Rakuten Shashinkan, Inc. (“Rakuten Shashinkan,” President Takayuki Asami, Head Office: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo) today launched the “Rakuten Shashinkan ‘Don’t give up, Tohoku!’ Support Project” to support those affected by the Tohoku Pacific Offshore Earthquake.
Since the service launched in October 2008, Rakuten Shashinkan has been engaged in the free provision of “photo cloud” services. After users upload photo files onto the Rakuten Shashinkan servers, the photographs are securely stored online. These photographs can be viewed freely on computers or smartphones through this “photo cloud” service at no cost (up to 5GB).
Many people in the areas affected by the earthquake have revealed that they have lost precious, memorable photographs in the disaster, or have become unable to view digital photographs on defective cameras. With that in mind, this project aims to create physical copies of the photo files that have been uploaded onto Rakuten Shashinkan through this “photo cloud,” and to provide them for free to Rakuten Shashinkan users in the affected areas (six prefectures in the Tohoku region). Rakuten Shashinkan has established this project with a sincere desire to show its support for all residents in the affected areas, and for the recovery and reconstruction of the affected areas.
Specifically, Rakuten Shashinkan users in the affected areas who have lost their photographs as a result of the earthquake will be able to save the photographs that they have uploaded in the past onto DVD-R or CD-ROM (maximum of 5GB), and receive these for free during the project period. In addition, users that receive special coupons through the e-mail magazine will be provided with free prints (L size, 50 copies) of the photographs that they have uploaded onto the “photo cloud,” along with free postage (*) for the prints. In addition to photo files that have been uploaded previously, this service is also available for new photo files that have been uploaded recently.
Rakuten Shashinkan will provide applicable users with additional details of the program after 27 April, via the e-mail magazine.
Going forward, Rakuten Shashinkan will continue to expand photo service offerings to give physical form to the memories that people hold dear, in support of the people of Tohoku.
*Usual prices: Photo prints (L size, 50 copies), 600 yen. Postage, 150 yen