Hard-Off, a large second-hand chain specializing in games and electronics in Japan, recently came by an unusual piece of hardware – a Nintendo DSi LL inscribed with the name “Ishinomaki.” The console is paired with a TV Tuner (a Japan-exclusive peripheral that lets you watch digital TV broadcasts through your console), which likewise has the word Ishinomaki written on it.
“We were wondering why it was engraved,” the dealer wrote on X, “and after looking into it, it turned out to be a DSi LL donated to people living in evacuation shelters after the earthquake. Thank you, Nintendo.”
The earthquake in question is the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, the most powerful ever recorded in Japan. Although it devastated a wide number of territories across northern Japan, the city of Ishinomaki reportedly suffered the greatest damage, recording 4,000 deaths. To aid those who’d lost their homes and were forced to live in evacuation shelters, it seems Nintendo donated DSi LL consoles and TV Tuners, which would help people stay updated with the news and, possibly, offer some emotional relief.
Interestingly, when asked by shareholders about what Nintendo was doing to support disaster victims in June 2011, late president Satoru Iwata suggested the company was intentionally being silent about the details.
“On March 14, we sent relief funds to the Japanese Red Cross. The products we handle are entertainment goods, and in a situation where people are struggling just to survive, they’re not what’s needed.
At present, people in evacuation shelters are suffering from a lack of exercise, so we considered whether it might be appropriate to send Wii Fit units. But when we thought about how some people might find joy and relief through that, while others have lost family members and simply want quiet, we realized it wasn’t something we could just send indiscriminately.
Afterward, we spoke directly with local governments in affected areas and sent the products they said they needed. We’ve also contacted shelters and visited the sites ourselves to provide the necessary number of our products.
However, I don’t believe this kind of support is something we should publicize. While I think the spirit of helping others is admirable, I can’t help but feel uneasy when people bring along TV cameras. That kind of publicity makes impartial support difficult and blurs the line of what’s appropriate. Therefore, we’ve decided not to appear in the media at all regarding this. We believe that quietly doing the right thing is the Nintendo way.” (Source: N-Wii)
It’s worth noting that the transcript of this answer comes directly from a participant of the shareholders’ meeting, and appears to have been purposely omitted from Nintendo’s official transcript of the same Q&A session. While Nintendo had announced, much like several other Japanese game companies at the time, that it made monetary donations towards relief funds, it didn’t go public about providing victims and local governments with products, true to Iwata’s message.
Aside from the DSi LLs donated to the residents of Ishinomaki, it’s highly likely that Nintendo sent consoles to other areas too. A Japanese X user reports owning an “Onagawa”-engraved DSi LL, with Onagawa being another city heavily damaged by the Tohoku earthquake and ensuing floods.
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