Over 500 people showed up to help raise 22,008.75 DKK for Japan

Japanese characters and plenty of Origami birds decorated the conference rooms in the Dale T. Mortensen Building when the Japanese exchange students and the International Centre invited everyone to attend a charity bar for Japan on Friday April 1.

Over 500 people showed up during the afternoon and evening to help raise money for the crisis in Japan, which was a lot more than the Japanese exchange students could have hoped for.

"I’m very happy and very grateful that so many people came to the event to support Japan. We never expected so many people. It was very overwhelming and wonderful. I would also like to thank all the people who helped make this event possible. That really means a lot," says Moemi Nagasaki, who is one of the University’s Japanese exchange students and one of the organisers behind the event.

And she wasn’t the only one with positive remarks afterwards. On the event’s Facebook page one of the guests wrote this:

Wow, that really was a nice event. I have no idea how much time, effort, and energy you all have put for making this happen. I can't thank you enough for your amazing work! Otsukaresama deshita! (Meaning: Thanks for the good work – red.)

Sushi and Japanese beer

During the event the local band Pil & Liv entertained the guests with their songs and in true Japanese style the organisers had also arranged a good old-fashioned game of Rock-Paper-Scissors, where everyone had a chance to win prizes. Furthermore, the Japanese exchange students sold homemade sushi, green tea cookies and Japanese beer and everything sold out before the bar closed at 8PM.

Over 22,000 DKK raised

The sale of the sushi, cookies and beer plus the donations from the collection boxes raised 22,008.75 DKK in total, which will be donated to the Red Cross who then will send the money to Japan.

Overall the money raised for Japan was so much more than the students could have hoped for and expected.

"I don’t know what else to say than thank you!" says Moemi Nagasaki.

Selected press cuttings about the event (in Danish)

Støttebar for venner i Japan - Jyllands-Posten, 31 March 2011

Japanese Charity Bar - stærkt berørte studerende støtter hjemlandet - Lokalavisen, 5 April 2011