Numerous relief organizations, volunteer groups and concerned individuals have offered support by distributing goods and lending a helping hand in the earthquake- and tsunami-hammered Tohoku region.
While rebuilding from the widespread devastation will continue to require great amounts of aid, time and manpower, those who have been in the hardest-hit areas emphasize the importance of getting to know the local communities to grasp the constantly changing needs of the survivors and to maximize relief efforts.
Miyako Hamasaka of the nongovernmental disaster relief organization JEN said that as evacuees leave their temporary shelters and gradually begin working to restore their damaged homes, equipment to remove the massive piles of mud and rubble left by tsunami will be in dire need.