East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami DisasterJapan Committee for UNICEF
Emergency Relief and Reconstruction Support
Four-Year Report—Building Resilient Communities with Children©日本ユニセフ協会/2013/satomi matsui

unite forchildrenForeword
Nearly four years have passed since the disaster. The traditional mission of the Japan Committee for
UNICEF (JCU) has been to communicate information about the situation of children in developing countries
and UNICEF’s various assistance programmes, and to fundraise to support those programmes. Unprecedented damage caused by the East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, however, forced us to ask ourselves
what we could do to help, and we wasted no time in contacting UNICEF Headquarters in New York.
UNICEF Headquarters decided to dispatch Japanese experts working at UNICEF offices all over the world
to the affected areas in Japan, and JCU followed by launching a campaign to provide emergency relief
supplies to shelters and other facilities in those areas. Thanks to the cooperation of countless companies,
organizations, and JCU area associations, we succeeded in securing relief supplies and transportation for
the affected areas, despite dire shortages of fuel and supplies that affected all of Japan, including theTokyo Metropolitan region. We also received more than ¥4.8 billion in donations from across Japan andother countries. In the following half-year, we then expanded our programme to encompass six areas,
including: 1) health and nutrition; 2) education; 3) psychosocial care; 4) child protection; 5) and childfriendly reconstruction plans.
JCU continues to focus its assistance on locally-led reconstruction efforts while working closely withdomestic experts, specialist organizations and local governments. Moreover, the experience and lessons
learned through these activities are already beginning to be incorporated into reconstruction work underway in the affected areas, as well as in preparation for the Nankai Trough Earthquake, which, according toforecasts, will very likely occur in the near future.
With this report I express my deep gratitude to our supporters both in Japan and overseas. Thank you forsupporting the Japan Committee for UNICEF.

March 2015
Ryoko Akamatsu
Chairperson
Japan Committee for UNICEF

Six Approaches to Emergency and Reconstruction Support

Reconstruct, not Restore: Build Back Better
Reconstruct child-friendly communities; places that allow children to feel safe and at ease when they return

Psychosocial Support

3

Goal: Rebuild and reopen schools,
preschools, and kindergartens as quickly as
possible.
Activities: Distribute stationery and schoolsupplies; provide new facilities, furniture,and equipment; support transportation
services to and from schools andkindergartens; and other services.

Health and Nutrition
Goal: Resume and restore health careand nutritional services for mothers andtheir children.
Activities: Dispatch experts; distribute food,nutritional supplements, equipment, andsupplies; and disseminate information.

Emergency Relief Supplies
Goal: Provide supplies to emergency sheltersand other centers.
Items supplied: Water, food, School-in-a-Box
Kits, Recreation Kits, and other supplies.

Goal: Strengthen the psychosocial support systemfor children.
Activities: Donate books, furniture, and equipment tocreate Child-Friendly Spaces; dispatch experts to study
provision of psychosocial care for preschool children;and other related services.

4

Education

5
2

1

6

Child Protection
Goal: Comprehensively strengthen child protection
systems to protect children in vulnerable situations,such as orphans, children who have lost a parent, or
children in families suffering from poverty.
Activities: Dispatch experts; awareness-raisingefforts; host training sessions; conduct advocacy
activities at the national, prefectural, and municipal
levels*; and provide other related services.

Child-Friendly Reconstruction Plans
Goal: Ensure the opinions of children are reflected inmunicipal reconstruction plans, and expand the
support for children and child-rearing.
Activities: Mobilize experts and conduct advocacy
activities.*
Our focus in 2014 centered on
the above-mentioned initiatives 4–6.

* Advocacy activities target specific objectives and include working withpartner organizations, information dissemination, awareness raising,and making policy recommendations to local governments.

Play, Participation and Safe PlaceThree keywords for social development illuminated by the
JCU assistance programme

In December 2014, soccer star Makoto Hasebe visited Banda Aceh (Indonesia), one of the areas heaviest
hit by the Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami 10 years earlier. After his visit, Mr. Hasebe commented, “I
was most impressed by how seriously the younger generation thought about disaster preparedness andreconstruction. It’s imperative that the experiences and lessons learned from a disaster be passed on to
the next generation. I think that’s the most important component of disaster preparedness.”

In an instant, the East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami stripped all sense of normalcy from the lives ofmany children. It is our duty to provide them a place where they feel safe and can spend time like children,
as well as psychosocial assistance through playtime, which is an essential component in their everyday
lives. Since the March 2011 disaster, JCU has continued to implement assistance focused on children’s
futures. JCU’s assistance is based on UNICEF know-how accumulated over many years of experience indisaster-affected areas and conflict zones around the world.
Over the past four years implementing our assistance programme, JCU has uncovered three keywords:
play, participation and safe place. To this day, JCU supports opportunities for children to learn, think about
and communicate to their local communities the lessons learned from the disaster, ideas for local reconstruction and how to prepare for the next big disaster. These efforts take place at a wide array of venues,
including play areas, schools and even within the local communities.
Play and participation are all about children freely utilizing their creative spirits and bodies to fully exercise
their potential. These opportunities offer children emotional protection and promote vitality—their resilienceas human beings. That is why it is imperative that we as adults secure safe places for children where they
feel a sense of belonging.
This is essential for the areas affected by the East Japan Earthquake, as well as society as a whole.
Photo: Ground raising work in Kesennuma (November 2014)

Contents
Play, Participation and Safe Place...................................1

Child Protection ...............................................................9

Build Back Better: Building Resilient Communities......2

Child-Friendly Reconstruction Plans ............................10

Highlights of the Four Years.............................................4

Education........................................................................13

Review of the Programme...............................................6
Donations and Programme Areas..................................6

Supporting the Children/From Support Sites.............14

Psychosocial Support ......................................................7

Programme Contributors...............................................17
List of Supporters and Partners.................................. 17

1

Four-Year Income and Expenses Report.......................16

Build Back Better: Building Resilient Communities

In Japan and Overseas
Jericho is a 12-year-old boy who had lived together with his
grandmother in her bamboo home since his parents divorced
when he was little. That bamboo home was blown away by
the typhoon, but Jericho participated in UNICEF activities put
on at a Child-Friendly Space. While receiving psychosocial
assistance himself, Jericho supported the operations of theChild-Friendly Space as a volunteer.
Jericho told us that: “There is a boy who lives nearby whohides in his home when a strong wind blows. His mom says
he’s suffering from trauma. Of course, I’m scared too when astrong wind blows.”
Jericho listens to other children’s stories. By listening to
the stories of other children in his neighborhood he helps
them overcome the trauma of the typhoon. Jericho says,“What I like about this is the chance I get everyday to makethe children around me stronger. Of course, this also gives
me a great deal of strength, too, that I need to recover.”Natural disasters are common all over the world, and 50% to
60% of their victims are children. But that does not meanthat children should be viewed merely as vulnerable victims.
In many of the areas affected by the East Japan Earthquake
and Tsunami it was children who assisted disaster survivors
at schools and other local facilities being used as shelters.
Natural disasters are increasing in number and frequency
due to such factors as climate change. They are impossible toprevent. However, it is not impossible to enhance our resilience to natural disasters by making social and lifestylechanges that would limit the potential impact of disasters asmuch as possible. UNICEF advocates enhancing the resilience of children and society as a whole as an integral component for all forms of assistance, and not limited to only
disaster-preparedness and response.

From Survivor to Supporter“Tsunami Tendenko”—this is a Japanese phrase that has
been taught to the children of Kamaishi, Iwate for years. The
phrase reminds children to run away, forgetting anything andanyone around them, in the event of a tsunami. Junior highschool students, however, who are capable of physically
helping others, are taught that they also have the responsibility to protect others. On 11 March four years ago, many children fled the disaster but not without making the conscious
decision to take the hands of elderly neighbors and younger
children and lead them to safety together. Kamaishi sufferedwidespread damage in the disaster, with over 1,000 people
dead or missing, and nearly 4,700 houses (30% of all housesin Kamaishi) either completely or partially destroyed. Against
this backdrop the trained response of the children saved
99.8% of elementary and junior high school student lives aswell as those of many adults.
Following the disaster, many schools doubled as shelters,
and children took the initiative to oversee their operations.
With roads and communications severed, and minimal assistance arriving from external sources, children assisted disaster survivors with the care and professionalism of adults. The
selfless efforts of these children undoubtedly empowered
the many hopeless survivors residing at the shelters.
In November 2013, the island Leyte in the Philippines was
hit by the largest typhoon in its history. Here, too, children
helped other children and adults while themselves escaping.

