With nearly 14,000 dead and another 14,000 missing, the Japan tsunami is one of the worst natural disasters in history. Add to that about 130,000 people left homeless by the disaster and a nuclear crises raised to the level of Chernobyl , and that death toll could continue to rise for decades to come.
Over the last month we’ve seen an outpouring of support for Japan from ad agencies, various campaigns and a wide array of media. Today, Google is launching its “Messages for Japan” website, which instantly translates words of encouragement in 57 languages into Japanese for the victims. On the site, an interactive map tracks where the messages are coming from all over the world. The above spot saw Google teaming up with Johannes Leonardo, focusing on the campaign’s main message, “Japan, the world is with you.” Users can also use the site to donate and share their personal messages via Facebook, Twitter and Japanese social networking site Mixi. It’s always neat to see a simple, charitable concept executed so smoothly, so props to Johannes Leonardo and web developer Fantasy Interactive for making this come together.