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Americans gave $712.6 mil to disaster-hit Japan: report

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bit of a finger up to those who claim Americans just see Japan as a convenient base for military in Asia. This is heartwaming

36 ( +38 / -2 )

What has been done with it? So much money, and that huge number in the headline doesn't, of course, take into account donations from other countries.

And yet...

16 ( +18 / -2 )

Here's hoping (but not expecting) Japan to use the money for its intended purpose

15 ( +18 / -3 )

Well done to our American friends! Sure ー they cop a lot of criticism here and abroad - but Japanese should be very grateful. Lets all hope these funds were not squandered by Japanese officials and went to the poor folk up here in tohoku who needed it.

10 ( +13 / -3 )

I wionder if they'd have been so generous if they'd known that at least half of the "recovery budget" would be spent on publicity for the Sky Tree, concrete models of the "miracle pine" or refitting the whaling fleet?

This article is a credit to the generosity of spirit of the American people, and an absolute disgrace on the japanese bureaucrats who allowed such criminal misappropriation of funds.

8 ( +15 / -7 )

So i wonder where that many went too

5 ( +8 / -3 )

When I was heading to Japan on 3/20, local Home Depot and Lowes donated tons of batteries, portable chargers, lamps, water filters at free of charge. I took all of them to Japan and United Airlines did not charge any excess fee as there were only less than 50 passengers. Americans donated more than what has been estimated here. In time of crisis, Americans are truly generous and kind hearted I just want everyone to know. .

23 ( +25 / -2 )

@BarryMcCokkiner - publicity for Sky Tree is a good thing. Tourism is a part of rebuilding Japan. Rebuilding doesn't mean just construction or food. Rebuilding means bringing things back to normal - which includes investments to business and such that generate REVENUE to the country. As for whaling, I'd need proof that the recovery money is being spent on that because whaling is totally a private effort.

-20 ( +6 / -25 )

this is why i never donate money for disaster relief. i'm sure if we included donatins from all over the world, the total would be several billions dollars, and yet over 300,000 people are still without proper homes. the good-intentions of the many can't counteract the lethargic bureaucracy of governments.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Well done America pat yourselves on the back.

9 ( +10 / -1 )

This is great! Thanks to the generous heart of the American People reflecting decades of friendship between the two nations! Well done!

8 ( +9 / -1 )

@bryan villados - if you want proof, all you need to do is google it. it's been fairly common knowledge and covered in the media over a year ago that tsunami relief funds were diverted to whaling. All confirmed by a Fisheries Agency Official himself. Also pretty sure that the Japan's whaling program is not a "private effort".

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/08/japan-whale-hunt-disaster-funding_n_1135980.html http://rt.com/news/japan-tsunami-relief-fund-697/

8 ( +10 / -2 )

I donated to red cross USA 3 days after the tsunami. I'm not living in America. I know friends that did the same.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

I hope the money is being put into good use. Thanks to the Americans.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Very generous. As said above, hope the money finds its way into the right hands. My family is a recipient of goods from the Red Cross. So I know at least some of the money is being used for those affected.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Bryan Villados - publicity for Sky Tree is a good thing. Tourism is a part of rebuilding Japan. Rebuilding doesn't mean just construction or food. Rebuilding means bringing things back to normal - which includes investments to business and such that generate REVENUE to the country.

You have GOT to be joking! Those people did not choose to donate their hard earned cash so that fat cats could get richer. They donated it to help those in immediate need. Those in TOHOKU. Not Tokyo. How in the world does Sky Tree PR help an old man and woman in a fishing village hundreds of kms north that lost everything?

So the Japan Center for International Exchange has recorded everything that came in. Did they also record everything that went OUT as well, and what is was spent on? Or is that report available anywhere? THAT would be interesting reading.

17 ( +21 / -5 )

Wow! 712 million bucks! That accounts for about half of the relief funds they spent on security for the whale hunt last year.

1 ( +9 / -8 )

tapetape - if you read that article you would see that the money came from an emergency budget. Not donations.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Disillusioned - $1.4 billion dollars on the whale hunt? Really?