Reconstruct, not Restore
UNICEF is active in more than 150 countries and regions
worldwide, where many children face dire situations that are
not necessarily related to disaster or conflict. These include
high mortality rates, widespread infectious disease amongchildren, growth stunting, malnutrition and low school attendance rates. Meanwhile, in areas affected by the East Japan
Earthquake and Tsunami, many areas have been slow to
implement policies related to children and child-rearing due
to the impacts of the declining birth rate and aging society.
The challenge of going beyond “restoration” (building back to
the previous state) to actually “reconstruct” (building a community that is better than before the disaster; “Build Back
Better”) is a common challenge across many disaster-stricken areas regardless of country.
In Sabang, an island just 17 kilometers offshore of Banda
Aceh (Sumatra, Indonesia), a large number of children once
died of malaria. Then, ten years ago the Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami robbed Sabang of almost everything.
Efforts to rebuild the island started with emergency assistance, but resulted in improving the medical and healthsystem to a level better than ever before. There have been noreported cases of malaria among children aged five andyounger since 2011, when a 10-year-old girl named Adelia wastreated for a high fever due to malaria. Adelia celebrated her

Jericho (far right) volunteers at a tented
Child-Friendly Space© UNICEF Video
http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/
philippines_72734.html

2

communities all over the world are preparing for the chanceof a disaster. In Sumatra, which was devastated by a major
earthquake 10 years ago, UNICEF supported the reconstruction of nearly 340 schools specially designed to also function
as shelters and resistant against earthquakes. In Otsuchi(Iwate), where four primary schools and one junior highschool were destroyed by the tsunami and fire, efforts areunderway to build a joint primary and junior high school
designed with ideas provided by children who actually lived atschool shelters following the disaster.
However, in order to utilize these facilities and systems,
and in order to ensure that these facilities and systems can
respond to a disaster of a scale larger than expected,
people—including children themselves—must become more
“resilient”.
In Asia and South Pacific Ocean island nations, where
there are strong concerns about the potential for heavy
impact by major natural disasters in the near future due toglobal warming, children are beginning to sense their changing environment. In school, children learn about their natural
surroundings and the gradual changes that are taking place innature through environmental education. Through theseclasses children are beginning to consider countermeasures
to flooding, typhoons, and other disasters that could potentially occur in their everyday living environment.
In the three Tohoku prefectures, JCU has held “adventure
playground” activities, where children can naturally learn how
to respond to various unanticipated circumstances while
playing. At the urban development training and reconstruction
education JCU supports in Otsuchi (Iwate), Sendai (Miyagi)
and Soma (Fukushima), children research their communities’
history and risks and then develop ideas for overcoming the
problems their communities face, while also brainstorming
defenses against another major disaster. These are not only
opportunities for children to consider the implications for theircommunities and own futures, but also to transmit that information to greater society.

tenth birthday in 2014. In Aceh Besar, just a 30-minute drivefrom Banda Aceh, more than 90,000 people lost their lives inthe disaster, but today malaria is also on the verge of being
completely eradicated.

Adelia, the last malaria patient in Sabang, Indonesia© UNICEF Video
http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/indonesia_72888.html

Sichuan Province in China suffered catastrophic damage ina major earthquake in 2008. Reconstruction assistance,
however, improved and strengthened the local maternal andchild health systems. In the four years after the disaster thematernal mortality rate dropped by 38 points, while infantmortality rate fell by 37 points. The UNICEF China Officereported that, “The improvement put both metrics greatly
above national averages (18 and 7 points, respectively).”
As part of our reconstruction programme, JCU has provided training in three Tohoku prefectures for government staff
and welfare workers aimed at enriching the support structure
for single-parent households and foster families. A coordinator of these trainings from Rikuzentakata’s Community
Welfare Section (Iwate) commented, “I hope to effectively
implement trainings that build awareness about the importance of teaching the younger generation.” In the Kamaishi
City Office (Iwate), where a Children Section was newly
established following the disaster, in 2013 JCU provided training opportunities for child development test equipment andassistance providers, supporting the expansion of support
structures for disaster-affected children and children with
developmental disabilities.
In Ishinomaki (Miyagi), which suffered economic difficulties since before the disaster, JCU has supported the “Ishinomaki: A Children’s Town” since its first event in 2012. The
event is an urban development learning effort put on by local
residents at the town’s shopping district. They planned
events where children learn to appreciate their communities
and about different types of jobs while playing. Mr. Yuya
Toda, from Ishinomaki Citizens Council for Children, stresses, “A town without children is a town without a future.”

A disaster risk map drawn by 11 and 12-year-old boys from Mongolia.
The map incorporates flooding and various other potential risks that
could occur at home or near local play areas
Children’s Vulnerability to Climate Change and Disaster Impacts
in East Asia and the Pacific, UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional
Office, 2011
http://www.unicef.org/eapro/Climate_Change_Regional_Report_15_
Nov_final.pdf

Resilient Communities
Resilient Children
From constructing levees and tsunami evacuation towers,
raising ground levels, moving homes to higher locations, toinstalling evacuation routes and early warning systems—

3

Highlights of the Four Years
Emergency Assistance

Provision of emergency
supplies, health andhygiene assistance tomothers and children, andnutritional support.

Post-disasterMonth 2
Expanded support
for reopening schools,
preschools, andkindergartens, andpsychosocial support.

Post-disasterMonths 3–6
Support for the resumptionof basic government
services for children.

• Back-to-School Campaign Phase I
a. Provision of school supplies, such as school bags andstationeryb. Provision of desks, chairs, computers and other electronic
devices, equipment, portable toilets, and other necessities
to primary and junior high schools• Provision of nutritional school lunches and snacks to schools,
preschools, and kindergartens• Provision of learning toys, desks, chairs, eating utensils, andother goods to preschools, kindergartens, and after-school
care centers• Psychosocial Supporta. UNICEF Children’s Mini Library Project: Children’s books
received from all over the country are combined into sets
and distributed to preschools, kindergartens, and homesb. UNICEF Children’s Bus Field Trips: Began offering bus field
trips that give children a chance to play outside or enjoy
various fun activities at safe locations
c. E xpansion of support by clinical psychologists to Play
Therapy Seminars / Psychosocial Care Trainings• Back-to-School Campaign Phase II
Assistance for purchasing school goods for primary andjunior high school students, including gym clothes, Japanesecalligraphy tools, paints, and supplementary materials• Assistance for opening junior high and high school interscholastic athletic meets• Provision of materials for health checkups at schools• Support for full-scale restart of mother and child health careservices, such as health checkups for babies and vaccination
programmes• Support for rebuilding preschools, kindergartens, facilities fordisabled children, and after-school care centers• Support and advocacy for construction of child-rearing
support centers on temporary housing and other sites• Implementation of child abuse and domestic violence prevention campaigns

4© JCU/R.Grehan

Post-disasterMonth 1

• Procurement and distribution of supplies including drinking
water, children’s clothes, hygiene products, and shoes• Health services for mothers and children including breastfeeding assistance• Launch of psychosocial assistance by establishing ChildFriendly Spaces, and offering of Play Therapy Seminars / Psychosocial Care Trainings• Advocacy for alternative care based on international standards targeting children orphaned as a result of the disasterReconstruction AssistanceMid- to Long-term Assistance as the Foundation for Reconstruction

Post-disasterMonths 6–12

Post-disasterYear 1–2

Post-disasterYear 2–4• Health assistance, such as the dispatch of obstetricians andgynecologists, providing dental examinations, building temporary health centers, and subsidizing influenza vaccines• Support for dispatching child caregivers• Support for rebuilding preschools, kindergartens, and otherchildcare facilities. Focus of assistance transitioned from
temporary facilities to permanent buildings• Psychosocial Support
1) Play Therapy Seminars / Psychosocial Care Trainings
2) Dispatch of clinical psychologists
3) Tegami Project4) Prayer Tree Project• Child Protection
1) Child Assault Prevention (CAP) Workshop2)	Child abuse and domestic violence prevention campaigns(information distribution and awareness building using
radio commercials, etc.)
3) Single-Father Household and Fathering Assistance Project• Child-Friendly Reconstruction Plans
1) Otsuchi workshop and park construction2)	Report on the East Japan Earthquake by the Children of
Soma• Support for rebuilding preschools, kindergartens and otherchild care facilities• Psychosocial Support1)	Dispatch of psychologists and construction of consultation centers2) Fukushima Child Recuperation Project3) Tegami Project4)	Prayer Tree Project• Child protection
1) Child Assault Prevention (CAP) Workshop2)	Child abuse and domestic violence prevention campaigns(information sharing and awareness building using radio
commercials, etc.)
3) Single-Father Household and Fathering Assistance Project4) Training series on household risk and child protection5) Assistance for foster families
6) After-school programme assistance7)	Training for strengthening community networks for childabuse prevention• Child-Friendly Reconstruction Plans
1) Ishinomaki: A Children’s Town
2) Otsuchi’s Future Classroom Workshop
3) Furusato Soma Children’s Reconstruction Council
4)	The Future of Shichigo Village – Vision for the community
on my 20th birthday• Support for children forced to evacuate Fukushima prefecture• Assistance for dispatching child caregivers• Subsidy assistance for influenza vaccines

During the period of 6 to 24 months after the disaster, JCU
worked with its area associations in Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima, as well as Japanese experts and specialist organizations to support various efforts launched in partnership withlocal governments, organizations, and residents. These
efforts are focused in three areas: psychosocial support, childprotection, and Child-Friendly Reconstruction Plans. Pleasesee pages 6–15 for more information.

5

Review of Programme: A Four-Year Look Note: Expense figures include planned expenses.
Emergency Relief Supplies

Child Protection

Expenses: ¥187,309,517
Water, underwear, clothes for children etc.

