country stars like former international and current Kashima Antlers star Mitsuo Ogasawara visited refugee shelters to encourage survivors in Ofunato and Rikuzen, Iwate Prefecture. Ogasawara grew up in Iwate and wanted to help. As described from the Official JFA website this was a “heartbreaking homecoming” for Ogasawara. To quote the Kashima midfielder “I am hoping we can support those who have been forced to evacuate so they can have a more secure life and recover fully.”

Of course, for many people in the disaster zone this will not be possible as there are close to over 9000 people reported dead and still many more missing. Since then, many J-League clubs have called for donations such as Avispa Fukuoka, Urawa Reds, Kawasaki Frontale, Nagoya Grampus, and Jublio Iwata. The J-League plans to resume play on April 23^rd but some second division clubs such as Mito Hollyhock may be delayed as some venues have sustained earthquake damage.

In a related move, Japan’s European based players plan to return home for a charity match between Japans’s National Team the Samurai Blue vs. a select J-League squad scheduled for March 29^th at Nagai Stadium in Osaka. This match will feature Samurai Blue & CSKA star Keisuke Honda and Utsuto Uchida. This charity event will raise funds for Japan’s disaster victims. We at American Mishima would like to thank the JFA J-League for their respective clubs participation in the ongoing relief efforts. We hope their league can continue to help lift the spirits of those affected by this tragedy.

To find out more about the J-League Please Visit  http://www.jfa.or.jp/eng

一日の画像 - Picture of the Day

Visiting students of Koyasan High School offer prayers for the victims of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami at the Ohigan service, Koyasan Betsuin in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. We are all grateful for their visit particularly during a heavy early spring rainstorm and the LA Marathon that blocked many of the streets leading to the Koyasan Temple.

 ども ありがとう ございまして.

補佐して日本 LA GALAXY Partners to help Japan Disaster Victims

Fresh off their season opening 1-0 win over the Seattle Sounders at Qwest Field in Seattle Washington, the LA GALAXY on the eve of their 2011 home season opener at the Home Depot Center in Carson California have announced today that they have partnered with the American Red Cross to help with the disaster relief efforts in Japan. Here at American Mishima, we are filled with joy to see our favorite MLS team partake in such great humanitarian efforts. We applaud their efforts and ask that the GALAXY and other MLS teams participating continue to do so. ありがとうございます!

Below reads from their official press release sent to me today.

Galaxy Invite Fans to Donate to Relief Efforts at Sunday’s Home Opener Against the New England Revolution at The Home Depot Center

CARSON, Calif. (Friday, March 18, 2011) – The LA Galaxy will partner with the American Red Cross to collect financial donations for the Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami relief fund this Sunday prior to kickoff of the club’s home opener against the New England Revolution at 5 p.m. at The Home Depot Center.
The Galaxy are inviting fans to join in those efforts by making a donation to the American Red Cross at one of The Home Depot Center’s entrances prior to kickoff. Additionally, donations can be made at the Galaxy Foundation booth or at the Team LA Store and any of its five Team LA merchandise booths inside the stadium through the end of halftime.

For those not in attendance, donations can also be made online at redcross.org or by texting “redcross” to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

A gift to the American Red Cross will support disaster relief efforts to help those affected by the earthquake in Japan and the subsequent tsunami that struck Japan and throughout the Pacific. On those rare occasions when donations exceed American Red Cross expenses for a specific disaster, contributions are used to prepare for and serve victims of other disasters.

For more information, please contact the Galaxy Community Development department at (310) 630-2200 or visit www.lagalaxy.com.

救済の取り組み Ken Watanabe Helps Lift Spirits in Japan

Actor Ken Watanabe star of many American film & Japanese Samurai productions such as Baian the Assassinn, Year One In the North, and The Last Samurai has joined forces with screenwriter Kundo Koyama to launch a new website KIZUNA311 to encourage solidarity in the aftermath of Japan's combined disasters. When we first read about this we felt it necessary to help spread the word about Watanabe's site both available in English & Nihongo for through this media Kizuna has encouraged other celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio to send messages to uplift spirits of those affected by this disaster. We at American Mishima applaud Ken Watenabe & Kundo Koyama's efforts. It's always nice to know that your big screen movies heroes can be heroes in real life. Please continue to do so ください. =)

Please tell others and visit KIZUNA311 ありがとうございます.

