Share a Message of Support with the People of Japan This Holiday Season Through Sony's "Message to Japan" Web Site

NEW YORK, Dec. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In the midst of the holiday season, when thoughts often turn to those in need, Sony Corporation of America invites people around the world to share messages of encouragement and support with the citizens of Japan – particularly those in the hard-hit Tohoku region – as they undergo long-term rebuilding following the devastating earthquakes and tsunamis last March.  Messages can be submitted and browsed through a special "Message to Japan" Web site at http://messagetojapan.sony.com.  The site, developed by Sony Corporation of America shortly after the disasters struck, is designed to capture inspirational messages from the global community and deliver them to those who need them most.  Messages submitted to the site will be streamed and displayed for people in affected areas through http://messagetojapan.sony.com/broadcast/. 

Message submission is simple: just visit the messagetojapan.sony.com site, type your message of support, enter your first name, select your country of origin, and click "submit." All languages will be accepted, though English and Japanese are preferred to ensure that they can be read by the maximum number of people in Japan. The site also allows consumers to share their messages with family and friends via Twitter, Facebook and e-mail to encourage them to submit messages, too.

Messages submitted to the site will be prominently displayed at a series of Public Viewings of the final match of the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2011 on Sunday, December 18, in the areas affected by the disasters.  The viewings, which are being organized by Sony Corporation in Japan, will take place in the cities of Rikuzen-Takata, Tagajo, and Aizu-Wakamatsu in the prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima, respectively, and will allow visitors to watch all the action live on a gigantic, more than 250-inch screen. Sony is inviting members of local youth soccer teams, residents of temporary housing who lost their homes in the earthquakes and tsunamis, and other people in the affected areas to the event.

In addition to watching the match, people will also be able to experience the PlayStation®Vita, watch animated features from Sony Creative Products Inc., a division of Sony Music Entertainment Japan, and enjoy refreshments served by Sony employee volunteers.

Both the Public Viewing events and the "Message to Japan" project are part of the RESTART JAPAN initiative, a collaboration between Sony and Save the Children Japan focused on supporting medium- and long-term recovery in the region. For more information, visit http://www.savechildren.or.jp/restartjapan/about/?lang=en.  In addition, photos of "Message to Japan" at previous global events can be found at http://on.fb.me/vaGHgc.

Sony Corporation of America

Sony Corporation of America, based in New York, NY, is the U.S. subsidiary of Sony Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Sony is a leading manufacturer of audio, video, communications, and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. Its motion picture, television, computer entertainment, music and online businesses make Sony one of the most comprehensive entertainment and technology companies in the world. Sony's principal U.S. businesses include Sony Electronics Inc., Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC, Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc., and Sony Music Entertainment. Sony recorded consolidated annual sales of approximately $87 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011, and it employs 168,200 people worldwide.

SOURCE Sony Corporation of America