Japan, 5 June 2012 – Singapore Foreign Minister Mr K Shanmugam and his Japanese counterpart Mr Koichiro Gemba today witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between Mr Tee Tua Ba, Chairman, Singapore Red Cross (SRC), HE Chin Siat Yoon, Ambassador, Republic of Singapore to Japan and Mr Hidekiyo Tachiya, Mayor, Soma City, to reconstruct the Isobe community centre in Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture. The project is one of four reconstruction projects undertaken by the SRC in the Tohoku region.

The construction of the Isobe community centre is part of Japan’s post disaster recovery efforts in the Tohoku region which suffered widespread destruction in the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami (GEJET). The building of the centre will cost 120 million yen (S$2 million). SRC would be funding the reconstruction with donations raised via the public appeal which has garnered over S$35 million.

"The rebuilding of Isobe community centre with its multiple uses will have wide ranging impact on the community. It offers a central focus area for activities and will build the sense of solidarity, support and resilience that forms the cornerstone of survivors’ long road to recovery,” added Mr Tee Tua Ba, Chairman of the SRC (See Annex E for message).

Mayor, Soma City, Mr Hidekiyo Tachiya in expressing his appreciation to SRC, said, "Even though it has been a year since the disaster happened, we are grateful that people have not forgotten those affected in Japan and continue to provide support to the survivors. This project by the Singapore Red Cross reaffirms the long-standing and warm relations between Japan and Singapore. Please thank the people of Singapore for their generosity.”

“This is our own small contribution to the efforts that Japan and the Japanese people are undertaking,” shared Minister for Foreign Affairs and Law Mr K Shanmugam, “We have no doubt that out of this adversity the Japanese people will bounce back to even greater heights.”