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Tomorrow will be a week since the historic 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck Japan and triggered a tsunami that swept the coast causing over 10,000 deaths, widespread destruction, and an ongoing nuclear crisis disaster. While the full scope of the situation is still unfolding praise for the Japanese peoples reaction are often repeated by news anchors and commentators with VOA’s Steve Herman putting it best “The traditional Japanese stoicism is on full display.”
In the immediate aftermath as people reacted to the news on social media a series of Twitter jokes from comedian Gilbert Gottfried cost him his iconic voice over job he held with Aflac since 2000. Aflac the largest foreign insurer in Japan, used a different voice in the Japanese market. Gottfried voiced the duck’s “Af-LAC!” quacking in TV ad campaign in United States, and now a nationwide casting call to find a new voice over is under way.
As we confirmed the safety of JBI Studios Japanese voice talents and colleagues in Japan, reports from the wider voice over community reflect the initial shock with many offering condolences and help. The official condolences and aid has been mobilized in over 100 countries, along with The World Bank, Unicef, Red Cross and other international organizations pledging their support.
Japanese Translators And Interpreters Help
The international support has been offered in number of ways. Rescue and relief teams have been flying into Japan since the weekend and Common Sense Advisory highlights the need for multilingual communications sharing the Japan Association of Translators (JAT) is welcoming volunteer interpreters to contact them. They also encourage non Japanese speakers to volunteer for relay interpreting assignments which allows two parties to bridge the gap over a third language. Translators without Borders have also extended their help to NGOs.
Japan Earthquake Tsunami Help Donate
InterAction, an alliance of International NGOs has a list of its members who are accepting donations for relief effort. And Mashable has listed multiple ways to donate using Twitter, SMS and Facebook. Regional efforts are well underway in Los Angeles there have been fund raisers held at Rosebowl and Dodgers Stadium with similar large drives in New York City, San Francisco, Seattle and Boston.
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