Commemorations were held in Japan and worldwide to remember the victims of the powerful earthquake and the ensuing devastating tsunami striking Japan on 11 March 2011.

The Japanese Embassy in Budapest hosted an evening reception on 14 March, where the participants commemorated the victims with a minute of common prayer. In his speech, Japanese Ambassador to Budapest Ito Tetsuo expressed his thanks again for the help Hungary provided after the disaster and informed the guests of the current state of reconstruction. At the reception János Hóvári and Bálint Ódor, Deputy State Secretaries of the Foreign Ministry; Zsolt Semjén, Deputy Prime Minister; and Anikó Lévai, Goodwill Ambassador of the Hungarian Interchurch Aid, among others, expressed their condolences.

Hungarian civil society organisations hosted 35 charity events in the two months following the tsunami, and they raised donations for the needy. The Hungarian Baptist Aid, the Hungarian Reformed Church Aid, and the Hungarian Interchurch Aid sent an aid team and donations to Japan.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs sent 10 million forints’ worth (16.7 tons) of food including pasta, canned fruit, and chocolate to the families placed in shelters. Joining the charity programmes, from 25 July to 7 August 2011 the local government of the town of Hódmezővásárhely received 17 students from the area struck by disaster (Fukushima and Iwate Prefectures) as guests in the framework of the Kizuna project.

(kormany.hu)