Expenses: ¥95,869,782• Number of Child Assault Prevention (CAP) specialists: 117• Number of participants in CAP Workshops: 19,129(9,809 adults, 9,320 children)• Number of trainees who took training for Father
Supporters: 459(Iwate: 208; Miyagi: 134; Fukushima: 117)
• Number of events held by Father Supporters: 36(Iwate: 16; Miyagi: 18; Fukushima: 2)• Number of Papa Stations: 107(Iwate: 33; Miyagi: 31; Fukushima: 43)* See the JCU One-Year Report for details.

Health and Nutrition
Expenses: ¥948,672,502• Number of municipal bodies that resumed infant healthcheckups: 18 (Iwate: 4; Miyagi: 14)• Number of infants who underwent health checkups:
Approx. 27,000 (Iwate: 4,000; Miyagi: 23,000)• Number of children who received influenza vaccinations:
Approx. 140,000 (2011–2012)
Approx. 140,000 (2012–2013)• Number of children able to receive complete preparedschool lunches due to the provision of utensils and support
for school lunch preparation centers: 15,216 (Miyagi)• Number of children who received supplemental food(school snacks) support at preschools and kindergartens:
Approx. 830 (Iwate: 25 facilities)

Psychosocial Support

page 9Child-Friendly Reconstruction Plans

page 10

Expenses: ¥225,800,187• Number of children participating or living in project areas:
62,936 (Otsuchi, Iwate; Ishinomaki, Miyagi; Sendai, Miyagi;
Soma, Fukushima)

Education

page 13

Expenses: ¥2,615,530,198
Back-to-School Campaign• Number of children receiving essential back-to-schoolsupplies: 26,376(Iwate: 17,540; Miyagi: 6,906; Fukushima: 1,930)• Number of students / schools receiving supplies andequipment: 33,461 / 642(Iwate: 10,380; Miyagi: 21,621; Fukushima: 1,460) /(Iwate: 48; Miyagi: 488; Fukushima: 106)

page 7

Expenses: ¥631,943,601• Number of participants in Play Therapy Seminars/
Psychosocial Care Trainings: 3,534(Iwate: 1,358; Miyagi: 1,918; Fukushima: 258)
• Number of parents and children receiving psychosocial carefrom Fukushima Society of Certified Clinical Psychologists
and NPO Heart Full Heart: 20,424 (11,773 adults, 8,651
children)• Number of books delivered by UNICEF Children’s Mini
Library Project: Approx. 330,000• Number of children participated in UNICEF Children’s Bus
Field Trips: 4,485 (Iwate)• Number of children participated in Let’s Play! The Outdoors
Playtime Project: 58,431 (Fukushima)• Number of parents and children participated in Fukushima
Child Recuperation Project*: 8,976

Back-to-Preschool and Kindergarten• Number of children / preschools and kindergartens
receiving supplies or equipment support: 4,284 / 73
(Iwate: 1,976; Miyagi: 2,214; Fukushima: 94) /(Iwate: 38; Miyagi: 34; Fukushima: 1)
Preschool and Kindergarten Reconstruction Assistance Project• Number of children and returning to preschools andkindergartens: 994*
(Iwate: 216; Miyagi: 673; Fukushima: 105)
• Number of preschools and kindergartens receiving
reconstruction support: 14(Iwate: 4; Miyagi: 9; Fukushima: 1)*JCU bears a portion of expenses for the project and arranges events forpreschool children*As of the end of February 2013

Donations and Programme Areas (As of December 31, 2014)
Emergency relief donations received by the Japan
Committee for UNICEF
From within Japan:¥3,537,950,474
From outside Japan:¥1,212,946,130

Programme Areas
Iwate Prefecture

Disbursement of Donations by Programme Pillars
On-Site Operations of Programme 1%
Programme Reports and Communication 2%
4%
Child Protection 2%
5%
Provision of Emergency Relief Supplies
Child-Friendly Reconstruction Plans
Psychosocial Support

13%

19%

54%

Miyagi Prefecture

Education

Notes:
Programme areas areindicated according to theadministrative boundariesof the local municipalities.

Health and Nutrition

Note: Donation disbursement percentages are calculated based on
total amount received including the expected expenses. (Seepage 16 for the Income and Expenses Report.)

6

Fukushima PrefecturePsychosocial Support
Direct Assistance

Many children who have witnessed the damage caused by anatural or other disaster develop anxiety caused by the shockof losing a loved one or a sudden change in their living environment. Even today, nearly four years since the East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, there are numerous reports of children in
the affected areas suffering from this type of anxiety. In orderfor children to heal psychological scars or overcome traumatic
experiences they need the loving attention of adults and longterm, appropriate care. However, nearly four years havepassed and many things in the affected areas are still “temporary”.This creates stress and anxiety among the adults who are
best positioned to support these children.
Following the disaster, JCU launched a psychosocial
support programme to support children who had instantly lost
all sense of normalcy. The programme includes securing safe
places for children to play (UNICEF “Child-Friendly Spaces”,
page 8) as well as support for kindergarten and preschool
teachers who continue to do their best to assist these children,
while they themselves also suffer from the disaster. JCU continues to support the development of local assistance structures and extends direct assistance to psychosocial experts,
building on efforts gradually started about one-half year following the programme’s launch. Further, last year initiatives aimed
at utilizing expertise gained through the East Japan Earthquake
and Tsunami were pushed into full swing in order to prepare
for similar disasters in the future.

Since June 2011 in Fukushima, JCU has partnered with the
Fukushima Society of Clinical Psychologists to dispatch clinicalpsychologists and child caregivers to locations frequented byparents and their children, such as healthcare check-ups, aswell as to the Fukushima Child Recuperation Project (discussed below). At these locations, the clinical psychologists
extended psychosocial support to children and their guardians.
This programme continued until 2013, and in 2014 operations
were taken over by NPO Heart Full Heart. Today, the programme extends support to individuals who have returned
from outside of the prefecture, in addition to persons residing
in Fukushima. Also, in Yamagata, where many people live after
voluntarily evacuating Fukushima, JCU has provided continued
support since 2011 in response to a request from the Fukushima Prefectural Government. Support in Yamagata has been for
activities such as the Mama Café, which is operated by local
NPO Yamagata Child and Family Care Circleland.
JCU continues to offer psychosocial support to teachersand child guardians at preschools and kindergartens in Miyagi
and Iwate. Many schools restarted operations using borrowed
space or temporary facilities following the disaster, and JCU
launched its psychosocial support programme in parallel withother JCU assistance aimed at reconstructing school buildings
and providing material support.
In Fukushima, following the nuclear power station accident,
JCU launched the “Let’s Play! The Outdoors Playtime Project”
for preschool and kindergarten students who no longer had theopportunity to play outside. This project was implemented inclose collaboration with the JCU area association. Based on

Assistance for Building Local Systems
Effectively engaging and playing with children is essential tohelping them recover emotionally. However, people who interact with children on a daily basis, such as at preschool or kindergarten, are not necessarily equipped with all of thenecessary skills and knowledge to do so. JCU initially offered
training opportunities to child caregivers and kindergarten
teachers, and today we have expanded that training to parents
as well as local government staff and community groups
involved in child and child-rearing assistance in order to boost
the fundamental capacity of communities to support their children. These trainings have been available since the disasterand offer immediately implementable skills and knowledge.
They respond to direct requests for such training from local
governments and are implemented in partnership with theJapan Association for Play Therapy. At each training JCU dispatches clinical psychologists to serve as instructors, where
they introduce from an expert perspective ways to interact
with children working to overcome difficult experiences, usefulplay methods for restoring a sense of comfort, and ways for
adults to also take care of themselves. Participants have told
JCU that through the trainings they have learned practicalways to interact with children that would be useful at theirplaces of work, and that the self-care play methods offeredrefreshing insights. From 2012, advanced professional training
has also been offered to psychologists at children consultation
centers and at the Iwate Child Care Center.
In 2014, training workshops were held a total of 42 times in
Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima for 301 participants (includingchildren and parents at affected facilities).

Support for Fukushima Evacuees in Kanagawa
The number of Fukushima residents residing outside of
Fukushima because of the nuclear power station accident
peaked at approximately 63,000 people. That number isdeclining but as of 26 December 2014 it still stands at nearly
46,000* people.
In Kanagawa, the Kanagawa Association for UNICEF
worked with volunteer organizations in October 2011 tolaunch the Child Future Protection Project in order to support
residents who evacuated Fukushima, and particularly children. Under this project, a consultation center was created,
an informational magazine published and social events organized. In Kanagawa, as nearly 90% of evacuees are Fukushima residents, the project continues to create opportunities
for Fukushima residents that live spread out across various
areas to meet and exchange information about Kanagawa
and the affected areas, such as through the permanent
Fukushima Café located in Naka Ward, Yokohama.
*Source of evacuee numbers: Fukushima Prefecture website

Fukushima Café, a meeting
space created in central
Yokohama in February 2013.
Visitors can acquire
information about various
administrative services
available in Kanagawa, as
well as Fukushima
newspapers, advertisements
and informational magazines

7

this successful experience, JCU continues to support the
Fukushima Child Recuperation Project launched in 2012, inpartnership with the Fukushima Association for UNICEF, theFukushima Consumers’ Cooperative Union and Fukushima University Institute of Disaster Recovery and Revitalization. In
2014, JCU started efforts to build sustainable structures, taking
into account the mid- to long-term view of assistance. This
included coupling adventure playground efforts (page 12) withassistance provided to create opportunities for children andtheir guardians to play on weekends and during long vacations
where they would not have to worry about radiation.

