Lady Gaga, perhaps the most powerful entertainer in the world of the moment, on Thursday voiced her support to Japan after the March 11 earthquake-tsunami disaster, using her popularity to call on the world to continue to help the country's recovery.
Singer Lady Gaga blows a kiss upon her arrival at Narita International Airport near Tokyo June 21, 2011. [Xinhua/Reuters] |
"It is so important for us to continue to raise money," she said at a Tokyo press conference, "but it is also important that we remind the world that Japan is now safe and that the doors are wide open for tourists from all over the world to come in and to enjoy the beautiful country."
Lady Gaga has so far donated 3 million U.S. dollars for people in the coastal regions devastated by the disaster, including revenues from selling the wrist band, which is her brainchild, and her personal contributions, Kyodo News has reported.
U.S. Ambassador to Japan John Roos said at the Thursday press conference that the coming of Lady Gaga is a "powerful and wonderful message" to prove that the United States is supporting Japan, and that Japan is safe and open for business.