TBS-TV Great East Japan Earthquake 11th Anniversary Project: “TSUNAGU—Share to Connect”
Eleven years ago, on March 11, 2011, 14:46 (JST), a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck the Tohoku region of Japan, followed by a massive tsunami. Later named the Great East Japan Earthquake, or “3.11” for short, it was the largest earthquake in Japan’s recorded history, and the fourth largest ever in the world. As of 2022, 18,423 people have been reported dead or missing by Japanese authorities, and the total damage is estimated at roughly US$235 billion. Images of the tsunami devastating Tohoku’s coastal cities and causing a meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station traveled to all corners of the globe, shocking the world.
 

Photos taken immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

To mark the 11th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, TBS Television in Japan is launching a 9-day media campaign, starting March 5th, 2022. The project “TSUNAGU – Share to Connect” will feature special programs aired on terrestrial TV in Japan, with portions made available later to worldwide audiences via the project’s official website. ◇“TSUNAGU—Share to Connect” project official website :
https://www.tbs.co.jp/311tsunagu-tsunagaru/tag/english.html

Highlights of the Program
The special series of broadcasts will highlight two key themes: 1) fresh challenges being taken on by young people in the disaster-affected areas, and 2) the latest efforts on the frontlines of disaster mitigation efforts to protect lives from future earthquakes and tsunamis. For the first theme, our cameras will follow the activities of young people, such as volunteer divers who’ve shifted their efforts from debris removal to protecting the environment; an engineer who, after experiencing the disaster himself, developed an advanced disaster support app; and young women who moved, bringing their dreams with them, to an area heavily affected by the disaster, Kesennuma. In Japan’s aging society, young people are taking the lead in coming up with ideas to revitalize towns based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. What image of the future do they see for themselves?

For the second theme, the program will focus on the use of the advanced disaster support technologies to analyze and examine evacuation behavior at the time of the 3.11 disaster from the perspective of the latest research.
 

(L) Young women who moved to Kesennuma
(R) An entrepreneur dedicated to the revitalization

A Collective Effort to Preserve History #ShareStories311
In conjunction with the broadcasts, TBS will be launching a worldwide online campaign using the hashtag #ShareStories311. We are inviting people around the world to post photos of their memories of the disaster and the story behind them, on social media, with the hashtag #Share Stories311. Selected posts will be showcased on the project’s official website, to create a collective digital gallery.

With memories fading over time, the objective of this collective effort will be to capture memories of the disaster and preserve them for the future.

Project producer Yosuke Yamaoka is calling for participation from all over the world. “The goal is to share memories and our lessons learnt, with people outside of Japan, especially around the vulnerable Pacific Rim, in hopes we can prepare together for disasters in the future.” Through his interviews in the disaster-affected areas, Yamaoka came to the realization that, “while we can't prevent disasters from happening, by sharing our memories and learning from them, we can help reduce the damage in the future.”

For Future Generations
Earthquakes and tsunamis are a problem faced not only by Japan, but all around the Pacific Rim and in other countries. This collective digital gallery has the potential to contribute to an international approach to addressing the issue. In our reflections on the disaster 11 years ago, the word ‘share’ (“TSUNAGU”), used in the both the project title and hashtag, embodies two meanings: ‘sharing compassion’ and ‘sharing our memories with those who did not experience the events of 3.11.’

By connecting people across generations and borders through their stories, we hope to help save lives in the future. That is the ultimate goal of this project.

Producer Yamaoka remarks, “People who traveled to Japan after the earthquake, people who found items from Japan washed up on distant shores by the massive tsunami, people who want to share a message with people in Japan to mark the 11th anniversary of the disaster–these and others are the people we would like to invite posts from all over the world.”

Your stories could possibly save lives in the future.

The official website digital gallery

Charity Donations Through Music
Created specifically for this project, the theme song "Tsubomi -Orchestra version" is an original, written and performed by popular Japanese vocal group GReeeeN, and arranged by composer Takayuki Hattori, known for “Mobile Suit Gundam THE ORIGIN” “Slayers Return! “Sangokushi V” and other famous anime works. A portion of proceeds from the sale of this song will be donated by TBS through the Japan Platform, to the disaster-affected areas of Fukushima Prefecture.

Visit the project website to see the special music video.

Project Overview
Project Title: Great East Japan Earthquake 11th Anniversary Project: “TSUNAGU—Share to Connect”
Project Official Website: https://www.tbs.co.jp/311tsunagu-tsunagaru/tag/english.html

Project official social media
◇ Twitter: https://twitter.com/tbs_news?s=20

Broadcast Schedule: Note: broadcast only in Japan.
◇ TBS news programs from Saturday, March 5 to Sunday, March 13 (JST)
◇ Friday March 11, 1:55 p.m. (JST) - N-studio Special “TSUNAGU—Share to Connect” (tentative name)
◇ Portions of the program will be released on the Official Website

Production Team
◇ Project Producer: Yosuke Yamaoka
◇ Program Producers: Jun Ohashi, Tsuyoshi Noguchi
◇ Chief Director: Tsuyoshi Oura

Production: TBS

How to post to #ShareStories311
Please post photos of special items and thoughts related to the Great East Japan Earthquake with the hashtag #ShareStories311 on any social media platform. Selected posts will be showcased on the project’s official website, to create a collective digital gallery.

About TBS Television
TBS Television is the key station of a leading major commercial network in Japan, and has been producing and broadcasting since its inception in 1951, a wide variety of programs including news, drama, variety, and sports. The news section, in particular, features the JNN News Network, which boasts the longest tradition of news broadcasting in Japan, along with a powerful reporting system that operates in cooperation with affiliate stations nationwide, and has reported many historical moments. JNN has an established reputation for global reporting from its overseas bureaus, and in recent years has also focused on investigative reporting, earning the trust of Japanese viewers nationwide.

TBS Holdings official social media 
◇ Official website : https://www.tbsholdings.co.jp/en/
◇ TBS official Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/tbs.global.business
◇ TBS Global LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/tokyo-broadcasting-system-television/

Inquiries
Mahoko Takanari (Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, Inc.,)
takanari.mahoko@tbs.co.jp   +81-90-7715-3421
Tel: +81-3-5571-8735    Fax: +81-3-5589-2366