Last week several prefectures as well as the Governor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara, published messages in English to the world in response to the disaster on March 11.
Thanking the world for its support and seeking to reassure businesses and tourists alike, Ishihara wrote to the Asian Network of Major Cities 21 to say thank you for the support Japan had received from ANMC21. He also wrote that the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is currently monitoring radiation levels in Tokyo and checking the safety of agricultural and marine products to make sure they meet ‘internationally recognized standards for safety.’
He encouraged people to visit the Tokyo Metropolitan Government website for more information to dispel any anxieties they may have about visiting Tokyo. Read his message in full here.
He also released a message in his capacity as governor on behalf of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government itself, which you can read here:
‘I hope you will visit Tokyo and Japan, and experience the Tokyo of today – a Tokyo that is no different from what it was life before. Please also see with your own eyes how Japan is taking the path to recovery, united in its efforts to overcome this tragedy. I would also be very grateful if you could return home and tell others about the strength and vibrancy you found in our city and nation…We look forward to welcoming you.’
The Chugoku Regional Development Promotion Council have also issued a statement offering their thanks for all the messages of gratitude and concern they have received from all over the world since March 11.
Their message is one of reassurance to those overseas as Chugoku in the western region of Japan was completely unaffected by the earthquake and tsunami. They encourage people to visit them as by ‘welcoming everyone as tourists from overseas will reinvigorate the spirit of the Japanese people, and we firmly believe it will lead to the earliest possible recovery of Japan.’ Read in full (PDF).
The Fukushima International Association has also published its new issue of Gyro, published in order to ‘give up-to-date information on the present condition of Fukushima prefecture and shed light on the activities of local international exchange groups and lives of foreigners living here.’
The third issue compiles eye-witness accounts of four non-Japanese who live and work in Fukushima of the disaster in March. It also compiles news about four international collaborations in Fukushima to help rebuild and support people living in the afflicted area, helping life get back to normal. Read the third issue Gyro in full here (PDF).
Finally, the prefecture of Yamanashi has stated its intentions to strengthen its international ties with countries outside of Japan as a sign of its belief in international business partnerships and cooperation as the route to recovery:
‘In order to process the recovery in the earthquake struck areas and among other places, Yamanashi needs to deepen its relationships with friends from all over the world and resume our lives by organizing more and more exchange events.
Yamanashi has not been influenced much by the earthquake and radiation. And so we will use our local tourism and products to help with the recovery of Japan.’
The message also includes an introduction to Yamanashi Prefecture, the producer of Koshu Wine, and a list of radiation readings from the region. Read it now (PDF).