The Japanese Child-Friendly Spaces Guidebook
Many organizations participated in assistance programmesthat incorporated Child-Friendly Spaces in areas affected by
the East Japan Earthquake. Psychosocial care experts andothers who were on the front lines of assistance communicated to JCU their desire to make Child-Friendly Spaces
the standard for Japanese disaster relief, as well as theneed for a standard policy to use on the ground. JCU has
partnered with the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP) to create a Japanese version of the UNICEF
guide A Practical Guide for Developing Child-Friendly
Spaces (2010), including practical version examples fromthe Japanese experience. In November 2013, the Japanese version of the Child-Friendly Spaces Guidebook was
released at the Japanese Diet Members’ Office Building.
The guidebook was distributed to organizations providing
assistance tochildren mainlyin the affectedareas as well as
local governments. The
guidebooks arealso being usedat NCNP training
seminars offered
to first respondThe Japanese Child-Friendly Spaces Guidebook
ers, doctors, andother relevant personnel.
The guide book (Japanese only) can be downloaded fromthe following link:
http://www.unicef.or.jp/kinkyu/japan/2013_archive.html

Utilizing Lessons Learned
JCU and the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry(NCNP) are currently creating a training module based on theJapanese language Child-Friendly Spaces Guidebook, which
was jointly published in 2013 (see box on right for more details).
In December 2014, some 20 staff, volunteers and othersfrom JCU and area associations in Tohoku, Kanagawa andSaitama who have been involved in various aspects of JCU’s
assistance programme following the disaster gathered at the
UNICEF House in Tokyo. Participants participated in a test training module and discussed changes and potential improvements
to the training.
JCU aims to complete the training module in view of developing training leaders that will help the Child-Friendly Space
model become the standard in Japan for disaster assistance.

What are Child-Friendly Spaces?
Natural disasters and armed conflict are an unfortunate frequent occurrence in the world in which we live. In light of
this, UNICEF works to secure Child-Friendly Spaces forchildren in need. Child-Friendly Spaces are safe spaces
where children can comfortably be themselves. These
spaces aim at providing children who have instantly losttheir everyday life and live in harsh conditions with opportunities to restore a normal daily routine and mend their
psychological wounds.
The spaces provide children a place to play and learn, as
well as a place to engage in, and learn about, activities that
support healthy psychological and physical growth.

The training provided participants a scenario where they were able toactually operate Child-Friendly Spaces. Participants actively provided
concrete advice and suggestions based on their own experiences
following the disaster“ECD (Early Childhood Development)
Kit” used at Child-Friendly Spaces
across the world. Each case contains
enough colorful educational toys for 50
children and can be used to transform
any location into a kindergarten orpreschool. These kits delivered muchneeded assistance to the affectedareas following the East Japan
Earthquake

The UNICEF Prayer Tree Project was launched in 2011 with theaim to make the holiday season for affected children one full ofsmiles and warmth. Since 2011, more than 3,000 designers,
arts college students and others participate in the project by
creating special ornaments. In 2014, JCU worked with children
in Kesennuma to make ornaments that represented theirprayers and hopes for the future.
On 23 November, children cheered as lights illuminated the“Big Prayer Tree”, an eight-meter tree decorated with 350 ornam e n t s . O n e ch i l dsmiled and told JCU,
“The lights help me
relax.” The lights fromthe tree, together withthe ornaments carefully crafted from child r e n’s h o p e s a n dd ream s, m ad e foranother warm holiday
Colorful ornaments that represent theseason rich with love children’s dreams, prayers and hopes
and smiling faces.

©UNICEF/NYHQ2009-1037/Markisz

Prayer Tree Project

6 Imperatives of Child-Friendly Spaces (CFS)❶ CFS are secure and safe environments for children.
❷ CFS provide a stimulating and supportive
environment for children.
❸ CFS are built on existing structures and capacities
within a community.
❹ CFS use a fully participatory approach for thedesign and implementation.
❺ CFS provide a diverse range of activities and support.
❻ CFS are inclusive and non-discriminatory.

8Child Protection
The East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami instantaneously anddrastically changed the environment surrounding children in
the affected areas. Many children lost family members, relatives and friends, were forced to move away from theirhomes and communities, and even switched to new schools.
Today, four years after the disaster, there are still few playareas and safe places for children. Moreover, the burden put
on the guardians and assistance providers who support children who have lost their parents and need help is actually on
the rise, not the decline. A gap is becoming apparent
between children who are recovering after receiving various
forms of assistance and children not showing signs ofimprovement.
Since 2011, JCU has partnered with specialist groups inJapan and local governments affected by the disaster toimplement mid- to long-term assistance. This assistance isaimed at ensuring that the anxiety and stress endured bythose people responsible for supporting children do not
evolve into violence or other negative behavior at home or inchild-rearing. Through this assistance JCU also strives to construct a child and child-rearing support structure rooted inlocal communities, which is important as birth rates havebeen declining and society aging since before the disaster.

tance began to attract attention from various audiences, but
assistance targeting single-father households and efforts
aimed at supporting fathering roles were limited comparedwith that of single-mother households.
In response, in October 2011 JCU launched the SingleFather Household and Fathering Assistance Project together
with the NPO Niiza Childcare Support Network. Responding
to a request received from local governments, persons on
the frontlines of support for local children—including childcaregivers, health nurses, child counselors, municipal government staff and social workers—were trained as “Father Supporters”. The training taught the new Father Supporters skills,
know-how and useful information about assisting singlefather households and fathers. By March 2014, when the
project officially ended, training tools were created thatoffered assistance hints and other information useful for
helping fathers unaccustomed to child-rearing duties as wellas an informational magazine used to maintain the bonds
between fathers and their families after family members
were forced to evacuate to outside of Fukushima prefecture,leaving fathers to live alone. Through these efforts, we wereable to introduce much-needed child-rearing assistance forfathers, an issue that does not garner great attention in
Japan. In November 2014, the Iwate Association for UNICEF
implemented a programme dubbed the “One-Night Recuperation for Fathers Tour”. Also, individuals that received Father
Supporter training continue to organize local events, such asplanning soba (buckwheat noodles) making parties and “Papa
Cafés”.

Support for Single-Father Household andFathering Assistance
Many fathers assumed primary responsibility following theEast Japan Earthquake and Tsunami due to a diversity ofreasons. The need to provide new single parents with assis-

Child Assault Prevention (CAP)
Child-Rearing Support for Fathers Worldwide

The Child Assault Prevention (CAP) programme has been
implemented at many primary and junior high schools acrossJapan. The CAP programme is a training programme aimed at
protecting children from abuse, sexual violence, and otherforms of violence such as abduction, and violence between
children such as bullying. This is achieved by teaching bothchildren and those who provide assistance to children theimportance of people’s human rights as well as skills to
encourage confidence and bravery. JCU has partnered with
J-CAPTA, an organization promoting CAP programmes in
East Japan, to hold CAP workshops at preschools, kindergartens, primary and junior high schools while developing CAP
specialists who can provide workshops. Special training
workshops have also been conducted for teachers and local
government workers. In the coastal areas of Iwate andMiyagi as well as in Fukushima, based on the consultations
with the prefectural governments, workshops are continuing
free of charge until March 2016. Previously, the CAP programme was not well-known in the Tohoku region, but during
2014 the number of workshops implemented in Fukushimareached four times the number implemented before thedisaster, and there are calls from the affected areas to continue to implement CAP efforts, as occurrences of attempted
kidnapping and suicide resulting from bulling are on the rise
nationwide. In addition, CAP Rias, an organization started
along the Sanriku Coast in Iwate, continues to provide community-rooted assistance such as by dispatching J-CAPTA
staff.

Child-rearing assistance providers across Japan have beenchallenged with figuring out how
to teach fathers the skills theyneed to properly fulfill their roles
as fathers and how to best
support them. The issues surrounding single-father households and fathering are notlimited to the affected Tohoku
regions. As such, JCU has
created opportunities to share
the knowledge and experience
gained through symposiums, creation of assistance tools
and other activities with child-rearing supporters acrossJapan.
The Single-Father Household and Fathering Assistance
Project is based on a fundamental UNICEF principle: equity
means prioritizing assistance to the people that need it themost. However, at UNICEF projects in developing countries few efforts focus on child-rearing for fathers. The
know-how acquired during the first three years of thisproject was compiled into English and Japanese language
reports produced by the Niiza Childcare Support Networkin order to share the lessons learned with assistance providers in other countries as well as to expand child-rearing
assistance measures in Japan.
http://www.unicef.or.jp/kinkyu/japan/2013_archive.html

9

A Foster Family Assistance Seminar held in November 2014
in Kesennuma brought together approximately 100 participants
including local social workers, foster parents and staff fromchild and household support centers in other prefectures. The
seminar was a valuable opportunity that underscored theimportance of building frameworks that protect children in thecommunities, regardless of location or familial relationship.

Using a Local Bus to Prevent Abuse
JCU has supported local governments’ efforts to preventchild abuse by providing educational tools and radio commercials. In 2014, in
response to a requestfrom the Iwate Prefecture
Health and Welfare Division, JCU supported the
production of awarenessraising banners for local
buses that travel along
the coastal areas.

