Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association relief news update from Japan.
Following the largest quake ever to hit Japan, with a tsunami wave that according to the government reached 23.6 meters in height, the confirmed fatalities and those still missing as of Thursday, March 24 was more than 26,000.

Japan’s Health, Welfare and Labor Ministry announced an initiative offering support especially to children in finding out how many were orphaned, a function that coastal municipal governments have been unable to complete due to the extent of the damage.

Every day, there continue to be aftershocks in Japan, with at least five strong tremors on Thursday alone, including one of 6.1 magnitude.

According to the United Nations, although 10,000 people are leaving evacuation centers each day, some 264,000 were still staying in 1,800 shelters as of Wednesday, with cases of diarrhea and influenza that have been emerging among the stressed and fatigued survivors.

Many are still battling the freezing temperatures with a shortage of food, water, electricity, and medicine, among other essential supplies. The major Tōhoku Expressway, connecting Tokyo to the disaster-hit northern regions, opened for the first time on Thursday morning, allowing aid to reach more victims.

Tsuneaki Iguchi, Mayor of Iwanuwa City, Miyagi Prefecture (M): A massive tidal wave warning was given, so we tried to call out many citizens as possible to evacuate. Unfortunately, because the tidal waves were much more overwhelming and fierce than we had expected, they robbed a great number of peoples’ precious lives
and homes away with waves without mercy.

We were really shocked by this disaster, which was the most catastrophic incident that ever happened to Iwanuma city in history.

Yoshie Kikuchi - Japanese quake victim, looking for missing parents (F): I think they knew a tsunami was coming, but I didn’t think it was going to be this big. Maybe they thought they had more time. It’s been 10 days, 11 days now. So, yeah, it’s getting more difficult to believe that they are okay.

Conveying her sorrowful prayers and love, Supreme Master Ching Hai donated US$80,000 since the initial catastrophes. As she continues to monitor the situation with utmost concern, she requested that our Association members, including doctors and nurses, go render assistance such as delivering emergency supplies like medicine, with particular consideration for the vulnerable elderly and young.

Combined with donations from our Association members across the globe, the total contributions are more than US$110,000 to Japan.

Our Association members from Japan and Formosa (Taiwan) have been bringing relief to the worst-hit areas via two teams, while others in South Korea have also been preparing relief goods to be shipped to the teams in Tokyo. Recently, members of the Tokyo-based team traveled to the hard-hit Iwanuma City of Miyagi Prefecture. There, they were welcomed by Mr. Hirai Mitsuaki, Section Chief and Unit Head of the Disaster Prevention Section of the General Affairs of the Department.

Mitsuaki Hirai, Section Chief and Unit Head of the Disaster Prevention Section of General Affairs Department, Iwanuma City (M): Tamaura district was swallowed by the massive tsunami in an instant, leaving calamities behind. Iwanuma city was greatly affected by this unmerciful natural disaster, and over 120 citizens lost their lives thus far.
It is estimated that it will take many years for the city to be restored to its former state.

VOICE: Speaking to our Association members, Iwanuma City Mayor Iguchi Tsuneaki expressed particular concern for the younger survivors. Mayor Tsuneaki said that the city had a program to present picture story books for 8-month to 10-year-old children, but the books were all lost with the tsunami.

The disaster had also caused psychological trauma for many of the youngsters. The relief team thus went to the city’s two evacuation centers and delivered 100 copies of Supreme Master Ching Hai’s #1 international bestseller, “The Dogs in My Life” to the delighted reception of the children.

Correspondent (F): Do you like dogs?

Megumi Kamada, 9-years-old, relief recipient (M): Yes.

Correspondent (F): This is a picture story book about dogs. Please enjoy.

Megumi Kamada (M):  Yes, thank you very much.

Correspondent (F): Please let others read this book.

Megumi Kamada (M):  Yes, I will.

Correspondent (F): What is your impression of this book?

Haruto, 4-years-old, relief recipient (M):  I think it good.

Young relief recipient (F): Thank you!

Tsuneaki Iguchi, Mayor of Iwanuwa City, Miyagi Prefecture (M): Well, I honestly thank Supreme Master Ching Hai, who is a spiritual leader of the world, and a world-renowned humanitarian, for your compassion. And we are very much relieved to know that you have deeply cared about us Iwanuma citizens.

Your love and compassion will spiritually support us to restore the city. And in fact, Iwanuma city was the first city in Miyagi prefecture that presented picture storybooks to the children, who will play a vital role in leading the future of this country. In this sense, we feel very grateful for the children of Iwanuma city to have been able to receive such wonderful gifts today. I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation
to you.

VOICE: According to Nikkei newspaper, the cost to rebuild following the widespread devastation is now estimated at up to US$308 billion by the government, which is far more than the US$235 billion forecast by World Bank and would make it the most expensive natural disaster ever.

Along with Miyagi and Iwate, Fukushima Prefecture is one of the hardest-hit. However, rescuers have not been able to conduct search operations due to the 20-kilometer evacuation zone encircling the area's nuclear power plant due to radiation leaks. With people living 20 to 30 kilometers away from the plant being urged to stay indoors, a computer simulation study conducted by the government revealed on Wednesday that infants living even beyond the 30-kilometer radius could have been contaminated at various times with doses of over 100 millisieverts of radiation.

Babies are especially at risk as they are more vulnerable to radiation than adults.An annual radiation dosage of this level is associated with increased cancer risk. Officials have also detected levels of radioactive iodine higher than the limit considered safe for infants in tap water in Fukushima, Ibaraki, Chiba, Saitama, and Tochigi prefectures.

Several countries have banned import of food products from regions near the power plant for fears of radiation, the latest being Australia, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Health officials in Singapore found traces of radiation in food coming not only from areas near the plant,but also from Chiba and the far-away Ehime Prefecture, raising more concern that the radiation has spread. Previously, Formosa (Taiwan) had also detected radiation
levels in seafood from central Aichi Prefecture, and on fava beans from  Kagoshima Prefecture on Japan’s southwestern Kyushu island, regions far from the quake.

Indonesia is also temporarily prohibiting the import of fish and other aquaculture products from Japan.The US, Canada, and Russia have also banned certain food products grown or manufactured near the nuclear plant.

Meanwhile, workers resumed their efforts at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on Thursday morning after black smoke coming from reactor No. 3 receded.

Officials said that personnel currently working to restore the cooling system at the plant are reaching the limits of their fatigue and that new shift rotations were needed. On Thursday, Japan’s nuclear safety agency reported that three workers had been injured by radiation at the No. 3 reactor, with two hospitalized after being exposed to radiation levels of up to 180 millisieverts per hour and were suffering from skin lesions on their feet.
Also Thursday, steam was observed rising from reactor Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Nonetheless, engineers continued the race to restore complete power in hopes that the coolant infrastructure of the plant could be recovered. On Thursday morning, technicians connected electricity to the control room at reactor No. 1, as the second to now be electrically powered. These are considered major development for workers who previously were forced to work using flashlights.


Our appreciation, all governments, organizations, and personnel helping Japan. We are also thankful for Supreme Master Ching Hai’s heartfelt support to the victims, as well as for the continued efforts of our Association’s relief team. Our prayers for the comfort of the Japanese people as they strive to recuperate their stable daily lives and that such calamities subside through our kinder, eco-balancing lifestyles.