Ganbare Japan!: a continuing project - 12th Impact

Since last March 11’s events, our thoughts go to the Japanese population and Japan Expo has wished to support Japan with you by creating Ganbare Japan!. Let’s get back to what has been organized before, during and after the festival.

Ganbare Japan!: the project

On March 11, 2011, Japan was hit by an earthquake, followed by a devastating tsunami. These events caused much damage and suffering. Japan Expo has wished to bring support to the country, with the help of all Japan fans. That’s how Ganbare Japan! was created, to support the Japanese population morally and financially.

Soon after the catastrophe, Japan Expo set a Ganbare Japan! Facebook page. It allows everyone to leave solidarity messages and talk about support actions organized for Japan. Many of you contributed to this page: thanks to all of you!

Support Japan with us

To support the victims financially, Ganbare Japan! solidarity tickets, badges, wallpapers and T-shirts have been sold. The money is given to the Japanese Red-Cross to help reconstructing the most damages areas of the country.

The exhibition

Japan Expo organized a Ganbare Japan! exhibition to keep on raising people’s awareness. Photos of Tôhoku (one of the most damaged area) before the catastrophe have been showed, giving a strong message of hope for reconstruction.

Japanese and French artists also contributed to this exhibition.

French artists from the Tsunami project initiated by Café Salé took part in the exhibition and allowed Japan Expo to exhibit their illustrations: BOULET, Clément LEFÈVRE, FLAB, Jaime POSADAS, Hiroyuki OOSHIMA, MAKO, Marc SIMONETTI, MARKO, MYEV, Nicolas DELORT, REUNO, Thomas BERTHELON, THORN, VIINS, YLLYA and SPARTH.

Japanese artists from Shueisha also showed their support to their fellow citizens: Eiichiro ODA (One Piece), Masashi KISHIMOTO (Naruto), Akira TORIYAMA (Dragon Ball), Akihisa IKEDA (Rosario, Vampire), OGATA & OBA (Bakuman), Hiroyuki ASADA (Letter Bee), Norihiro YAGI (Claymore) and Saki HASEMI & Kentaro YABUKI (To Love-ru Darkness).

Roundtable conference and messages

A roundtable conference allowed the attendees to get more information about the circulation of information between France and Japan and the organization of NGOs and help transportation to Tôhoku.

To allow everyone to express themselves, the attendees were invited to write support messages on a wall and many of you did.

A Tanabata was also organized by the association Tengumi. In Japan, Tanabata is a Japanese star festival, during which the Japanese write wishes on cards they hang on branches. In the same way, you could write “wishes for Japan” during the festival.

The auction

Over six months after the events, Japan still needs help for reconstruction. Ganbare Japan! continues its action and organized an auction from September 26 to October 2 thanks to Nobuhiro WATSUKI, the artist of Kenshin.

He gave 11 original illustrations to several conventions to get money for the Japanese Red-Cross. The organizers of Japan Expo were entrusted with 3 original drawings for Ganbare Japan!.