Training Assistance for After-School Care Workers
Policies and measures are being made at the national andlocal government levels to expand after-school care at primaryschools. It is not widely understood that the roles of afterschool care go beyond being places that look after children;
they provide opportunities for children to enjoy a stable lifestyle and build relationships with familiar adults. However, inareas where various forms of support for children have notyet been fully recovered, such as in the affected Tohoku
areas, there is greater anticipation for after-school care tofulfill that role.
Responding to requests from Kesennuma City (Miyagi)—
where from 2011 to 2012 JCU supported the reconstruction of
one of the after-school care facilities washed away in thetsunami—in April 2013 JCU partnered with Miyagi Prefecture’s
After-School Care Emergency Support Project to provide training opportunities for local after-school care workers to learn
new skills. These trainings were made possible through thecooperation of the National After-School Care Council. The Kesennuma City Child and Household Section commented that:“JCU provided opportunities for after-school care workers tolearn from their counterparts in other areas as well as
researchers on the frontlines. Receiving lectures in person has
greatly improved the skill sets of after-school care workers in
Kesenuma. This is important because going forward we willneed after-school care workers who meet the knowledge andquality standards set by the National Government. It was greatthat the trainings not only provided an opportunity for workers
to learn how to provide psychosocial support to the childrenthat they work with on a daily basis, but also ways that theworkers can support their own wellbeing.”

Photo: Iwate Prefecture ChildRearing Assistance Section

Assistance for Foster Families
The affected areas have experienced a declining birth rate andaging society since before the disaster. Many households thatreceived newly orphaned children were elderly households orhouseholds without child-rearing experience. Further, as thecommunity struggles to fully recover from the disaster, many
foster families that had already been supporting orphans, andthe children themselves, continue to find themselves in amore trying environment than ever before.
In September 2012, JCU launched the Foster Family
Support Programme in Kesen (Iwate) in cooperation with theJapan National Council of Child Family Support Center, local
child and family support centers, and foster family support
organizations. In 2013, JCU started awareness raising efforts
targeting local community residents, as well as trainings targeting civil organization staff that lead local assistance efforts
in Kesennuma. In August 2013, JCU also partnered with the
Iwate Foster Parent Association to launch the Respite
Exchange Camp. The camp provided opportunities for muchneeded rest to foster parents and was a place where children
could meet other children as well as assistance providers. In
2014, camp activities continued under the new name Friendship Summer Camp.

Child-Friendly Reconstruction Plans
tion process. Meanwhile, in Soma, Fukushima, where JCU
had been assisting the restart of school, schools began usingclass time to provide students with opportunities to think
about reconstruction and disaster preparedness. Further, thisconcept was integrated into the city’s reconstruction plan.
Since the second half of 2011, JCU has partnered with thegrand prize winning Takenaka Corporation, urban development specialists from Yamagata University, the Soma City
Government (Fukushima) and the Japan Adventure Playground Association to support the development of ChildFriendly Reconstruction Plans. Based on the frameworkoutlined on the following page, JCU provides ongoingsupport for concrete activities that fall under three main
pillars of assistance: 1) community reconstruction and study;2) mini cities; and 3) adventure playgrounds. JCU continues
to conduct activities where the opinions and ideas generated
from the three programmes can be shared with local governments (Hometown Reconstruction Networks).

UNICEF provides assistances in more than 150 countries andregions worldwide. Children, however, are not only on thereceiving end of UNICEF assistance; UNICEF emphasizes
encouraging child participation in various processes and creating opportunities for children’s opinions and views to beincorporated in policies that impact assistance and their
growth.
One month after the disaster, as recovery assistancepushed into full swing, JCU supported the “International
Competition for the Disaster Recovery Plan after the East
Japan Earthquake: Support for Wisdom and Dreams”. Theinternational competition was hosted by the Association forChildren’s Environment and over 500 people from Japan andabroad, spanning children to area experts, submitted theirreconstruction plan ideas in the form of drawings andmodels. The grand prize went to a submission that proposed
exactly what JCU was looking for: a plan that positioned children from the affected areas as key actors in the reconstruc-10(1) Community Reconstruction and Study

Concept Diagram for Child-Friendly
Reconstruction Plan Assistance

I Soma, Fukushima

Following the disaster the Soma City Board of Education in
Fukushima proposed starting a new event: Children Considering the East Japan Earthquake. The idea was that having
children themselves consider the future of their hometown
Soma would reinforce what they learn in school and themeaning of life, and that the creativity and proactive drive ofchildren would serve as a strong energy source in reconstruction efforts. Responding to a request received from
Soma City, and after the event was included as an official
activity in the city’s reconstruction plan, JCU has supported
these efforts since 2011 as well as since 2012 when it developed into the Furusato Soma Children’s Reconstruction
Council.
Based on the theme “Disaster and Recovery”, all of
Soma’s primary and junior high schools (15 schools) usedclass time to share their experiences and thoughts having
survived the disaster, and consider ideas for the future of
their city by learning about the challenges faced by the postdisaster community. In 2014, the theme was changed to“Disaster prevention”. Under the new theme, the students
considered what they could do to prepare for a future worstcase scenario or what they could do once the disasterstrikes. The students reviewed the numerous disasters suffered by Soma in the past, researched the city’s disaster-preparedness facilities and validated the community’s
disaster-preparedness measures. Some students evenwalked multiple evacuation routes that connect schools to
shelters, personally validating the evacuation plans created byadults.
The Soma City Mayor, attending the presentation held in
November 2014, provided words of encouragement: “We are
now in the process ofmaking reconstructionplans, and I plan to use
what I heard here today
as reference for thoseplans.” The students’ presentations were again
compiled into a list ofrecommendations andPresentations at the “Furusato Soma
Children’s Reconstruction Council”
submitted to the city.

Reconstruction entails rebuilding from scratch, and is thus
a long-term undertaking. Based on a sincere reconstruction
philosophy that positions children as leaders of their towns’
reconstruction, the framework includes two curricula andfour assistance programmes that target two objectives:
1) healthy growth for children; and 2) hometown
reconstruction.

Two assistance objectives: 1) healthy growth forchildren; 2) hometown reconstruction
2011

Urban developmentfrom zeroYoungchildren

2021

Urban development
participation empowers
childrenChildren2031

New adults lead urban
development efforts

Reconstruction
together withchildren

Objective 1
Healthy
growth forchildrenHometown
affection andreconstruction

Adolescents• Towns where youth continue to live and work(community)
Sincerehometownreconstruction

Objective 2• Community-based ongoing urban development(NPOs, etc.)

Hometownreconstruction• A new landscape created by community members(community pride and beautification)• Cross-industry partnerships with diverse membership(creating new industries)

2 curricula and 4 assistance programmes
2 curricula

4 assistance programmes
1. Community reconstruction
and study

Curriculum 1:

2. Reconstruction andmini cities

Reconstruction:play, learning

3. Reconstruction andadventure playground

Reconstruction
togetherwith children

Implementing Entity

NPOs,
etc.

Local
governments,
etc.

(Education
administrations)

4. Hometown reconstruction
networks

Curriculum 2:＋

Reconstruction:practice

Child participation inreconstruction
Urban development regulations(Urbandevelopment
administrations)

4. Hometown reconstruction networks
Local government

Imaginary“client”

Chief/staff,
consultants, etc.
3. Report meeting
5. Reflection of
concrete plan

I Sendai, Miyagi

SchoolReconstruction
Community reconstruction
implementation 1. Request forand study
consideration
plan(workshops, etc.)
2. Survey,
deliberations,planning

4. Evaluation

1. The local government assumes the role of the imaginary “client” andsubmits a request to each school for consideration of theme-based
reconstruction plans.
2. Children assume the role of child “researchers”, receive the request
for deliberations and conduct planning.
3. Children provide recommendations to the local government (chief/
staff).
4. The local government evaluates the possibility of implementing therecommendations as well as other measures and then provides
feedback.
5. The local government employs experts and others to reflect thechildren’s recommendations in specific reconstruction projects.
Excerpt from materials produced by Takenaka Corporation andYamagata University.

11© Takenaka Corporation

The coastal Wakabayashi district of Sendai suffered catastrophic damage at the hands of the tsunami. However, thearea surrounding Shichigo Primary School—which was
located on the inside of a highway that served as a sort of“levee” against the water—evaded the heavy damage suffered by neighboring areas. This area is currently undergoingsignificant changes due to the construction of new permanent housing for affected
residents and a new
subway station.
Responding to arequest from Shichigo
Primary School to create
an opportunity for theschool’s children to think
about their hometown’sChildren consider the future of their
future, at the end of 2012 hometown, asking the question: “WhatJCU supported a work- should be preserved and what could beshop entitled “The Future improved?”Child“researcher”

In 2014, the third year the event was held, children who
participated the last two years joined local high school students to hold meetings over their summer vacations toensure active participation by local adults.

of Shichigo Village – Vision for the community on my 20thbirthday”. JCU has continued to hold these workshops every
year for the sixth-grade students of Shichigo Primary School
to build models of what they want their town to look like in
10 to 15 years’ time. Before creating their models, students
take to the town’s streets to survey the current conditions.
Their models should not only include desired changes to thecommunity, but also their ideas for heritage that should bepreserved.
The students have presented their ideas, and in March
2015 these ideas will be presented at the 3rd World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai.