救助活動 - Sandra Bullock Helps Japan Relief Effort

Oscar winning actress Sandra Bullock has become the first US celebrity to make a sizable donation of one million dollars to the American Red Cross to help the victims of the Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan. Since the outbreak of this tragedy, Americans have genersously opened their hearts and their pocketbooks to donate over $47 million dollars to the relief efforts in Japan. Many more have made appeals for donations largely through use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter. These funds have been passed onto the Japanese Red Cross which has now taken in over ten million dollars in U.S. donations and will need much more to help rebuild the shattered lives this tragedy has left behind.

Despite all the goodwill for those affected by this tragedy there has been some bitter criticism by some people in the U.S. who for whatever reason harbor resentments against Japan or see this tragedy as merely a Japanese problem. These misguided people are in the minorty. Americans for the most part have great compassion and have time and time again contributed more money to disaster relief efforts than any other country in the world.  The overwhelming American response has once again shown America's generosity and compassion for people in need just as they have done in other recent tragedies such as the ones in New Zealand, Chile, and Haiti.

We at American Mishima would like to thank Sandra Bullock for her contribution to the People of Japan during this crisis. We hope that other people whether famous or not will continue to do all they can to help the Japanese in this time of crisis and ultimately people everywhere in need. It's often said when times are at their worst, people bring out their best. We ask everyone to please continue to do so.

無私の犠牲 Selfless Sacrifice - The Fukushima 50

Throughout history during times of great crisis and tragedy, countless brave souls have time and time again put their lives out on the line to save others. As the nuclear crisis at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi power plant continues to unfold 50 brave men of unquestionable courage and valor have stepped up to defy the odds to protect all that is dear. We at American Mishima ask our readers to please pray for the Fukushima 50. These brave men who have voluntarily stayed behind at the crippled nuclear power plant in the most desperate of circumstances literally sacrificing their lives to save their country from further nuclear radiation contamination. Like the brave men at Chernobyl who fought to the bitter end to contain the deadly radiation, these brave men at Fukushima know the road that lies ahead of them and know if not them then who would have to take their place. These brave men represent the finest of Japanese traditions and are Japan's last line of defense. For lack of a better comparison we dare say they likely will be remembered and revered as "This Generations 47 Ronin." We at American Mishima look to you with awe and humbly bow to you for your selfless sacrifice and unequivocal courage in this most unprecidented catastrophe.

To those brave men we say がんばって ください!

 Our hearts and prayers are with you.

ども ありがとう ございまして!

災害救援の努力- MLS W.O.R.K.S. Joins the Disaster Relief Effort

The International response to the Disaster Relief efforts in Japan have been huge. Earlier this week I announced that two Major League Soccer teams in the U.S. (San Jose Earthquakes and the Seattle Sounders) had joined up with the Red Cross to raise funds for the Japan relief effort. As of today, I am happy to announce that after much letter writing and appealls to our local MLS clubs for help, Major League Soccer's community outreach program MLS  W.O.R.K.S. has done the right thing and stepped up to the plate to join in on the relief efforts for the People of Japan. Domo-Arigatou Gozaimashite! I could write further in depth but rather I will provide you with the link so you can read their official press release that just came in my mail only minutes ago. Throughout this crisis, the internet has proven to be a powerful tool for good. By posting and reposting articles and appeals for help using blogs and social media such as facebook and twitter as well as individual emails to people and orginizations, the people of Japan are one step closer to rebuilding their lives and their nation that will continue to need both our love and support. If you can not donate directly please continue to participate in this global effort by spreading the word and encourage people everywhere to help. ども ありがとう ございます!

To read the full MLS Press Release please visit: MLS W.O.R.K.S. Japan Relief Campaign