It was one of the less publicized international campaigns of support for Japan following the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011. Three days after the disaster, the government of Taiwan pledged ¥300 million in aid to Japan; Taiwanese citizens quickly followed up with a fundraising drive for the Tohoku disaster zone, revealing the depth of affection many have for Japan.
Nongovernmental organizations such as the Red Cross, celebrities, companies, schools and private individuals raised over ¥20 billion by December, making Taiwan the leading donor state. One beneficiary of Taiwan's generosity was the Miyagi Prefecture town of Minamisanriku, which lost its hospital and 65 patients to the devastation. A ¥2.2 billion donation funded the construction of a new facility in 2015.
In a pattern that the Taiwanese are well familiar with, the then Democratic Party of Japan government adhered strictly to the country's "One China" diplomatic protocol in its response to Taiwan's generosity, most likely out of fear of provoking Beijing's ire. An official letter of thanks from the Japanese government to donor nations published in international newspapers snubbed Taiwan, and Taiwanese officials were not invited to a national Tohoku disaster memorial service, upsetting survivors in Tohoku and angering other Japanese citizens.