geri_chan | Stu Levy delivers supplies to earthquake victims

I've been pretty tough on Tokyopop lately, so I felt that it was only fair to give Tokyopop CEO Stu Levy credit for doing something good. Levy, who was in Japan when the quake hit, has been delivering aid to victims of the earthquake and tsunami. He's been documenting his journey on Twitter, and he also sent out an e-mail to subscribers of the Tokyopop newsletter explaining how he and some other volunteers recently delivered food and supplies to a school serving as an emergency shelter in a neighborhood called Rikuzen-Takasago (Takasago for short), which is located in Sendai.

Although they had no electricity and little food (only one potato chip per person for the entire day), Levy was impressed by the way that the people at the shelter were all working hard as a team: "What really stood out to me the most was the energy and spirit of the Takasago students. When we were building an outdoor cooking facility, they all labored on various tasks we assigned them - sweeping, washing, carrying gas tanks, laying down temporary flooring, and more. We worked as a team and I could tell how excited they were to be involved - they took a lot of pride in their hard work."

During the drive home, a DJ on the radio was reading letters from people throughout the country who wanted to cheer on the victims of the quake and tsunami. But since the shelters don't have electricity, the victims aren't able to listen to the radio and hear those messages. So Levy has a request for Tokyopop's readers and manga fans that I'm passing along:

That's when it dawned on me what WE can do together as the TOKYOPOP community. I remembered the students' excitement when they practiced some of their English phrases for me and when I taught them some of our American handshake styles (we have so many, after all). They laughed and jumped around trying to high-five each other in the "American" styles.

So, I thought, what if I gather letters from our community and deliver those letters to them? They can't read much English but so many of you can draw beautifully as well as write poems, simple letters, and even some decorative Japanese phrases. Maybe you can include a photo of yourself and friends (cosplay!) - or something about you. Anything to let the Takasago students know that you are cheering them on - and to put a smile on their face.

Of course, the food, fuel and blankets are top priority but so many people are now pitching in that I anticipate that problem will be resolved in the next week. The real issue is how long the victims will have to live in these shelters - it could be months. So many of these shelters are schools and the schools need to start teaching. The students will have bright futures if they can make it through this trauma, not only physically but also emotionally. That's why your letters and drawings will mean so much. It will help heal the deep scars this disaster has caused, and ease the pain of the trauma.

So, here is my plea to you:

PLEASE SEND YOUR WORDS, ART, MANGA AND PICTURES!

We can't do this digitally because there's no electricity, so we have to go old school: paper! Also, I want to bring up a huge box on my next provisions trip, so please send them directly to my office in Tokyo. I know the postage is a bit more expensive, but it will save precious time to not go through our LA office.

Of course donations to the various non-profit funds are critical but this is something that will cost you almost no money (just postage) - and it is something very special. My hope is that I can learn more about the Takasago students and introduce them to you guys next - through photos and letters from them back. For now, here's a photo I took in the shelter's kitchen. It's a group of some of the students - you can see the joy and love in their faces. Your letters will guarantee many more smiles over the hard months ahead.

Please send them to:

Students of Takasago

c/o Stu Levy

Tokyo Towers, Mid-Tower 4918

6-3-2 Kachidoki, Chuo-ku

Tokyo, Japan 104-0054

I have to say, whatever you think of the Levy's personality or his business decisions, the guy's heart is in the right place here. I give him kudos for actually going out there and volunteering, and I was really moved by his message. It reminds me of what Nitta-sensei said in her own personal message about the heart needing nourishment as well as the body. Especially for those who've been wanting to help in some way but can't afford to make a monetary donation, I think this is a great way to contribute. (The postage for a first-class letter from the US to Japan ranges from about one to three dollars, depending on the weight, and a sheet or two of paper shouldn't weigh more than an ounce.)

And for those who would like to make a financial contribution as well, Levy provided a link for JEN (Japan Emergency Network), the non-profit organization he is volunteering for.