Media Advisory towards the One Year Anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

2012/03/02

1.Media interviews

Japanese Red Cross
• Saya Matsumoto, officer - Japanese Red Cross PR office
Mobile: + 81 90 78202173 E-mail: s-matsumoto@jrc.or.jp
• Asuka Suzuki, officer - Japanese Red Cross PR office
Mobile: +81 90 78202173 E-Mail: as-suzuki@jrc.or.jp

IFRC
• Patrick Fuller, communications manager, Asia Pacific, IFRC
Japan Mobile: +81 90-6534-7128
Mobile : +60 122 308 451 E-mail : patrick.fuller@ifrc.org
• Francis Markus, IFRC communications delegate for East Asia
Japan Mobile: +81 90-6534-7098
Mobile: +86 139 10096892 E-mail: francis.markus@ifrc.org (interviews in English, French, German and Chinese)

Psychosocial expert
On the Red Cross psychosocial programme, Dr. Toshiharu Makishima, General Director, International Medical Relief Department, Japanese Red Cross Medical Center is available for interviews. He is a leading doctor for in charge of the psychosocial care programme and was one of the key figures in introducing psychosocial support in Japan, following his experiences treating Rwandan refugees in 1994. Please contact us to arrange interviews with him.

2.Audio-visual materials

Japanese Red Cross has made a film featuring the current situation of survivors and Red Cross support to them. If you are interested in our films, we are happy to provide visual materials.

For the film, please see this site.

** You can also access our audiovisual material from www.ifrc.org by clicking on "News and Media" and then "Video Newsroom."

3.Press briefing by Tadateru Konoe President of the Japanese Red Cross Society and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Mr. Konoe will deliver a speech looking at the lessons to be learned from the response to the earthquake and tsunami and in particular the need to boost preparedness in face of nuclear disasters both in Japan and worldwide following Fukushima.

Time and Date: 14:30-15:30, Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Place: Foreign Press Center / Japan (6th floor, Nippon Press Center Bldg.)
Language: English and Japanese (with simultaneous interpretation)

4.Psychosocial Support Programme (PSP) for the residents in temporary homes

Japanese Red Cross is running psychosocial support activities such as tea parties, relaxation activities (massage and stretching) and so on. This activity aims to help particularly elderly residents get out of their homes, and build stronger community ties in order to combat loneliness and physical inactivity, which doctors warn can lead to“disuse syndrome“. (For exact location, please contact the Japanese Red Cross.)

Place: Tagajyo City, in Miyagi Prefecture
Date: 10, 24 March

5.Medical care for people making temporary home visits into 20km exclusion zone

Japanese Red Cross Medical Team is ready to take care of the people who get sick or injured while making temporary visits. Our team is not there to take care of radiation-related problems specifically, but more general health issues. The media can enter only to designated area, but our Director from Fukushima Chapter will be available to explain the situation and our activities.

Place: Bajikouen
Address:Haramachi ward, Minami Souma City
Date: 1-4, 7-10, 13-18 in March.
Time: 9 am to 4 pm (between those hours, anytime is fine)

* Note *
For programmes 4 and 5, please be advised that you need to organize your own transport and interpreter if needed.
- We are happy for media to film/interview Red Cross staff/volunteers, but if you want to interview survivors, you need to ask for the individuals‘ permission.
- It would be helpful if you could give us the following information in advance, if you are interested in filming our activities:
(1) Number of people and contact person/number
(2) Name of the show or programme on which our activites are to be showed and time to be aired.