15 Aomori Delegates Visit Maine
September 6 - 11, 2011
The delegation visited Portland, Hallowell, Orono, Eastport, Walpole, and Bath while exploring renewable energy, aquaculture and food import/export opportunities. Meetings were held at the Gulf of Maine Research Center, the Darling Marine Center, the Advanced Composites Lab at the Univeristy of Maine and the Ocean Renewable Power Company, among many others. See the FULL ITINERARY
Nine delegates organized by the Aomori Prefecture and six
delegates from the Aomori UNESCO joined together with
several of their their hosts on the final day of their visit to
enjoy the Hopper Exhibit at the Bowdoin College Art Museum.
Kevin Bennett | BDN
Maine Housing Director Dale McCormick (from left) helps Aomori prefecture government senior staff member Yasunori Kitagawa and Hirosaki University assistant to the president Dr. Hirotada Nanjo understand an English term as they tour the Advanced Structures and Composites Center on the University of Maine campus in Orono on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2011.
Aomori sends its thanks to Maine:
Massive Earthquake and Tsunami Devastate Japan on March 11, 2011
Maine's Sister-State of Aomori Heavily Impacted on its East Coast
Aomori Governor Shingo Mimura seeks assistance from Maine:
"Aomori Prefecture is now accepting public donations for supporting victims from Aomori Prefecture . . .
I think this might be the quickest and most flexible way to meet the needs of the affected areas"
Maine Friends of Aomori has wired $24,500
to the Aomori Prefecture Disaster Relief Office.
Please click to see an UPDATED REPORT on the relief effort from MASSAC Chair Steve MacDougall.
Consul General Hikihara Thanks Maine Friends of Aomori
for its Contributions to Recovery in Aomori
Students from Southern Maine Community College, Hall-Dale High School with
Representatives of the Maine-Aomori Sister-State Advisory Council, the Japan America Society of Maine, Friends of Shinagawa, Friends of Aomori and TD Bank
The $7000 check represented was supplemented by $2000 contributed that day.
MASSAC President Steve MacDougall signs Hall-Dale HS Students sporting Cranes made for Aomori
wire transfer with TDBank representative Sue White WE CARE tee shirts for sale by Southern Maine Communitiy College Students
The funds were raised through the soliciting efforts of the Maine-Aomori Sister-State Advisory Council, the Japan American Society of Maine, the Friends of Shinagawa and the Maine International Trade Center. Contributions were made by individuals, organizations and schools.
As of March 19, 311 people in Aomori remain in 11 shelters.
Estimated Economic Damage
March 19, 2011 To-o Nippo Press Co., Ltd. article provides a preliminary estimate of economic damage to Hachinohe in the "tens of millions of yen", which is the rough equivalent of hundreds of millions of of US Dollars.
The Maine Japan Earthquake Relief 
Effort has established a bank account at TDBank to receive funds in support of our sister state of Aomori. Funds collected will go directly to the Aomori official relief agency, Aomori-ken Saigai Taisaku Honbu (Aomori Prefecture Disaster Management Office), for use in assisting earthquake and tsunami victims in the prefecture.
- Make a check payable to "Friends of Aomori - Earthquake Relief"* and
- take it to any TDBank branch or send the check to the TDBank Lewiston Branch at 790 Lisbon Street, Lewiston, ME 04240-6695.
*Friends of Aomori has been organized to qualify as a 501(c)(3) organization but has not yet received IRS recognition as such. Therefore, you cannot be assured that your gift will be tax deductible. If the IRS grants such recognition, as is expected, contributions will be tax deductible to the extent provided by law.
At this tragic time in Aomori and many other areas of Japan, Friends of Aomori is focusing its attention on
- keeping the Maine public updated on the status of the crisis in Japan
- coordinating and encouraging immediate relief efforts to Japan, and
- exploring the most effective ways to offer long term support to our sister-state of Aomori as it begins to recover from this traumatic event.
We are working hand-in-hand:
Please visit the Maine-Japan Earthquake Relief Effort
Facebook page.