2 ( +8 / -6 )

Rickyvee - obviously it's your choice. Personally, having learned what I have about the red cross I would NEVER donate to them. However there are many, many, many organisations that did a fantastic job and the money donated went to the people in the area.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Heda_Madness> tapetape - if you read that article you would see that the money came from an emergency budget. Not donations.

Yes, and No. Victims who received money from the Red Cross had that amount subtracted from other money they could have received from City and Prefecture. City and Prefecture were getting funds from emergency budget, the emergency budget meant explicitly for tsunami victims.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

THANK YOU! Really, thank you very much.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

One wonders how much of this ended up in the Yakuza's pockets.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Having scrutinized the Japan Red Cross for the unspent zillions of yen they still have in their bank account, am I right in presuming the American Red Cross sent all this money to them?? If they did, then that is it, never to be seen again.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

My heart goes out to those who are still in makeshift housing due to the ineptness of the Japanese gov't. It's amazing when they want to build something it goes up in a month, but when they want to take their sweet ass time, it takes a decade. Unreal. I understand the cleanup process has taken an immense amount of time, but 2 years later and people still don't have a place of their own to live seems just absurd to me. Stay strong Tohoku!!!

11 ( +11 / -0 )

Thanks America!

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Having scrutinized the Japan Red Cross for the unspent zillions of yen they still have in their bank account, am I right in presuming the American Red Cross sent all this money to them?? If they did, then that is it, never to be seen again.

The way that the red cross works is that each country will appeal for money and then the country where the disaster occurs will then ask for money. In the event of the country not asking for as much as raised then that money will stay in the country. So even though people think they are donating to Japan there was no guarantee that the money would go to Japan. There are many things wrong with the Red Cross' business model. They advertise like hell during the initial disaster. They are photographed (due to their strong relationships with individual governments) handing out aid. This aid is donated by other groups who get no recognition for their role and the Red Cross use it to get more money. In Japan's case the Japanese Red Cross asked for the money but didn't know what to do with it. Everyone wanted to donate to the Red Cross because of their marketing machine but they don't have the same impact as other organisations. But claim the credit.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Money will defiantly use...thanks to America.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

@ChibaChick

So the Japan Center for International Exchange has recorded everything that came in. Did they also record everything that went OUT as well, and what is was spent on?

I have also been wondering the same thing... Since so many people are still huddled in temporary housing, one really wonders where all the money goes...

6 ( +6 / -0 )

I JUST HOPED THE MONEY WENT TO THE VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS. Quarter of a billion dollars is a lot of money. Let's ask for TRANSPARENCY and AUDITING from the JGovt.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Thank you those Americans and other foreigners that gave. I firmly believe you care more about the Japanese people than most of the politicians in power do.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Simple Question. Has any details been put out on . How much has been spent and what portion of it has been for re- housing people for free.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

How much did Korea donate, China? Of course they will not be celebrated like the 'merkans..

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

My God, so much negativity. Who has actual PROOF that any of this money was used for SkyTree promotion, the Whaling fleet or anything else so nonsensical. Please post a link or direct me to an article from a reputable journalist documenting this. Not some 'left-wing' rag like some of you just seem to read.

Well done America..and Thank You.

-1 ( +4 / -4 )

How great was that - Well Done America, what a great achievement!!!

4 ( +4 / -0 )

theResident - "Who has actual PROOF that any of this money was used for SkyTree promotion, the Whaling fleet or anything else so nonsensical." Here is:

http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2011/12/japan-admits-tsunami-funds-used-safeguard-whaling-fleet

1 ( +2 / -1 )

well what is the rest of the world financially speaking where donations come from? the EU block, the UK has some- though most of that is focused on thier own issues, the middle east has mostly a polarized society of very rich Haves and a lot of Have Nots- so not much is happening there.

some new movement in Asia but again until more recently most of the middle class has been Japan/Singapore and Hong Kong- so expecting a lot of monetary donations is not the norm.

