About Us

The World Helpline is non-profit, non-governmental services dedicated to the international community. We offer advice on anything from a simple question to an emergency situation, or sometimes we just listen. Call 24 hours a day, from anywhere about anything, anytime from a simple question to emergency assistance.

Japan Emergency Team

The Japan Emergency Team operates on community support and, in principle, volunteers who take part in projects are responsible for their own expenses.

 Call JET at: 03-5780-1111   

The Japan Emergency Team (JET) is the only non-profit, non-governmental disaster relief organization in Japan.

JET began in 1989 when 38 students from Chuo University went overseas to help in the wake of the San Francisco earthquake, thus representing the first international relief effort made by any Japanese group.

Since then, that core group of students has grown more than twelve times its original size– making our team network close to 500 volunteers.

Students from thirty different universities as well as young workers throughout Japan now make up the foundation on which JET operates.

Since its inception, JET has responded to many man-made and natural catastrophes worldwide.

Our efforts include sending food, medical and other need-specified supplies and volunteers.

JET usually cooperates with organizations already at the origin of disaster and provides ancillary and/or direct manpower support.

For example, in the past we have made surveys and on-site reports, sent and distributed relief goods, participated in reconstruction activities and have volunteered in refugee camps.

We were the first relief group to arrive in Kobe after the Great Hanshin Earthquake struck on January 17, 1995 and became the sole NGO invited to work in the governmentケs Central Disaster Relief Center.

In addition to providing relief supplies and physical labor, JET established a search system for earthquake victims to help family members and friends within Japan and overseas locate loved ones in the devastated area.

CNN, BBC and NHK aired our worldwide, toll-free number and we answered inquiries 24 hours a day&emdash;within the first two weeks alone we received an excess of 2,000 calls!

At present we are still have lines open dealing with questions and problems related to the Hanshin earthquake.

Up to now, The Japan Emergency Team has carried out 40 operations. A list of our past and present projects is available.

Past Projects

Year

Dates

City

Country

Activity

2020 7/5 Kyushu Japan Flooding Disaster
2020 3/3 China Coronavirus Bioweapon
2019 9/19 Japan Typhoon
2018 6/8 Japan Floods
2017 9/19 Puerto Rico Hurricane Maria
2016 4/16 Kumamoto Japan Earthquake
2016 4/16 Ecuador Earthquake
2015 4/25 Nepal Earthquake
2014 10/12 Japan Typhoon Vongfong
2013 11/8 Philippines Typhoon Haiyan
2012 5/20 Emilia Italy Earthquake
2012 4/11 Indonesia Earthquake
2011 3/11 Sendai/Ishinomaki/Fukushima Japan Tsunami/Earthquake/Nuclear Accident
2011 2/22 Christchurch New Zealand Earthquake
2010 4/13 Yushu China Earthquake
2010 1/12 Haiti Earthquake
2009 9/30 Sumatra Indonesia Earthquake
2008 3/12 Sichuan China Earthquake
2007 10/23 California USA Fires
2006 9/30 Indonesia Earthquake
2005 Houston Texas USA Katrina Hurricane
2004 12/26 Sumatra coast India Earthquake
2004 10/23 Niigata Japan Earthquake
2003 12/26  

Iran

Earthquake

2003 9/26 Tokachi Japan Earthquake
2003 7/26 Miyagi Japan Earthquake
2003 5/26 Miyagi Japan Earthquake
2003 5/1   Turkey Earthquake
2003 7/-   Iraq Rescue operation
2002 3/3   Taiwan
Earthquake
2001 11 –   Afghan Refugee Camp
2001 9/11- NewYork USA Terrorism
2001 1/26-  

India

Earthquake

2001 1/13-   Elsalbados
Earthquake
2000 6/27- Miyake-jima Japan Volcano
2000 3/31 Hokkaido Japan Earthquake
1999 8/17-   Turkey Earthquake
1999 5/8-   Kosovo
Refugee Camp
1999 2/10-2/23   Colombia

Earthquake

1998 07/23-   Papua New Guinea Tidal Wave
1997 02/10-04/19   China/Hong Kong Flood

1997

10/15-10/30

 

Poland

Flood

1997

07/10-07-15

Izumi

Japan

Flood

1997

02/10-02/26

 

Iran

Earthquake

1996

07/13-present

Guiyang

China

Flood

1996

02/27-03/06

 

Equador

Earthquake

1996

02/07-02/17

Yunnan

China

Earthquake

1996

02/05-02/12

 

Indonesia

Earthquake

1995

05/21-10/15

 

Sakhalin Is.

Earthquake

1995

04/10-06/15

Niigata

Japan

Earthquake

1995

01/17-present

Kobe

Japan

Hanshin Earthquake

1994-5

12/27-01/17

Sanriku

Japan

Earthquake

1994

09/26-11/02

Miami

USA

Haitian Refugees

1994

08/19-11/05

 

Rwanda

Refugee Return

1994-5

04/06—8/01

 

Bosnia

Patient Transport/Ref. Camp

1993

01/23-02/28

Los Angeles

USA

Earthquake

1993

11/04-12/26

Los Angeles

USA

Fire

1993

10/13-11/02

Mahrastra

India

Earthquake

1993

09/13-10/01

Mississippi

USA

Flood

1993

08/10-08/31

Kagoshima

Japan

Earthquake

1993

07/14-10/28

Okushiri

Japan

Earthquake/Flood

1993

01/24-02/06

 

Indonesia

Flood

1993

01/24-02/06

 

Somalia

Refugee Camp

1992-4

12/19-07/14

Cairo

Egypt

Earthquake

1992

09/17-10/31

Kushiro

Japan

Earthquake

1992

08/08-10/21

 

Cambodia

Refugee Camp

1992

09/20-10/08

 

Pakistan

Flood

1992

05/03-06/20

Los Angeles

USA

LA Riots

1992

03/26-05/20

Ergingian

Turkey

Earthquake

1992

03/24-04/02

 

Russia

Orphanage

1992

2/20-03/04

 

Russia

Orphanage

1991

12/27-01/08

 

Cambodia

Refugee Camp

1991

11/10-12/13

Ormoc

Philippines

Flood

1991

11/01-11/21

Oakland

USA

Fire

1991

09/01-09/10

New York

USA

Homeless Center

1991

06/05-09/10

Unzen

Japan

Volcano

1991

05/08-06/06

 

Bangladesh

Cyclone

1991

05/05-07/04

 

Iraq/Turkey

Kurdish Camp

1991

01/30-07/06

 

Jordan

Refugee Camp

1990

10/04-10/11

 

Jordan

Refugee Camp

1990

06/26-08/04

Baguio

Philippines

Earthquake

1990

06/16-06/27

 

Iran

Earthquake

1990

04/28-05/03

 

Hong Kong

Refugee Camp

1989

10/05-10/12

San Francisco

USA

Earthquake