Cafu Announces Soccer Match in Qatar to Benefit Japan

It was recently announced that Qatar would host a all-star soccer match to benefit those affected by the detrimental earthquake and tsunami on March 11. In the aftermath of the natural disaster, it is now said that over 14,000 lives were taken, 5,000 were injured, and close to 12,000 people still remain missing.

The World Bank has estimated that the damage could range anywhere from US $120 billion to $235 billion, while the Japanese government has suggested that the cost could be as high as $309 billion, which would make it the most expensive natural disaster in history. Many people are doing all that they can to help the people of Japan who were tragically affected by this disaster, but the country still certainly needs all the help it can get.

Thankfully, celebrities and athletes all over the world are stepping up just like everyone else, including Brazilian soccer-great Cafu, who helped organize the event in Qatar and announced it alongside the Qatar Football Association (QFA). The match will be between a team comprised of players from the 2002 World Cup Finals between Brazil and Germany (which Cafu played in) and another team of international all-stars. The match is scheduled to be played this upcoming December, and none of the players will be paid for their appearance.

The QFA and the Asian Football Confederation have also stated that they are in the midst of planning separate events to benefit Japanese charities as well. While many celebrities and athletes have stepped-up and organized charities and benefits, there are always numerous ways to help no matter who or where you are. For a list of many of these options, please read click here, or you can simply text JAPAN to the number 864233 (UNICEF), and $10 will be added to your monthly cell phone bill.

Also, as we do offer local numbers in Japan, if anyone you know is looking for an easy, reliable way to make calls to or from Japan, feel free to tell them about StanaCard. If you refer a friend or family member, you will both receive $10 when your referral signs up and makes a call.

Japan Safe After Second Large-Scale Earthquake in the Month Gives a Scare

As many of you know by now, at around 10:30 AM EST (11:30 PM local time), Japan was hit by yet another powerful earthquake not far from where the original earthquake struck on March 11. Though initial reports seemed were negative and warning of another tsunami, it seems as though there have been no deaths or injuries, and the tsunami warning has now been called off. The earthquake has been reported as a 7.1 magnitude quake and struck off the coast of the Miyagi Prefecture, an area already terribly affected by the March 11 tsunami.

This has been the strongest in the many aftershocks that have been reported in the area, and certainly brought back fear for the local citizen and all people around the world hoping for a fast recovery for Japan. The other worry, of course is the affect that this quake would have on the troublesome Daiichi nuclear power plant. Luckily, there has been no further damage reported, and all workers were evacuated as a precautionary measure. This quake stuck about 96 kilometers east of Sendai, close to the site of the March 11 quake, and was about 49 kilometers below sea level.

All of us at StanaCard are very glad to hear that this earthquake has not caused any further damage to the country or any further hardship to its people. We know that now is a time that family and friends need to stick together however they can. We hope any of you who are living abroad with friends and family in Japan have found affordable and reliable ways to communicate, but if you have not we would be happy to introduce you to StanaCard. Since we also have local access numbers in Japan, our service works for people making calls from there as well, so people in Japan can call you abroad by just dialing a local number, just like you can from the US. If you or anyone you know might benefit from this service, feel free to email us with any questions you may have.