Last updated: September 2013
Not being plugged into Boston's Japanese-American community (do we even have one?), I struggled to find ways to support Japan after 3.11. Almost every project I've found has been discovered through a random Internet search. I thought I'd collect them here.
Arts
Nozomi Project - Nozomi means "hope". Women in the Ishinomaki area take broken pottery left in the wake of the tsunami and make beautiful pieces of jewelry. The Nozomi Project provides these women with income and community.SHIZU革 - Women in Minamisōma, Fukushima make leather bracelets and keychains. Unfortunately their website is only in Japanese, but they will ship anywhere in the world and their director speaks some English.
Tewassa - decorative quilts and other projects
Books
Peko Peko: A Charity Cookbook for Japan
Tomo: Friendship Through Fiction - includes a contribution from local Japanese American artist Tak Toyoshima
Clothing
Direct Aid
Perhaps giving money or buying something just doesn't feel like enough. These organizations will deliver your donations directly to people in need.
Knit for Japan - hand-knitted/crocheted items and/or yarn/tools
Update 3/28/13: Socks for Japan doesn't appear to be operating anymore. They haven't updated their website in a long time and I've sent several emails that have gone unanswered.
Hands-On
It's Not Just Mud - Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture-based "non-profit volunteer organization specializing in disaster relief, grass-root support and rehabilitation of disaster affected individuals and small businesses." Japanese fluency isn't necessary to volunteer with them.
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