Japan
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Photo: Chris Cabatbat/Mercy Corps
Our strategy
Restore jobs and services to coastal towns heavily damaged by the March 2011 tsunami.
The context
One of the largest earthquakes ever recorded triggered a tsunami that killed more than 15,000 people, spurred a nuclear crisis and caused an estimated $235 billion in damages — Japan’s worst disaster since World War II. Entire coastal communities were wiped out by the surging waters.
Our work
- Emergency response: Provided relief supplies to meet the basic needs of 42,000 people living in shelters and helped children heal from trauma after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami
- Economic opportunity: Delivering start-up grants, employment incentives and loan-interest subsidies to encourage new businesses and hiring in tsunami-affected towns
All stories about Japan
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Japan: Reflections on two years supporting tsunami-hit communities March 7, 2013
The 200 local small businesses we’ve reached are collectively the region’s largest employer. They also lie at the center of community life, and are a critical part of the recovery for everyone here.
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Japan: Update: Two years since the tsunami March 7, 2013
Much has changed in Japan in the past two years, yet much has painfully stayed the same in the tsunami zone. Mercy Corps assisted in the emergent aftermath of the disaster, and has continued to provide support for local small merchants, helping to revive the badly struggling local economies.
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Japan: Biodiesel enterprise fuels economic recovery April 18, 2012
If you had never visited Japan’s tsunami-ravaged coast until this week, the bleak landscape where homes and businesses once stood would be sobering.
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Japan: Images: From ruin to renewal March 9, 2012
Twelve months after the tsunami that devastated Japan's northeast coast, reminders of the tragedy are everywhere — but so is an incredible resilience and hope to rebuild the future.
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Japan: Seaweed harvest brings fresh start to coastal towns March 9, 2012
If you have ever eaten a traditional Japanese meal, chances are you’ve had a taste of wakame seaweed. Harvested in early spring, it is most often served in soups and salads.
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Japan: Small business owners revitalize their communities March 9, 2012
Thanks to generous donations from NVIDIA and World Vision, Mercy Corps and PlaNet Finance Japan are providing $4 million in start-up loans and grants to small business owners in Japan's tsunami-ravaged coastal towns.
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Japan: The cycle continues at restored salmon hatchery March 9, 2012
"Today, we have equipment and young salmon in the tanks again. It's a small step towards the overall revival of this town," said Hiroto Miura, the hatchery's manager.
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Japan: Progress report: One year of emergency relief and continued economic recovery March 5, 2012
One year after the worst natural disaster in Japan’s history — the massive earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011 — Mercy Corps continues to work with our partner agencies, Peace Winds Japan and PlaNet Finance Japan, to help the Japanese people rebuild.
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Japan: Helping the next generation look ahead March 2, 2012
As I bumped along the slippery coastal road in a bus, I wondered what I would learn at the training that I was headed to in Kamaishi, Japan.
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Japan: Small business helps the youngest survivors February 8, 2012
Today my heart sang. After days of seeing destruction and rubble, I got to visit the tiniest tsunami survivors at a day care in Kesennuma, Japan. After it was destroyed in the tsunami, the day care was recently restarted with Mercy Corps' help .