The 2011 anime series Hanasaku Iroha and its film are now streaming on YouTube for free for residents of Japan with proceeds going towards aid.
The January 1 magnitude-7.6 earthquake centered on the Noto Peninsula of Ishikawa Prefecture caused widespread damage and has displaced approximately 30,000 people. In the aftermath of the disaster, we’ve already seen several agencies such as Yamazaki Baking stepping up with huge deliveries of food products. Now, there’s a new creative way for the masses to raise money for relief efforts simply by doing something that many people already do on a regular basis–watching anime.
Hanasaku Iroha (花咲くいろは), also known as Hanairo, with an English subtitle of Blossoms for Tomorrow, is a 2011 TV anime series boasting two manga adaptations and a 2013 feature film called Hanasaku Iroha: The Movie — Home Sweet Home. The story follows Ohana Matsumae, a 16-year-old from Tokyo who begins working at her grandmother’s hot spring inn–for which the real-life Yuwaku Onsen in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, served as inspiration.
▼ The city of Kanazawa is popular for its abundance of traditional Japanese cultural artifacts, such as these Higashi-Chaya preserved teahouses where geisha still perform to this day.
▼ One of its most famous locations is Kenroku-en, an Edo-period (1603-1868) strolling garden traditionally considered to be one of the Three Great Gardens in all of Japan.
In a recent post on the theatrical feature Home Sweet Home‘s X account, it was announced that all 26 episodes of the Ishikawa-set Hanairo anime series and the film would begin streaming on January 12 at 6 p.m. local time on the Infinite Channel’s YouTube account. All video proceeds raised from the view count will go to benefit earthquake relief efforts.
▼ Watch anime and support a good cause? We can handle that assignment.
There’s no word yet on how long the anime will be available to stream, but there is one big roadblock for residents outside of Japan, since the episodes appear to only be available to watch in Japan on the Infinite Channel’s YouTube. While we’re sure that many anime viewers can find creative solutions to get around that barrier, we encourage others who are able to support relief efforts to do so through their local channels and other reputable non-profit organizations such as Peace Winds Japan.
Source: Twitter/@hanairo_hsh via My Game News Flash
Top image: Twitter/@hanairo_hsh (edited by SoraNews24)
Insert images: SoraNews24
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