In tribute of the third anniversary of the Tohoku Earthquake on 11 March, Yahoo! Japan held a charity drive pledging 10 yen (US$0.10) for every person who entered “3.11” into their search engine.
Relying on the data that Japan’s most used search engine was privy to, they hypothesized that a maximum of 5 million yen ($48,000) from 500,000 unique IP addresses would be generated and set a limit at that amount. Boy, were they wrong.
Over the 24 hour period that Yahoo! set, a total of 2,568,325 searches for “3.11” poured in. This meant that Yahoo! Japan would have had to donate 25,683,250 yen ($249,000) had they not set the upper limit of 5 million. However, being the swell bunch that they are, the internet company decided to rescind the cap and donate the full 25 million.
The money will go to Recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake Support Foundation, a charity that runs sports and education programs for children affected by the disaster.
Yahoo! is the most visited website in Japan. According to Alexia the number one site that people are on right before Yahoo! Japan is Google. This would suggest that a fair number of people when presented with a Google homepage will immediately search for Yahoo! instead. With such staunch support from the people of Japan, it’s not hard to see why the portal site felt like giving back a little.
Source: Yahoo! Japan via Netlab (Japanese)
Recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake Support Foundation (Japanese)
Video: YouTube – YahooSearchJP
Great East Japan Earthquake: Commemorate eight years and donate with a search on Yahoo! Japan
Moving video commemorates anniversary of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan
Don’t forget: Yahoo! Japan to make disaster relief donation for every person who searches for “3.11” today
You can help survivors of Japan’s 3.11 earthquake/tsunami in seconds with a quick Yahoo! search
Tweeters urge Japanese to donate to Serbian flood relief as repayment for Tōhoku support
Japan’s EF English Proficiency Index rank drops for 11th straight year, hits lowest ever
Japan considering raising international traveler departure tax even more than previously reported
Chinese government’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning has heartwarming non-effect on Yokohama Chinatown
KFC Japan opens a Christmas restaurant in Tokyo…but why???
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Shibuya’s Don Quijote?
Tokyo’s dedicated Nintendo store finally begins offering its exclusive items online
Upcoming themed cafe answers the question “What if Hokusai had opened an eatery?”
Why is Starbucks Japan’s Christmas stollen so good?
Hen na Hotel Haneda: What it’s really like to stay at Tokyo’s “Weird Hotel” with dinosaur robots
Epic cutlet sandwiches in Osaka are the best Shinkansen bento
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Japanese train company is letting fans buy its actual ticket gates for their homes
Yoshinoya adds first-ever chain-wide ramen with new beef and pork-broth noodle hot pot meals
KFC Japan introduces a new burger 8 years in the making
New fish discovered and named “Vanderhorstia supersaiyan” for obvious reasons
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowd sizes in Nara?
Studio Ghibli stamps lift your spirits with motivational phrases from Totoro
Starbucks Japan unveils new Christmas goods and a rhinestone tumbler that costs 19,500 yen
Is Kyoto less crowded with tourists after China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning?【Photos】
Real-world Nausicaa Ghibli anime glider completes its final flight in Japan【Video】
Brand-new Pokémon park opens in Japan with larger-than-life-size Lapras【Photos】
Unique inclined elevator in Japan leads to a town that inspired Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Tokyo’s Asakusa neighborhood?
The 10 best day trips from downtown Tokyo【Survey】
Naturally brown-haired Osaka student sues government for forcing her to dye her hair black
Tokyo hotel lets you make your stay a Sanrio one with special My Melody and Kuromi rooms【Pics】
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
The top 10 annoying foreign tourist behaviors on trains, as chosen by Japanese people【Survey】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
J-pop mega star Ado reveals she’s been living in the U.S., may not understand language acquisition
If the 2011 tsunami hit Tokyo’s Shibuya Scramble Crossing, this is how high it would’ve been
Great East Japan Earthquake memorial service broadcast in Shinjuku after years-long absence
Remembering the people of Tohoku three years on
X Japan’s Yoshiki donates 10 million yen to disaster relief after western Japan’s torrential rain
2018 Tohoku Kizuna Festival aims to unite the people of northern Japan
Leave a Reply