(oh yeah there is that Australia/New Zealand area but i am unsure how much they really want Japan around anyway)

so the US is still the bellweather- if finances were better the amount might be higher, but it was great that with things being so tight in the US that so much was given

4 ( +4 / -0 )

theResident - "Who has actual PROOF that any of this money was used for SkyTree promotion, the Whaling fleet or anything else so nonsensical." Here it is :

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/japan-using-quake-disaster-budget-for-whaling-aid

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

What an incredibly short memory. I was in Korea when the disaster struck Japan. There were fund raisings going on all over South Korea, with record donations for Japan relief. Of course this was before the two countries relations went into the toilet. S.Korea offered 1000 relief workers which Japan declined. S.Korea ended up sending seven relief workers and one rescue dog. Japan's internet made jokes that the dog ran away when it arrived in Japan airport. Not to mention the mobile power plant that the S.Korean government provided to Japan free of charge that helped to power Tokyo.

GobshiteMar. 11, 2013 - 08:44PM JST

How much did Korea donate, China? Of course they will not be celebrated like the 'merkans..

-3 ( +6 / -10 )

@edhigh - the motherjones link you posted had this to say:

Fueled by interviews with Sea Shepherd’s combative leader, Paul Watson, the story was misreported around the world to imply that foreign donations, not Japanese taxes, were being siphoned off to protect the cull.

It then goes on to say

Whatever the facts....

Implying it doesn't know them or believe them - Not a solid base for good journalism

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@tapetape,

it's been fairly common knowledge and covered in the media over a year ago that tsunami relief funds were diverted to whaling... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/08/japan-whale-hunt-disaster-funding_n_1135980.html

Yet the link you provide as "proof" says the money for whaling came strictly from the Supplementary Budget approved by Japan's government, not from private donations. Read your "proof" again.

@Disillusioned,

Wow! 712 million bucks! That accounts for about half of the relief funds they spent on security for the whale hunt last year.

If you're using the article pointed out by tapetape as your basis, you're confusing currencies. The whaling funds allocated in the supplementary budget were 2.3 billion YEN but only come to 29 million DOLLARS, or only 4% of what the Americans donated to Japan. Incidentally, the $29 million allocated for whaling is a miniscule part of the $230 Billion that Japan has allocated in supplementary budgets for the disaster. It works out to 1.26% of the total in the supplementary budgets.

@CraigHicks,

Victims who received money from the Red Cross had that amount subtracted from other money they could have received from City and Prefecture. City and Prefecture were getting funds from emergency budget, the emergency budget meant explicitly for tsunami victims.

It's not an "emergency budget", it's a "supplementary budget". As such the budget can contain allocations for ANY expenses not foreseen in the original budget. While the overwhelming majority of the budget deals with the disaster, there's no requirement that everything in a supplementary budget deals only with earthquake/tsunami relief.

Regarding the Japan Red Cross Society, they have their funding numbers on their website. If a donation was made through the Red Cross and the donator specified that the funds go to the victims, then the Red Cross passed the funds directly to the prefectural commissions tasked with distributing funds to their prefectures.

For those "wondering" what the JRCS is doing with the donations they received, they have THAT on their website. Here's the narrative of what happened during the last three months of 2012:

http://www.jrc.or.jp/vcms_lf/Ops_Update_No10_20120214_Final.pdf

...and here's the latest spreadsheet showing what's been spent as of the end of 2012 (note that all numbers in the spreadsheet represent "thousands of yen"):

http://www.jrc.or.jp/vcms_lf/Ops_FinancialReport_No_6_20120214_Final.pdf

Not that I expect any of the Red Cross bashers to actually GO to those links. It would weaken their position that the Red Cross is a huge money hog that seldom benefits victims.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

@Chucky3176, thanks for the info. Sadly the (very few) asshats holding up signs thanking the tsunamis for destroying Japan made too big an impression on it at the time, nice to know it wasn't everyone.

-2 ( +5 / -6 )

Since so many people are still huddled in temporary housing, one really wonders where all the money goes...

The money is still there, other than that obviously spent on their temporary accomodation and facilities already. Just watching a show on the difficulties involved in re-building Minami Sanriku. Not quite as simple as "What? Shame on the Japanese government." Moving residents to higher ground, moving their fields or work places, it's a complicated expensive time-consuming mess on which agreement is difficult.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

About a quarter of the US$148 billion budget for reconstruction after Japan's March 2011 tsunami and nuclear disaster has been spent on unrelated projects, including subsidies for a contact lens factory and research whaling. Thank you America. Japan, Japan...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Individuals, companies and non-profit groups have donated $712.6 million to help crisis-stricken areas over the last 24 months, the Japan Center for International Exchange said in a report.

