• YouTube, Monday, March 21, 2011 1 PM

To reconnect friends and loved one separated by the earthquake and tsunami that hit northeastern Japan, YouTube has built a Person Finder service, which aggregates related video messages. "We're in the process of adding more than 80 video messages shot at the shelters by TBS, a major TV station in Japan, and we'll try to increase the number of videos by adding more more [sic] content from other TV stations and news network in the coming days," Tai Hasegawa, Product Marketing Manager, explains in a blog post.

"We're also trying to include videos shot by the individuals impacted themselves, but we have to wait until the infrastructure situation there recovers." Users of the service can search for videos via the search box within the module. They just have to enter the name of a missing person, their hometown, or a shelter location. Users can also browse videos by the Japanese alphabet on a playlist embedded within the video navigator in middle of the channel.

Read the whole story at YouTube »