(3) Adventure Playground
The lack of safe places for children to play became an increasingly serious problem following the disaster. As groundraising and other construction efforts push into full swing,
JCU has partnered with the Japan Adventure Playground
Association to provide children with opportunities to play,while also continuing to encourage local administrations tosecure safe play areas in their respective reconstruction
efforts.
JCU works together with the Japan Adventure Playground
Association, an organization that works across Japan tocreate opportunities for children to play by “play parks” thatchildren use to design their own play activities, as well asdelivery of “play cars” loaded with tools that children use to
create their own activities. Since 2012, JCU has continued toprovide safe places to play to children in the affected areas of
Iwate and other locations where children lost their permanent
play spaces to the disaster.
In October 2013, the Reconstruction Agency selected
activities conducted by the Japan Adventure Playground
Association in the affected areas for its pilot project “A New
Tohoku”. Accordingly, JCU has supported the training of “playleaders” (the staff who coordinate local play activities) so thata greater number of children have opportunities to play.
Moreover, JCU provided two new play cars in order to ensure
these activities take root in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima.
In Otsuchi (Iwate), where local residents had been actively
working to construct playgrounds for children within temporary housing facility grounds since the disaster, JCU launchedefforts in August 2014 to create the “Satoyama Outdoors PlayPark”. This park is comprised of the rich, green outdoor area
formed by the Otsuchi and Kozuchi rivers, which flow throughthe town.

I Otsuchi, Iwate

In Otsuchi, efforts are underway to rebuild several affectedprimary and junior high schools into a single integrated structure. In 2012, JCU supported three “Future Classroom” workshops where children proposed ideas for their new school. In
March 2013, JCU compiled and submitted a report on the initiative to the Otsuchi Town Government.
The Otsuchi Board of Education expressed their positive
intent to realize the children’s ideas: “We really hope to reflect
the children’s ideas in the design specification document.”
When Otsuchi announced their public call for design contractors to design the integrated school in spring 2013, the report
was included in the announcement as a reference document.
Later, JCU received requests for advice from the designers for how to best incorporate the children’s ideas. In
response, JCU provided various advice through our contracted area experts. In September 2014, construction officiallylaunched on the grounds of the new facility and the surrounding roads. The new school, designed with the ideas of its own
children, is scheduled to complete construction in 2016.

(2) Mini Cities
Since the first event in October 2012, every year between
1,000 and 1,700 children take part in an event called “Ishinomaki: A Children’s Town”. Held in Ishinomaki (Miyagi), theevent draws on the ideas, dreams and energy of children toprovide special play and learning stations where childreninteract within the framework of a mini city. The event is
implemented by NPOs, civic organizations, local shopping
areas, and other groups. JCU continued its support of theevent’s implementation again in 2014.
During the two-day event, hospitals, banks, bakeries andeven television stations appear at the corner of Ishinomaki’s
shopping district. These businesses were planned entirely by
the children, and represent what they want to be when theygrow up. In their mock town, the children are able to earn“money” saved through doing “work” (the money is a
special stone “maki”, taken from the city’s name Ishinomaki)that they can use to purchase goods and services made byother children. The event allows children to have fun whilelearning about social systems and the true meaning andimportance of work.

Play Cars: Mobile Child-Friendly Spaces
To a child, playtime is not simply leisure time. Playtime isan essential activity through which children learn about
their relationship with other people and society, which is anecessary part of their growth. The Child-Friendly Spaces
introduced on page 8 of this report provide children with asafe place that restores a sense of normalcy in their lives,
including playtime. In places such as Pakistan, which suffered widespread flood damage in 2010, UNICEF has provided mobile Child-Friendly Spaces; that is, cars loadedwith toys and other play tools.
Three play cars that “deliver” playtime to children haveturned vacant spaces and outdoor areas into safe places toplay. These play cars can truly be considered Mobile ChildFriendly Spaces.
©Japan Adventure Playground Association

Eighty percent of the“store managers”(children) in 2014 hadparticipated before.
Taking no cues fromadults, the children
offered lots of new ideas
and individually proposed
event improvements
taking into consideration
lessons learned from theprevious year

12

Education
Reconstruction of Facilities for Children

After a natural disaster or other major event that causes significant environmental changes, UNICEF’s number-one priority is quickly returning children to school. The role of theeducational environment—including schools, kindergartens,
and preschools—goes beyond learning alone. It plays theimportant role of restoring a sense of normalcy in children’s
lives. Further, the return of students and teachers to schools
and the start of a new semester communicate that normalcy
to the greater community.

Of the five prefabricated temporary school facilities provided
by JCU, four main school buildings were reconstructed by
2014, allowing operations to restart in a comfortable, safe
environment. The fifth and final facility is scheduled for completion during 2015.

I Rikuzentakata, Iwate

Rikuzentakata was heavily damaged by the tsunami. Takekoma Preschool, a school in Rikuzentakata, was forced to restartschool operations at a borrowed space at another city preschool following the disaster. The preschool continued operations at another temporary facility built using JCU assistancefrom April 2012 until March 2013, when the new school building was completed at its
new, elevated location. Afterfulfilling its initial purpose,
the temporary, prefabricatedstructure today serves as an
office space used by local
government staff for childand family consultations aswell as health consultations. A prefabricated structure previously
It is a safe place for local resi- used for a preschool is today used forchild consultation services
dents to come to seek help.

Preschool and Kindergarten Reconstruction
Assistance Project
Responding to requests from local governments in Iwate,
Miyagi and Fukushima, JCU supported the reconstruction
and large-scale refurbishment of preschool and kindergarten
buildings, child welfare facilities and health-related facilities.
JCU assistance went to the reconstruction of 14 permanentand temporary facilities based on a three-pronged philosophy:
1) child participation and creating environments centered on
the child; 2) creating spaces that provide a sense of warmthand comfort; and 3) connecting spaces with nature and thecommunity. Construction was completed for all facilities by
the end of January
2013, and the recipients of JCU support
relayed back that,w h i l e t h e 2 014
winter was a cold
one, they werethankful that the
new facilities
created a warm
A graduation ceremony held at Asahi
place for children.
Kindergarten’s new building in Minamisanriku

I Otsuchi, Iwate

Kirikiri Preschool in Otsuchi, for which JCU had provided a temporary school building to facilitatecontinuing operations, completed
its new school building in July 2014.
The opening ceremony was anopportunity for the preschool staff
to express their gratitude to JCU.
JCU also supported Midori Kin- Kirikiri Preschool Director
dergarten in Otsuchi, first with Azumaya commented, “Ivarious relief supplies and a tempo- express my deepest gratitude
to JCU for supporting us inrary prefabricated school facility. The setting up a temporary facility
new building was completed in soon after the disaster”
October 2014. After two years andten months overseeing the wellbeing of the kindergarten’s children,
the prefabricated facility had completed its duty. The chairs, cabinets
and other furnishings provided
through the generous donations of Donated supplies being used
JCU’s supporters are now being at Midori Kindergarten’s new
school building
used at the new school building.

in March 2014

Facilities Constructed Through the Preschool andKindergarten Reconstruction Assistance Project
Name of Facility

Completion Date

1

Otsuchi Preschool (Otsuchi, Iwate)

May 2011

2

Kirikiri Preschool (Otsuchi, Iwate)

August 2011

3

Himawari Preschool (Ishinomaki, Miyagi)

November 2011

4

Sanpo Preschool (Iwaki, Fukushima)

November 2011

5

Midori Kindergarten (Otsuchi, Iwate)

January 2012

6

Takekoma Preschool (Rikuzentakata, Iwate)

March 2012

7

Oshika Area Preschool (Ishinomaki, Miyagi)

June 20128

Inai Preschool (Ishinomaki, Miyagi)

July 2012

9

Asahi Kindergarten (Minamisanriku, Miyagi)

July 201210

Fuji Kindergarten (Yamamoto, Miyagi)

August 201211

Mother’s Home (Kesennuma, Miyagi)

September 2012

12
13
14

Makisawa Kibou Preschool (Former Ikkeijima
Preschool Kesennuma, Miyagi)
Ashinome Kindergarten Child-Rearing Support
Center (Kesennuma, Miyagi)
Watari Child Care Center (Watari, Miyagi)

I Minamisoma, Fukushima

After the disaster, four primary schools in the Odaka district,which was designated an evacuation area, were forced tomove to temporary school buildings built on the grounds of
two schools in Minamisoma. In spring 2013, the decision wasmade to integrate the four schools into a single temporary
location at Kashima Junior High School while Minamisoma
began the construction of laboratories and other special classrooms. Responding to a request from the Minamisoma City
Government, JCU has subsidized the purchase of materials
for use in these special classrooms.