And this does not count the billions in aid rendered following the quake by the U.S. military, especially the navy. As the commercial says "A global force for good".

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

@Colin Shea,

Having scrutinized the Japan Red Cross for the unspent zillions of yen they still have in their bank account, am I right in presuming the American Red Cross sent all this money to them?? If they did, then that is it, never to be seen again.

Had you actually read the article rather than just the headline, you would have known you were WRONG in presuming that.

Going to the JCIE web site, you can find the following chart listing the 25 largest U.S. donators:

http://jcie.org/images/11earthquake/311CSM_chart2.png

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@Chucky3176

SK may have been generous, but I am more than sure that Japanese were angered by blogs, youtube videos, and sign holding Koreans who continue to gloat and celebrate the tsunami and the death of tens of thousands. Does not take much to ruin the image of others, just like how you don't like the Japanese because of their fringe right wing.

1 ( +3 / -3 )

there have already been lots of words to the US government and society thanking them for this,,the US truly gives us a good model of not only through combatting terrorist extremisms etc, but also acting collectively to help our neighbours in times of unexpected disasters like the one in Fukushima..again a big word of "thank u USA" doumo arigatou gozaimashita!!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

@ BarryMcCokkiner,

Absolutely spot-on.

Generosity is one thing and misspending is another.

It's a lot of money, surely some could be spent on getting people out of thos temporary houses...it has been two years after all.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

"North Korea and Kim Jong Il donated $100,000 to the Japan Red Cross and gave $500,000 to pro-Pyongyang Korean residents in Japan."

Didn't know that! Some other interesting donation facts in this article:

http://factsanddetails.com/japan.php?itemid=1853&catid=26..

2 ( +2 / -0 )

One of the outstanding stories from all the donating was from how many countries far and while wanted to donate and in most cases to a richer more developed country than themselves. There were alot of "poor" countries that were eager to help.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

This is just from what was donated to the JRCS, but the total donated so far to them comes to 59,066,330,384 yen.

The breakdown by country and/or organization can be found at the end of the current JRCS Tohoku operational report:

http://www.jrc.or.jp/vcms_lf/Ops_Update_No10_20120214_Final.pdf

1 ( +1 / -0 )

There were fund raisings going on all over South Korea, with record donations for Japan relief.

If that's Korea's own "record donations", then I would be embarassed to even post it. Didn't one particular district in Seoul decided to re-allocate 80% of the collected funds to a Dokdo organization? Or better yet, didn't 7-11 convenience store relief donations revealed only 217 yen per store was collected ranked dead last among Asian nations?

-7 ( +2 / -9 )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvxjZXjz648

The biggest help came from the US Tomodachi Operations. You can still click and watch this youtube what we have done for the rescue mission in Tohoku.

US supplied enough helicopters (some came from S. Korea US bases) transporting enough JSDF to the site. It only took us 30 days to open up Sendai Airport that was very critical for infrastructures to/from Tohoku.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

No doubt their was individual generosity globally. The USA may be highlighted due to the size of totaled donation. In developed nations the US is the leader in population size and disposable income. Also the USA is a generous nation, anywhere, anytime, we do step up to the plate and offer our services and dollars.

No doubt their was National assistance and generosity Globally. Food, fresh water and other essentials. Search and Rescue teams. With dogs! Massive personel transportation aircraft. Clean up efforts. Power generation equipment. The list can go on and on.

Globally the world comes together on occasion. Sad on these occasions but good to see we all have the compassion for each other from time to time.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@globalwatcher,

Americans are truly generous and kind hearted I just want everyone to know

Not only donation of money, a lot of Americans, including you globalwatcher, came here to help us.

And I understand you are coming to Tohoku again.

I just heard from morning news that 70% people in Tohoku feel like they are forgotten.

We are so grateful that a lot of people overseas still care for the people in Tohoku.

Thank you.

xoxo

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Is there a proper accounting of where all that money went?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Blair HerronMar. 12, 2013 - 02:36AM JST

@globalwatcher,

Americans are truly generous and kind hearted I just want everyone to know

Not only donation of money, a lot of Americans, including you globalwatcher, came here to help us.

