Mary, you are so kind. Wakana is touched by your offer. Her parents, though, are not in any area affected by the shortages. They have all they need. Besides, sending such a package to Japan would be prohibitively expensive.

Perhaps you could take the money you would have spent on this and give it to the Red Cross for Japan. Alternatively you could send the money to the nearest Japanese embassy or consul. I think the Red Cross is the better choice.

The other day an old friend (American) sent her a check for $100 for her parents. Unfortunately there is no way to forward the check to them in any way they could use it. Cashing a personal check in Japan costs upwards of $50 what with the fees and all. The Japanese just don't use checks.

This makes life interesting for lottery winners because they are given their winnings in cash, sometimes a large enough bundle to fit into the trunk of their car.