Fellow blogger Daniella Orihuela-Gruber (All About Manga) has taken the initiative to start up her own charity drive for the victims of Japan’s earthquake and tsunami. She’s raising money for two charities, Doctors Without Borders and Shelter Box, and is trying to raise a total of $2,000 altogether. She’s already rather close, and has already discussed raising her goal. In addition, she and Michael Huang are running a website for the charity drive, Anime and Manga Bloggers for Japan. You can go there to learn about Daniella’s drive, and why she thinks it’s important to donate.

I don’t know anyone from Japan personally, or even of Japanese descent. So a lot of my love of Japan comes from the media I enjoy from the country, anime and manga. I also think it’s a fascinating culture, and it’s a place I want to visit someday so I can appreciate it more. I also think it’s important to help because these are people whose lives have been ripped apart, so surely I can spare a few dollars.

I’ve also written a Suite 101 article on what Japanese manga artists are doing to help: namely, making art. There are many words of encouragement, and some artists are even banding together to make a charity dojinshi. There are links to all the art I’ve come across, so check it out.