September 2012
December 2012
December 201213

Supporting the Children / From Support Sites
Working with National and Local Governments
Since May 2011, JCU has supported the planning and operationof the Discussion on East Japan Earthquake Child Assistance,
an event held at the Japanese House of Councilors Building.
JCU participates as a member of the East Japan Earthquake
Child Assistance Network, the steering body composed ofNGOs, civil groups and academic experts involved in child assistance in the affected areas. The discussion—which has been
held a total of 13 times as of November 2014—draws the participation of between 60 to 100 National Diet members, government and aid organization staff, staff from local governments
and assistance providers in the affected areas, as well as themedia. Each event is an opportunity for participants to report out
and exchange information and views on a pre-set theme for
their own perspective, such as child and child-rearing assistance,
single and double orphan assistance, school assistance andchild poverty.
In addition, in
response to a proposal
from the Miyagi Prefecture Assembly, from2012 JCU has participated in a prefecture-level
opinion exchange as theassembly makes earnest
efforts toward establishing an ordinance related The 11th Discussion on East Japan
Earthquake Child Assistance held in June
to children.
2014 at the First House of Councilors

Public Relations and Advocacy
UNICEF Executive Director and Goodwill
Ambassador Agnes Chan visit Onagawa
In June 2011, UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake visited
Onagawa, Miyagi, where a large amount of rubble still lined
the streets and residents were forced to live in shelters. In
February 2014, Executive Director Lake visited Onagawa again
with JCU Goodwill Ambassador Agnes Chan. There, they met
with junior high school students who collected donations
under the banner “Protecting Lives for 1000 Years” to build a“Stone of Life” monument.

Students tell UNICEF Executive Director Lake: “There are disasters all over
the world, and we want the people in those places to know about what
we are doing”

Building

International
Congress on Child Abuse and Neglect

Symposium: “What I Want to Say as a Leader ofTomorrow”

The East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami was likely the firsttime Child-Friendly Spaces were widely deployed and used at
a disaster in Japan. The disaster also imparted many experiences and lessons to think about for the future. In order to share
our experience and lessons with experts from other countries,
JCU partnered with the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry to jointly host a symposium in September 2014 at theInternational Congress on Child Abuse and Neglect held in
Nagoya. The symposium was an opportunity for UNICEF andother UNICEF partner NGOs implementing Child-Friendly
Spaces at disaster-affected areas and conflict zones around theworld to exchange information and their views.

In March 2014, one year before the third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, JCU invited children to Tokyo
from the three prefectures where JCU implemented urban
development training through Child-Friendly Reconstruction
Plans assistance. At the symposium, the children voiced theimportance of child participation as full partners in reconstruction and disaster preparedness efforts, a crucial message
being disseminated by UNICEF in the lead-up to the 2015 UN
conference.

Three Photo Exhibitions
Three photo exhibitions continued a tour of fourteen destinations across Japan in 2014. These exhibitions were: 1) “Children and the 2011 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami – UNICEF
at work”, an exhibition showcasing photographic records ofthe disaster taken by news agencies and photographers aswell as photos of the JCU programme; 2) the “EYE SEETOHOKU” exhibition, presenting photos of the affected areas
taken by affected children; and 3) “Happy Birthday 3.11”,
which presents photos of children born on the day of thedisaster and their families.

The audience erupted in applause in response to a child’s request: “We as
children have dreams and hopes—it’s important that you involve us more”

14World Conference on Disaster
Risk Reduction will be held in
Sendai. UNICEF will host a public
symposium at the conference,
where we will share how UNICEF
expertise has been utilized andwhat preparations are needed forthe future. We don’t know when
the next big disaster will hit. It isessential that we remain vigilant Plans to remove the remains of
the Minamisanriku Disasterand prepared, and that we put
Preparedness Agency building
into practice the lessons we have are being reconsideredlearned.

From the Affected Areas
Words of Gratitude
In September 2014, third-year students from Kahoku Junior HighSchool in Ishinomaki, Miyagi visited the UNICEF House in Tokyo
to express their gratitude to JCU for the stationery and school
lunches received through JCU assistance. Their message wasdelivered in the form of both words and a song. JCU continues
to receive many similar thank-you gestures from prefectural andlocal governments, schools and other organizations.

Fukushima: Reducing Stress Among Children
and Parents

Kahoku Junior High School students
tell JCU, “Even the dishes used toserve our lunch every day were
provided by UNICEF, so we always
remember to be grateful to UNICEF”

Mr. Kazuo Sato,
Secretary General, Fukushima Association for UNICEF
Almost four years have passed since the 11 March 2011 East
Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. However, regular Fukushima residents still suffer the daily consequences of radioactive materials
emitted by TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.
There are particular concerns about the impacts on children,which are said to be more sensitive to radioactivity than adults,
and as of January 2015 a total of 45,735 people (mostly mothers
and children) had voluntarily evacuated to outside of Fukushima.
What is more, that figure jumps to 120,000 people when including the number of evacuees remaining inside the prefecture.
Of that number, as of
October 2014 the number ofchildren evacuating outsideof Fukushima totaled 12,436,
while 12,437 had evacuatedto a different location within
Fukushima. That means
24,873 children have been
forced to abandon theirhomes and communities toChildren planting trees as part of alive in new, unfamiliar envirecuperation project in Numajirironments.
Prefectural Forest. A play car also
Against this backdrop, as visited the project venueof the end of 2014, events
under the Fukushima Child Recuperation Project, which is
implemented through assistance from JCU and local organizations across Japan, have been held a total of 1,423 times andparticipant numbers have totaled 71,425 people.
While stress among children and their guardians is decreasing with time, results of surveys conducted by a Fukushima
University child stress assessment team make clear thatstress levels are still high compared with other prefectures.
Therefore, we will continue to support opportunities for children to play outside and to create a place for mothers in theirlives. I extend my deepest gratitude to all of our generous supporters who make this assistance possible.

A thank-you letter received in
November 2014 from Kesennuma
Yokocho in Fukko Yatai Mura
(Reconstruction Village), a
destination of the Prayer Tree
project for four years in a row

Iwate: Bringing Children Together
Ms. Ayako Fujiwara,
Secretary General, Iwate Association for UNICEF
We have continued to conduct exchanges following the disaster so that we—so that everyone—will never forget. At preschools and kindergartens in Otsuchi, every year we plant tulip
bulbs received from the Hyogo Association for UNICEF withthe schools’ children. We also hold children’s film screenings
during summer break and board game events, which are very
popular among children, as well as one-night sleepovers forfathers and their children. These programmes are implemented
with the objective of allowing families to take a break fromchild-rearing and household duties for a while and just relax.
We also provide assistance for exchanges with the
Otsuchi Kid’s Chorus and the Morioka City Kyara Hall Boys'and Girls' Choir. After an exchange at the Yamada Town Youth
Home, children told us: “Coming to the coast made me feelthe actual danger of the tsunami. It was fun to make friends
with the people ofOtsuchi.” Another childnoted, “It was a lot of funtalking with the older kids
of Kyara Hall.”We will continue tosupport these and otherexchanges in efforts tob r i n g ch i l d r e n c l o s e r
Osanago Kindergarten students planting together.
tulip bulbs (October 2014)

Miyagi: Passing Down Lessons Learned
Japanese UNICEF Staff Dispatched
to Provide Support

Ms. Eiko Igarashi,
Secretary General, Miyagi Association for UNICEF
We’re now entering the fifth spring since the East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. Efforts to raise land and build public housing
are progressing in some coastal areas heavily damaged by thedisaster, but there is still much to be done. I am concerned that
as we return from the post-disaster living conditions to normal
living conditions, we will forget the frightening experience of thedisaster and the lessons learned we want to pass down to future
generations. Against this backdrop, in March 2015, the third UN

Noriko Izumi, Nigeria Office; Naoko Imoto, Haiti Office; Yuko
Osawa, Yemen Office; Mariko Kagoshima, Honduras Office;Masahiro Kato, Afghanistan Office; Osamu Kunii, Somalia
Office; Yoko Kobayashi, Sri Lanka Office; Yuji Taketomo, Afghanistan Office; Maki Noda, Iraq Office (formerly with the Cambodia Office); Miho Fukuhara, New York Headquarters; Suguru
Mizunoya, Kenya Office; and Tadashi Yasuda, Vietnam Office.
* Refers to activities undertaken within the half-year from March 201115

Four-Year Income and Expenses Report[Income] (March 14, 2011 to December 31, 2014)

(Units: Yen)

*1. Donations, including those directly contributed by overseas individuals, corporations,organizations, and other bodies.
*2. UNICEF national committees exist in 36 developed countries and territories aroundthe world and serve as pipelines for private contributions to UNICEF. Since March
2011, 16 of those committees (Australia, Austria, Canada, the Czech Republic,
France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, The Republic ofKorea, Luxembourg, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States) havecontributed donations to JCU.

IncomeFrom JCU’s domestic operations expenses account

100,000,000

Donations received in Japan*1

3,537,950,474

Donations received from overseas*2

1,212,946,130

Total

4,850,896,604[Expenses] (March 14, 2011 to December 31, 2014)

(Units: Yen)

Expenses

Item / Details(to Dec. 2014)

Planned
Expenses*9

Planned
Expenses*9(to Dec. 2015)(from Jan. 2016)

Total

A. Emergency Relief Programme Expenses
1. Emergency Relief Supplies

Supplies Procurement Support

180,300,028

00Technical Support*3

7,009,489

00

7,009,489

Subtotal

187,309,517

00187,309,517

Restarting Health Checkups andSupplies Procurement Support

53,724,008

0

0

53,724,008

Nutrition Support Project

26,942,676

0026,942,676

Mother and Child Health (Breast feeding and pregnancy support,
vaccinations, facility building, etc.)

