KUMAMOTO EARTHQUAKE RELIEF FUND

The major earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture on April 14th, 2016, and the damages are widely spread across the Kyushu region, especially in Kumamoto and Oita prefecture. Countless people were affected by this earthquake and are in need of immediate help. Many Japan-related organizations in New York are helping to bring awareness and asking for donations.

Japan Day was accepting donations to help support the relief efforts at the event. With the donation of $20 or more, a Japan Day Original Charity T-shirt, featuring original artwork by Huy Voun Lee, the winner of Japan Day Art Contest 2016 was giving.

The total donations received for Kumamoto Earthquake Relief were $20,131.95. We’d like to thank all of the donors for their generous support. We have sent all collected donations to the Consulate-General of Japan’s Relief Fund For Kumamoto. The donations will be sent to the Japanese Red Cross Society by the Consulate-General of Japan, and the funds will be delivered to the affected people through local governments.

We would like to express our deepest condolences and sympathy to those affected by the earthquakes that hit Kumamoto.

Japan Day Charity Ambassador
JAMIE PARTON

The reporter of “TV Japan CLUB,” Jamie Parton helped and supported the Kumamoto Earthquake Relief efforts as a Japan Day Charity Ambassador. Jamie was at the Charity Tent to help raise more awareness and donations, and he also appeared on stage to reach more people to inform about the charity.

As an actor, Gen has appeared as the official Japanese cast in Broadway musicals such as Next to Normal (Gabe), RENT (Angel), Rocky Horror Show (Rocky), Dracula (Jonathan), and Mitsuko. US credits include Hold On the Musical, The History Boys, Jackson Heights Trilogy, K-pop, Serials (The Flea Theatre) and Miss Saigon (Thuy). As a host, Gen is the lead presenter on NHK’s “TV Japan Club” and co-host of downtown improv comedy show “Batsu!” Gen also co-founded Broadway in Japan, a company that hosts Broadway caliber musical theatre workshops in Japan. AKA “Jamie Parton” in the US. @jamiegparton

JAPAN DAY ORIGINAL CHARITY T-SHIRTS

Japan Society is an American nonprofit organization supported by individuals, foundations and corporations that brings the people of Japan and the United States closer together through mutual understanding, appreciation and cooperation. More than one hundred years after the Society’s founding in 1907, its goal remains the same—the cultivation of a constructive, resonant and dynamic relationship between the people of the U.S. and Japan. Today, Japan Society has evolved into a world-class, multidisciplinary hub for global leaders, artists, scholars, educators, and English and Japanese-speaking audiences. At the Society, more than 100 events each year feature sophisticated, topically relevant presentations of Japanese art and culture and open, critical dialogue on issues of vital importance to the U.S., Japan and East Asia.