And I understand you are coming to Tohoku again.

I just heard from morning news that 70% people in Tohoku feel like they are forgotten.

We are so grateful that a lot of people overseas still care for the people in Tohoku.

Thank you.

xoxo

I am leaving tomorrow morning at 430 am here for Tohoku Anniversary. I am looking forward to seeing all smiling faces of Tohoku. They are waiting for me there too. Their smiling faces worth a million to me .We are brothers and sisters under eyes of God and we need to help each other in time of crisis.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Well Nigel, private South Koreans donated $46 million in three weeks right after the disaster hit. Also, the Korean red cross collected $26 million in two weeks. Private donations also included tons of water, blankets, diapers, baby food, clothes, daily necessities. Korean actors and singers performing in Japan donated millions of dollars, so did the Korean conglomerates. The SK government offered 1000 rescue workers which was declined because of Japanese pride. K-government also donated 53 tons of boric acid to put out the fire at Fukushima, and donated the services of mobile transformers which could power a small city. There were genuine thoughts that Korea and Japan may forge a new relationship.

That is until middle of April of that year, when the Japanese Sankei Shimbun reporter in Korea penned a sarcastic editorial scoffing at Korean people's good will toward Japan, and implied that the donating Koreans sympathetic to Japan tsunami victims were probably happy inside that Japan was struck with disaster. There were also many Japanese blogs and internet rumors that Korean rescuers were thieves and rapists, and that Koreans were looting, taking advantage of the disaster to rape, steal, loot, and pillage. Right after, followed Japan government's inexplicable decision to re-make their school textbooks to reflect their nationalistic agenda, including Takeshima is Japanese claim, and erasing the Comfort Women from the text books. I guess you can say a cold water was thrown at the people, and the donations dropped off the cliff.

But that still doesn't negate the fact that S.Korea gave a lot to Japan before April, before Japan refused to take the hands that Korea extended to them. As usual, Japanese net users will focus on the negatives only.

If that's Korea's own "record donations", then I would be embarassed to even post it. Didn't one particular district in Seoul decided to re-allocate 80% of the collected funds to a Dokdo organization? Or better yet, didn't 7-11 convenience store relief donations revealed only 217 yen per store was collected ranked dead last among Asian nations?

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

I ask again, chucky. What are you bragging about? You want to compare internet blogs and rumors of negativity versus what this Seoul District official did with these funds?  There's always "strings" attached these donationas, aren't they? Pathetic people.

-2 ( +6 / -8 )

@Nigelboy,

If that's Korea's own "record donations", then I would be embarassed to even post it. Didn't one particular district in Seoul decided to re-allocate 80% of the collected funds to a Dokdo organization? Or better yet, didn't 7-11 convenience store relief donations revealed only 217 yen per store was collected ranked dead last among Asian nations?

The Republic of Korea's Red Cross has sent 2,977,101,031 yen to Japan's Red Cross Society for Tohoku relief as of the end of January 2013. If you're going to disparage a country for paltry donations, you're going to need to pick a different country than South Korea.

Source: http://www.jrc.or.jp/vcms_lf/Ops_Update_No10_20120214_Final.pdf

3 ( +5 / -2 )

The Republic of Korea's Red Cross has sent 2,977,101,031 yen to Japan's Red Cross Society for Tohoku relief as of the end of January 2013. If you're going to disparage a country for paltry donations, you're going to need to pick a different country than South Korea.

No offence Fadamor but is this anything to brag about? Let's compare those figures to Taiwan shall we? One never asks for appreciation while the other use them as "strings attached".

-2 ( +6 / -8 )

nigelboyMar. 12, 2013 - 02:15AM JST If that's Korea's own "record donations", then I would be embarassed to even post it. Didn't one particular district in Seoul decided to re-allocate 80% of the collected funds to a Dokdo organization? Or better yet, didn't 7-11 convenience store relief donations revealed only 217 yen per store was collected ranked dead last among Asian nations?