646,163,123

00646,163,123

School Feeds and Supplemental Food Support

128,695,355

00

128,695,355

Technical Support*3

93,147,340

0093,147,340

Subtotal

948,672,502

00948,672,502*10
538,129,795

Report P. 4
2. Health and Nutrition
Report P. 4

180,300,028

Back-to-School

538,129,795

00Back-to-Preschool and Kindergarten

102,329,213

00102,329,213

Reconstruction and Repair for Preschools and Kindergartens

1,866,000,175

54,60001,866,054,775

Junior High and High School Interscholastic Athletic Meets

67,528,498

00

67,528,498

Technical Support*3

40,987,917

500,000

041,487,917

Subtotal

2,614,975,598

554,600

02,615,530,198

4. P
 sychosocial Support UNICEF Children’s Bus Field Trips and Let’s Play! The OutdoorsPlaytime and Fukushima Child Recuperation Projects

178,094,310

35,000,000

13,000,000

226,094,310

UNICEF Children’s Mini Library Project,
Tegami Project and Prayer Tree Project

42,840,778

500,000

043,340,778

Supplies Procurement

5,146,885

005,146,885

IEC Materials, etc.*4

2,956,847

002,956,847

Technical Support*3

244,223,981

78,120,800

32,060,000

354,404,781

3. Education
Report P. 13

Report P. 7

Subtotal

473,262,801

113,620,800

45,060,000

631,943,601

Advocacy*5

3,432,0110500,000

3,932,011

Report P. 9

IEC materials, etc.*4

2,021,302

002,021,302

Technical Support*3

74,526,345

12,125,124

3,265,000

89,916,469

5. Child Protection

6. Child-Friendly Reconstruction Plans
Report P. 10

Subtotal

79,979,658

12,125,124

3,765,000

95,869,782

Advocacy*5

6,275,894

4,170,000

600,000

11,045,894

Child-Friendly Reconstruction(creating play spaces and playgrounds)

67,610,301

10,240,000

4,240,000

82,090,301

Technical Support*

74,214,544

42,329,448

16,120,000

132,663,992

Subtotal

148,100,739

56,739,448

20,960,000

225,800,187*10

Reporting and Communication*6

84,393,316

2,100,000

2,100,000

88,593,316

3

7. Programme Reports and Communication 
Report P. 14

Subtotal

84,393,316

2,100,000

2,100,000

Total

4,536,694,131

185,139,972

71,885,000

88,593,316*10
4,793,719,103

B. On-Site Operations of Programme*7
Local Offices Rental, Communications, Transportation Expenses, etc.

34,385,466

470,000

514,964

35,370,430

Project Staff and Volunteers to Sites*8

21,563,391

90,640153,040

21,807,071

Subtotal

55,948,857

560,640

668,004

57,177,501

Total

4,592,642,988

185,700,612

72,553,004

4,850,896,604*3.	Technical Support includes outsourcing expenses for programme or experts arranged through JCU’s partner organizations (including local publicbodies) in the implementation of its operations.
*4.	IEC Materials, etc., comprises the production of information materials forthe affected people.
*5.	Advocacy consists of collaborating, organizing, and information sharing
with JCU’s partner organization (including website creation, consultation,
holding information meetings)*6.	Reporting and Communication covers expenses for the production ofreports and publications, photo exhibitions, English translation of websites,
and film costs for videos and photographs.
*7.	On-Site Operations of Programme expenses are covered by the 100
million yen that was allocated by JCU for this purpose from its domestic
operations expenses at the start of disaster-related activities. Based on

auditor direction, transportation expenses for emergency relief activities,
which was included in On-Site Operations of All Activities on the six-monthreport, has been transferred to Emergency Relief Expenses.
*8.	Project Staff and Volunteers to Sites expenses include living expenses andvolunteer insurance, but not salaries. Staff are considered employees of
UNICEF or JCU.
*9.	Planned Expenses are amounts forecast as of January 31, 2015, and couldchange if there is a change in future conditions or the programme in thedisaster-affected area.
*10.	Forecasted expenditures were marked down in light of figures until 2014.
Note: This Income and Expenses Report was compiled as an easy-tounderstand summary of JCU’s programme. The report covers a 46-month
period from March 2011 (when the programme started) to December
2014. This is not JCU’s normal accounting period.

16

Programme Contributors
However, our programme continues, and will continue,
through partnerships with various specialist organizations, JCU
area associations, local government, and civil society. Pleasecheck our website frequently for progress reports about ourvarious assistance activities. We are grateful for your ongoingunderstanding and support for JCU’s programme in responseto the East Japan Earthquake.

The East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Emergency Relief
campaign marked the first time in nearly half a century that
UNICEF extended assistance to Japan, and it would not havebeen possible without the kind cooperation of countless individuals, corporations, and organizations. With a wish to
support children in need, people across Japan and around theworld donated generously to our campaign. JCU also received
material donations, logistical support, as well as advertisingand advocacy support for our programme from numerous corporations, organizations, and specialists. We would like toextend our heartfelt gratitude to all of our generous supporters.
We ended our call for donations for East Japan Earthquake
and Tsunami Emergency Relief at the end of March 2013.

WebsiteEast Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Emergency Relief
http://www.unicef.or.jp/kinkyu/japan/en/2011.htm

List of Supporters and Partners (At December 31, 2014)
Organization, Corporations, and Other Bodies Cooperating in the Implementation and Operation of Support Activities
Books for Young People (JBBY), Japan Association for Play Therapy,
Heart Full Heart, Fukushima Society of Certified Clinical Psychologists,
Fukushima Transportation, Fukushima Kotsu Kanko, Fukushima Junior
Chamber, Fukushima Design, Fukushima Child Recuperation Project,
YAMAGATA CHILD AND FAMILY SUPPORT CIRCLELAND[Health and Nutrition]
Aomori University of Health and Welfare, Special Committee for
Supporting Mothers and Children Under the Stress of Natural
Disasters, Humanitarian Medical Assistance (HuMA), Genero
Technologies, DENTSU, The Japan Dietetic Association, JapaneseMidwives’ Association, Japan Primary Care Association, Hakuhodo,
HANDS, Japan Liaison Council of Breastfeeding Organizations[Child Protection]

The Japan Overseas Cooperative Association, DENTSU, Tokyo
Council of Social Welfare Child Caregiver of the Committee,
Hakuhodo

Kids’ Door, J-CAPTA, Child Family Support Center Taiyo, Japan
National Council of Social Welfare, Japan National Council of Child
Family Support Center, Niiza Childcare Support Network, Hakuhodo,
Miyagi After-School Care Center Emergency Assistance Project,
MIYAGI Child and Family Support Center[Psychosocial Support][Child-Friendly Reconstruction Plans]

Iwate Kenpoku Kanko, Iwate Kenpoku Bus, National Center of
Neurology and Psychiatry, JTB Business World Tokyo, Japan National
Council of Child Family Support Center, DENTSU, Japanese Board on

Association of Children’s Environment, General Research Instituteof the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Takenaka Corporation,
Japan Adventure Playground Association, Yamagata University[Education]

Cooperating Corporations and Organizations (In no particular order)

Companies and Groups Contributing ¥10,000,000 or More
AEON MALL Co., Ltd.; AEON RETAIL Co., Ltd.; ITOHAM FOODS INC.; FNS Charity Campaign (Fuji Television Network, Inc. andits 28 affiliated stations including Kansai Telecasting Corporation); MPS17; CROSS COMPANY CO., LTD.; SAGANO REALESTATE
CO., LTD.; Sharp Corporation, Sugarlady Cosmetic Inc.; Sugarlady Inc.; START TODAY CO., LTD.; Sony Corporation; DANONE
S.A.; Danone Japan Co., Ltd.; The 27th Annual Meeting of Japanese Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition; Thomas &Agnes Inc.; Nichi-Iko Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; NIPPONKOA Insurance Company, Limited; Noble Japan K.K.; B-R 31 ICE CREAM
CO., LTD.; Plenus Co., Ltd.; Sumitomo Mitsui Asset Management Company, Limited; MITSUBOSHI BELTING LTD.; YAOKO CO.,
LTD.; JAPAN POST BANK Co., Ltd.; Words & Music; WABCO Holdings Inc.
Material and Logistical Support
Cooperation was received from a wide range of corporations and organizations. Please refer to the One-Year Report for moredetails. http://www.unicef.or.jp/kinkyu/japan/en/pdf/1year_report_en.pdf
Grants Received for Fundraising
American Express International, Inc.; Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
Cover Photographs (from top left)©JCU/2014/tatsuo hirose

Soccer star Makoto Hasebe visits
the children of Asahi Kindergarten
in their new school building

Satoyama Play Park, an initiative
to turn all “satoyama” areas in
Otsuchi (Iwate) into play areas forchildren

UNICEF Executive Director
Anthony Lake visits the Onagawa
Stone of Life constructed by
students of Onagawa Junior HighSchool (Miyagi)*Unless indicated otherwise, all photos in this report are © Japan Committee for UNICEF.

17

Children painting tops at
Satoyama Play Park in Otsuchi(Iwate)Japan Committee for UNICEF
UNICEF House
4-6-12, Takanawa, Minato-ku
Tokyo 108-8607, Japan
Tel: +81 (3) 5789-2011
Fax: +81 (3) 5789-2036
www.unicef.or.jp