Letters to Japan

Vital Stats

Grace L

Monticello, MN

  • people helped1205
  • People Doing It5000

The Problem

On March 11th, Japan was hit twice--by both an earthquake and a tsunami. Right now, donations are pouring in from across the world, and food and supplies are being shipped in as well, but for kids like us, getting connections to Japan is harder. So I wanted people to start writing letters and bring a personalized touch to disaster relief, because sometimes, the knowledge that someone out there cares makes a bigger impact than merely monetary donations, and can serve as a spark that can change a life.

Plan of Action

Students will write letters or create cards to their counterparts in Japan, encouraging them and just giving them hope, thus letting them know that there are people out there, who, no matter the differences, care. We are working with individuals and the Consulate-General of Japan in Houston to get the letters to the students in Japan. High school and middle school students in Japan are able to read English, some even semi-fluently, while elementary students will probably enjoy cards more.

Project Updates

Thank you to all who mailed us letters or submitted them online. We have received a total of 2353 letters/cards from students/teachers in 83 schools/organizations from 10 countries: the US, Canada, China, Singapore, Australia, the Netherlands, the UK, Sweden, France, and Germany (updated 5/20/2011). For more details and updates about our letter to Japan project, please check www.wecareact.org

Our first 305 letters/cards are on the way to Japan! We are very excited and absolutly grateful to Mr. Bert (高橋 亮) of Iwate, Japan who has been diligently working on contacting schools and teachers for us and finally located the schools ready to receive letters. Thank you, Bert!
We sincerely appreciate Mr. Tucker Harding, a doctoral student of Columbia University, who kindly offered to take three packages of letters/cards with him when he travels to Japan. He will distribute one package of letters (50) directly to the families in the hardest hit area Sendai where he is on a mission, and mail two packages (255) to Mr. Bert at Iwate who will then personally deliver the letters/cards to the coast city Junior High School students (Otsuchi Junior High School in Otsuchi Town). Thanks, Mr. Bert and Tucker!
A giant Thank You to Ms. Kanoelani Pilobello, a doctoral student at New York Univeristy who connected us to her friend Bert in Japan and her college classmate Tucker at Columbia University. Thank you, Lani!
We would also like to thank Ms. Muyun Huang, a freshman at Texas A&M Kingsville University, who took the above mentioned packages of letters to New York City and personally delivered to Mr. Tucker Harding!
Thank you all so much for your great help!

Update from Japan on antoher school's condition:

I've been just informed about the details of Kamaishi Elementary school now.
Since the conditions of each household is not stable yet, the number of the pupils at the school seems to change often at the moment.
That's why they've told me the actual number of last school year.
There were nine classes and total of 187 students as of 10 March, 2011.

The principal of my daughter's school is impressed with this project and he promised to hand the cards/letters with care, attaching his letter as well.
That's why please send them to the same address as I gave you before. When I get them, I'll bring them in the school and ask the principal/teachers to take them to Kamaishi.

I've been trying to find other schools/teachers who would accept the foreign letters/cards, so I'll tell you any updates available time by time.
All the best,
bert

News From Billerica, Mass.:
Billerica, Mass. — A collection of well-wishes in the form of paintings, pictures and poems will soon be winging its way to Japan, conveying the heartfelt feelings of the students of Kennedy Elementary School.

For this school-wide project, students have been discussing the recent disaster in Japan as part of a character development session on empathy held at the school.

Led by technology teacher Donna McDonnell, grade four teacher Angela LoGuidice and social worker Karen Mahon, students painted and drew pictures and wrote haikus, Japanese poems consisting of 17 syllables, all wishing the best for those affected by the disaster. The assembly included a performance of “Sakura,” a Japanese folks sung in its native tongue by the students.

Kennedy School Principal David Marble told the children they need to find the same empathy for those in Japan that they would for their family and friends.

“People are people regardless of where they are and they need help,” said Marble.

These works of visual and literary art were presented at an assembly on Monday, May 2 and will soon be sent to the offices of www.wecareact.org. This organization was started after an earthquake struck the province of Sichuan, China.

Since then, this 501c-3 charity has expanded, and operates with the mission of helping students recover from disasters and engaging others to help.

Thank you, teachers and students, for making the beautiful cards and writing the inspirational letters and mailing to our organization and to those who submitted online. We have received total close to 700 letters/cards from 27 schools/organizations from the US, Canada, China, and UK (updated on 4/19/2011). You are surely going to make the students smile. Please visit our website at www.wecareact.org for the list of schools and/or individuals we have received letters from We usually send out an email confirmation of receiving your package within 24 hours when we have your email address. For those who did not send us an email in advance or did not include an email address in the package, our web list is considered as the confirmation of receiving your package or letter. Thanks for your hardwork and caring. We continue to receive letters/cards and will appreciate it if you could tell your friends and family to help write letters too. There are total 100,000 children affected by the disasters in Japan and we would like to send as many letters as we could collect to the victims. Please check our website to view some responses we have received from around the world. Thank you, everyone! For your support to the students in Japan and to us!

Thanks to the teachers and students who have made the beautiful cards and letters and mailed to our organization and for those who submitted online. You are surely going to make some students smile.

For those of you who are intereted in making more cards or write letters with pictures, please see the below from a friend who grew up in Japan but lives in the US now:

I've given it some thought, but I don't think there is a specific animal associated with hope in Japan. Sometimes in stores and restaurants, "maneki-neko" is displayed, which is a cat that is supposed to bring good luck by drawing in customers, but of course that is not relevant to a natural disaster. Cranes are more of a symbol of good health and longevity. If you make cranes by folding paper as in "origami", that would be appropriate to send as it is a message of wishing quick recovery. ..... My suggestion is that if you want to send drawings to children, anything related to cartoons will be appreciated. Japanese kids love "anime". I think that American cartoon characters would be nice (Disney, Pixar) because that would be special to the kids; after all, it is American kids who took the time to send them something. Take care and thanks,
-- Naomi

Update from Japan:

Seeing the real situation of a coastal town, Sanriku, I just lost words.
Of course I've been watching the reports on TV, but it is completely different to what I was imagining...
I brought a camera with me, but it was so shocking to me that I couldn't take any pictures.
The relief was the people there had begun clearing debris or fixing their aquaculture pools cooperated by the Self Defence Force or volunteers.
On the day I visited there, I was so busy helping the relatives of my workmate's wife that I didn't have time to visit the local council to get any information about schools there.
So I've been collecting information about it in my hometown afterword.
All the high schools will be open at the middle of this month, which means it is two weeks behind the original plan.
As for junior high schools or primary schools, their reopening will be at the end of this month or the beginning of May, I think. -- 高橋
Sent: Monday, April 04, 2011 7:34 PM

Thanks for the overwhelming responses from students, teachers, and others since this project was posted. There are now students/schools in 15 US states and Canada who are in the process of creating cards or writing letters, and we have already received cards/letters from two schools since the start of this project a few weeks ago.

Currently, I am in the process of locating individual schools to send the letters and are making every effort to get the letters/cards to the students in Japan as soon as possible. The conditions of the hardest-hit areas of Japan are still critical, and I was told that most schools are still closed and transportation to those areas is very difficult. However, when the students can receive them, they will definitely be sent out. Updates will be posted when become available. Thanks again to everyone for their support and for taking actions to help the disaster victims.

For mailing your letters and cards, please send them to the following address:

We Care Act
2722 Garden Falls Dr.
Manvel, TX 77578

An email confirmation will be sent upon receiving your letters if you email letterstojapan@wecareact.org.

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