Radio with Mail Art for Japan Charity, revised 5/3/11

Radio with Mail Art for Japan Charity Call

--- Give hope to the victim and send radios----

This is not a call for an art show, but for donating radio to people in Miyagi in Japan who are victims of Tunami and are evacuating or surviving at home. Many people still do not have a TV or radio or no home or job or even lost their family members. I have noticed in IUOMA that many people want to express their prayer and hope for Japan and victim of the earthquake, so I have been looking for some chance to send your messages (or mail art) with something to donate.

Main readers of this call would be IUOMA member, but it does not limit to IUOMA member to join the charity. Whoever want to help out Japanese victims can send radios, so please anybody join us~. 

Deadline

I changed my mind about deadline. 

You can send anytime you want when you feel like sending to them or me. 

I figured depending on the countries you live in Japan or other countries, it takes time differently. And also some people might have a used radio that can find easily, or some people want to look around their cities at the second hand stores. Some people may want to take time to create mail art (or etegami) very impressive to victim of tunami.

If you send to the radio station, please just let me know if you already send so that I can send you a thank you note. 

tomoenk6@gmail.com

If you send my address, I just wait until I have enough to put in a box and write some label that I send from as a group of artists.

Address:

Here there are two ways, you can send your radio and mail art (etegami) directly to the radio station or to me. Someone mentioned to me that it does not make any difference to send either address. Yes, off course it would be faster and effective if you send directly to radio station, but I think it is more effective if we send all together as an artist group and they know where we are coming from. And you might feel as belonging as an artist, and in my opinion "the voice" would be louder if we get all together. (kind of like a Japan aid CD from American musician.) However, it is totally up to you which method you want to take.

To "Miyako Saigai FM" directly:

1-3-5 Rikutyu building 3F, Miyatyo Miyako city, Iwate, 027-0052 Japan

(Japanese)

〒027-0052

岩手県宮古市宮町１丁目3-5陸中ビル3F

Tel: 81-193-77-3399

The Miyako Saiga FM site in Japanese

http://miyakofm.blog98.fc2.com/

twitter @miyakofm774

To the organizer, Tomoe Nakamura

2-22-2 Daiho Kanancho Minamikawachi-gun Osaka 585-0005 Japan

(Japanese)

〒585-0005

大阪府南河内郡河南町大宝２－２２－２

Tel: 81-721-93-2881 (for shipping needs)

What to send:

I found from TV news that Miyako Saigai FM (saigai means disaster in Japanese) is looking for a portable radio with battery, and manual generated radio (which you can turn on without a battery by moving handle, or solar system etc, like the ones you use for camping). Also it would be great to have an ear phone with it, because people may listen privately in evacuation centers (mainly school gyms) with many other victims. So I would like to ask for donation of radios and some message cards for people who get the radios. It is not necessary to be a brand new radio, and it can be used or second hand store ones that still work. But please make sure that it can be used worldwide or in Japan. Sometime they have different hertz system in overseas, and they are not compatible.

Some people already own old portable radios that are not using. You can donate, if you can. Or some might find used ones at salvation army or good will or other private second hand stores, or cheap Chinese stores or which ever your country local stores. In Japan ¥100 stores are popular and sometime I can find something usable for art and daily use. 

Note: Please do not send a boom box or large radios, but just a small portable radio. Please mark "gift" on a shipping document, so we both can avoid the risk to pay the import tax.

Mail Art messages;

In addition to the radio please create and attach mail art or message to cheer them up. It can be any materials, but please limit the size as tiny card to 8 by 10 inches, or A4 sheet size. (They may not have a space to hang on a wall, etc.) Some part of the land which affected by Tunami in Tohoku has not fixed since it happened and many people lost their family by tunami, so many of them got traumatize, so I think they don't want to see the scary images. So I think it would be better with happy and hopeful images. For example, tunami wave or radiation or other scary images may recall their mind. It can be like a design or drawing like a Japanese flag or cherry tress or rainbow drawing, or what ever hopeful images for the future you like to show for the victims. It is your art call what make them happy is up to you. I don't think quality of art and design is a concern.

Shipping Advise:

There was some concern of the sending radio. There are various sizes of portable radio, but the one have is like less than postcard size. So if you wrap with a bubble wrap and cardboard paper and put in an envelope (for cheaper fee) or put in a box, it should be fine. If I were you, I want to make the fee less expensive so I just wrap tight and send in an envelope. My paintings that just sold, arrived safely to Canada from Japan that way. Japanese EMS (International Express Mail) have a good service treating insure packaging. If you are worry about your local postal service, I would recommend using priority with insurance. Or you can just wrap wisely with your artistic license, to send it safe. It is just a small portable radio so it should not be a big deal. I was moving back and forth in between my old iMac and "he" is still alive good. lol 

My side idea, I just found a small radio with a ballpoint pen here at a local second hand store in Osaka. I think they imported from the US. They sell very cheap there, and I may want to get them for donating later on. You may also find some interesting small radio in your area...

Thank you for your help and prayer.

This is a sample image of what to send.

(I used a Gabby C mail art sent to me as a sample.)

my used radio and gabby's mail art

Thank you for all very much for concern about Japanese disaster.
p.s. South from Tokyo in Japan is totally not affected. Please visit and travel around if are interested in Japanese culture and scenary. This is also the way to help Japanese economy, and ultimately help Tohoku.