Japan’s extended spring holiday is traditionally a time when its hardworking population relaxes, spends quality time with family and friends, travels and takes vacation, either at home or abroad.

However, with ‘Golden Week’ coming less than two months after the country’s worst-ever earthquake and the devastating tsunami that followed, thousands of Japanese people are planning to spend their spring holiday volunteering in disaster-hit areas.

The natural disasters of 11th March left nearly 28,000 dead or missing, with thousands more being forced to evacuate under the threat of nuclear radiation. Susumu Sugawara at the Iwate Disaster Volunteer Center in Morioka is appreciative of the support: “We still desperately need volunteers to help clear the towns, so this is very helpful”.

While relief workers are grateful for the extra manpower, coordinating the influx of volunteers could prove difficult. “It’s going to be pretty chaotic,” said Sugawara. “We put up a post on our website offering buses for volunteers starting from May 2nd to the 8th, and all of them were completely full in three hours.”

Volunteer work has a legacy in Japan dating back to its last major quake in 1995, when more than 1 million people rushed to the city of Kobe to provide much-needed support. While authorities were initially keen to stem the influx of volunteers, the Japanese people are braced to make a telling contribution to the nation’s recovery once again.

Find out how you can help other communities in need by volunteering abroad during your spring or summer holidays.