Foreign aid promised for Japan quake zone

KAMAISHI: Scores of countries have pledged aid to the victims of Japan's massive earthquake and tsunami, but little of it is visible in many towns and villages devastated by the disaster.

In some areas, as victims return to what remains of their homes, an unorganised and often chaotic range of help awaits them from boxes of donated clothes to free pet food, almost all donated by fellow Japanese.

Roads are wrecked in many areas, and there are acute shortages of fuel.

And sometimes, people face problems in finding aid shipments.

Japan is rich and its $5 trillion economy is the world's third largest.

So, there's also a sense that Japan's traditional pride in self-reliance doesn't adapt easily to accepting foreign aid.

Some aid workers recalled that rescue dogs brought in after the 1995 Kobe earthquake were put in quarantine for two weeks, although no such issues have been reported in the past week.

Many officials signal that Japan can look after itself.

"Disaster relief requires a huge amount of money, but Japan's private sector has plenty of funds," Economics Minister Kaoru Yosano told Reuters last week.

"Household assets amount to 1,400 trillion yen and half of it is high iquid cash and bank deposits.

Of course there are uncertainties.

But my gut feeling is that the Japanese people, with their efforts, can overcome them."

Yosano said he estimated economic damage from the disaster would exceed 20 trillion yen ($248 billion).

Japan's foreign ministry has said rescue teams from 14 countries have started operating.

But a ministry spokesman declined specific comment on aid reaching the country.