UPDATE CONCERNING JAPANESE FRIENDS

Japanese Friends are having difficulty in deciding where to start in their huge task of recovering from the Earthquake, Tsunami and now increasing radiation levels. They too have suffered effects themselves. See an email received recently from Yukiko Backes, who may be known to some international Quakers

Dear Friends

Grateful thanks to those who have already contributed to assist Japanese Friends.  

We have received the following email from Yukiko Backes, a Japanese Friend who is probably known to many of you. The reality of what Friends face there is becoming clearer, and her first hand account illustrates the complexity of the problem.

I am busy to organize the opinions and ideas of relief work by Friends here.

First, some want to repair the Mito meetinghouse which connects to the kindergarten, so that their kindergarten can open at the beginning of April. They luckily found a temporary place in Mito for now. Tokyo Friends Center also needs repair to put back the chimney and the broken wall and windows.

Now those who are staying at the shelters need some solid and permanent living quarters. Most of the local governments are spreading their hands to accept them. For example, the Osaka governor has welcomed at least 1800 families in the public apartments, as have others. Osaka apartments are free for one year.

Wherever you go, there is a box for donations. Everyone here is helping and supporting the victims in his or her own way. The main roads to the tsunami area are getting better so that all the relief goods can be delivered, which is happy news. Nuclear power station $B!G (Because trouble is now spreading and some vegetables

have to be thrown away because of radiation. The TV news shows us the farmers sad faces. Now there are warnings of contaminated water in metropolitan Tokyo.

Sachiko Yamamoto is considering small number of people to receive accommodation at Friends Center annex, if this is what the people in Tohoku area want.

With prayer  

Yukiko

Thank you for the donations already received from Friends across the world.

Sending small donations costs too much in bank fees, so AWPS are accumulating donations here until the Japanese Friends indicate that they are ready to receive them. You are welcome to send your donations to us, if that is convenient, or directly to Japan Yearly Meeting.

The Australian banking details for the Appeal
Glenside branch of Westpac 433 Portrush Rd, Glenside, South Australia 5064, Australia SWIFT Code WPACAU 2S Account:Name- FWCCAWPS BSB: 035 041 Number: 182250 Contact: Eleanor Evans
The Account details for Japan Yearly Meeting
Mitsui Sumitomo Bank (mitsui sumitomo ginkou in Japanese) 5-28-1, Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0014 Japan Ph :+81-3-3453-1551 Code No. 0009 Bank Branch Code: 623 (mita-dori shiten in Japanese) Ordinary Bank Account No : 6382819 Account Name: Kirisuto Yuukai Nihon Nenkai (Japan Yearly Meeting of Friends in Japan)