Embassed to post it? How sick. South Korea has less than 50 million people and U.S. has population of 314 million. If you do the math, South Korea donated close to $50 million, which is equivelent to $1 for every person in their country and that would be equivent to $314 million in U.S. Majority of the people in Japan are very grateful to the contributions that South Korea made during the difficult times.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Bottom line! This article praises USA donations. Wonderful! We are an incredibly generous nation and I am thankful for that. Thank you JT for reminding me of that today.

Regarding other nations, Numerous and generous also. I would think most people in Japan are truly grateful for the outpouring of monetary as well as supplies, planning, people, equipment both offered and used.

I for one hope the effected area's rebuild and return to a normal happy life.

Stop the bickering on who gave what and how much please.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

No offence Fadamor but is this anything to brag about? Let's compare those figures to Taiwan shall we? One never asks for appreciation while the other use them as "strings attached".

And yet, with all the problems between the two countries that were going on well before the tsunami, they STILL managed to give that much. Are you suggesting because South Korea didn't donate as much as Taiwan that their money is no good? 3 Billion yen is not an embarrassing amount.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

And yet, with all the problems between the two countries that were going on well before the tsunami, they STILL managed to give that much. Are you suggesting because South Korea didn't donate as much as Taiwan that their money is no good? 3 Billion yen is not an embarrassing amount.

It's embarassing from a point that Chucky bragged it about being "record donations" for Korea. If this is all they can muster, do you honestly believe that this is something to brag about? It's one thing to donate and keep quiet not asking for anything in return(like Taiwan or any other normal nations.) but it's another when donations are suddenly earmarked for something else or the collection is cancelled because of some minor political issues. What's even more pathetic is some Korean media getting all riled up because during the WBC, there were place cards displayed among Japanese fans thanking Taiwan for their generous donations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgmOPR6lGes

http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=107&oid=295&aid=0000000941

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

After the earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, and even with the warnings from South Korean government, these three Japanese politicans tried to visit Dokdo to intentionally create conflict in August 2011. The question was why the ponderous Japanese bureaucracy had to repeat its hoary claim to "Dokdo", while South Koreans were collecting donations and sending rescue teams in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami that inundated the northeast coast of Japan?

What was the priorties for J-goverment? At the time, PM Kan didn't say anything against this issue, and did Kan approve of what these three lawmakers plans to do? Why was it so important for Japan goverment to create a conflict to South Korea that donated over $50 billion dollars to the Japan relief? I would ask Japan to pay back all the money. Even Nigelboy said it was small amount anyway, so it doesn't matter. These Japanese lawmakers don't give a damm about the countless hours these Koreans work to raise millions for the Japan relief and for better relations. Japan is saying stick it. If there is a conflict, and we know there are, why didn't these lawmakers go through proper channels for discussion?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

WOW! and triple WOW !!!!! Many of us here are wondering about the funds and donations intended for the victims of 3/11. Read this pls. .....

Japan has admitted that some of its disaster funds earmarked for earthquake and tsunami relief will instead go to boost security for its so-called "scientific" whale hunts. The Japan Times reports:

"http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2011/12/japan-admits-tsunami-funds-used-safeguard-whaling-fleet"

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Japan has admitted that some of its disaster funds earmarked for earthquake and tsunami relief will instead go to boost security for its so-called "scientific" whale hunts. The Japan Times reports:

Not really surprised that an environmentally "left-leaning" magazine such as Mother Jones would take this slant on the story. The truth is that the $29 million allocated for whaling came out of a 500 billion yen supplementary budget.

The Diet on Wednesday approved a fourth extra budget for the current fiscal year that will assist companies struggling as a result of the March 2011 disasters and the sharp appreciation of the yen, which has weighed on the country’s exports.

Source: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2012/02/09/business/diet-oks-fourth-extra-11-budget/#.UT81TzeRdcY

As you can see, the supplementary budget was not just for "earthquake and tsunami relief", but when you're a magazine known to support the Sea Shepherd pirates, it looks SO much better if you don't mention that fact.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Good cause...myself and a group of disabled friends did a sponsored walk in English weather to raise money for tsunami victims...well worth it!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

So what...do the Americans need a pat on the back? Japan needs to fix Japan and not be so dependent on other nations to fix its problems.

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

Keep it.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

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