37 Frames : Tohoku Update + Thanks, big thanks... • 37 Frames Blog

“Gratitude is the memory of the heart.” ~ Jean Baptiste Massieu

Meeting new people, greeting new smiles and receiving warm hello’s. This morning we give you a quick update on Tohoku related activities, as we get ready to head north again. The Black Mouth seems like a lifetime ago. It’s been 11 weeks. We have taken some time this week to breath and refocus, and direct our energies in the best possible way. Finding our way and where we fit. Without which we are a bit useless and have honesty just felt so completely exhausted recently. It’s been hard to admit always knowing so many people are so much worse off. But to be effective to others we have to be strong, be able to fight for it. We are a bit more ready now. And ready for the next chapter.

We have a little project in the works that we will need help with. More on that soon as the meetings and details unfold. For now we have been invited to be a part of a collective photo book coming out in June and we are collaborating with Weber Shandwick to provide content for their Real Voices Real Japan initiative. Peace Boat continue to do incredible work and the passion and energy of Yoshioka-san and his team is mesmerizing. We are amazed at how many volunteers they mobilized during Golden Week. Apparently much of the Oshika penninsula was nicknamed Peace Boat Town with those blue vests dotting the landscape. Understandably numbers have dropped now but we would personally love to thank our many friends who have taken time to head up, get dirty and spread some hope. Our friends overseas who are making their way to Japan this summer to help and all those going up in the coming weeks. You are so needed and appreciated. All the volunteers, from all the relief organizations… you have been truly amazing.

Big thank you’s to the many people who have contacted us regarding donating and supporting our efforts. 37 Frames have been able to add a little. We’ve added all the ¥ we’ve collected to the relief funds from session work, print sales, friends and clients worldwide, particularly Germany, the USA, Australia and right here in Japan. We’ve contributed to some much more sizable donations that have taken place to put some more extensive projects and ideas into action. Then there are all those donations, beautiful care packages from every corner of the globe. Boxes and boxes. The children and people of Tohoku thank you all truly. There is so much more to be done, and we will do our best to facilitate in our little way ongoing.

We simply have to give a huge shout-out to our fabulous international photo community, who through Photographers Unite for Japan are doing all they can to promote continued awareness. Huge thanks to Mr Action Man himself, the incredible Kevin Kubota for all his support and the beautiful and extremely talented Dawn Shields for doing all they can through their respective networks. It’s our time to support in return now – our hearts are with Dawn and all those in Missouri, especially our Ignite alumni Dale Benfield as they cope with the loss and aftermath of tornadoes in Joplin and beyond. We must also mention our lovely friend and scrapping guru Stacy Julian for her heartwarming thoughts and all the awareness her blog post, too, has recently generated. Thank you. The messages of love and thoughts coming in from around the world are always passed on. We always remember the words repeated so many times on our trips north, “please don’t forget us. Please don’t forget Tohoku”. We won’t. The stories are being told. The world seems somewhat smaller despite all the loss. What a year of nature. We remain always, humbled.