Lady Gaga raises over $300k for Japan in 48 hours

Lady Gaga has raised US$250,000 ($323,918.11) in 48 hours for victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan by selling plastic wristbands that say "We pray for Japan" the pop superstar tweeted.

"Monsters: in just 48 hrs you've raised a quarter of a million dollars for Japan Relief", Gaga said on Twitter.

"It's important we help."

Gaga launched the white wristbands with their prayerful message written in red in English and Japanese, via a Twitter message on Monday, three days after a 9.0-magnitude quake struck off the coast of northeastern Japan, triggering a killer tsunami.

The wristbands are available for US$5 and can be pre-ordered on Gaga's official online store.

All proceeds will go directly to Japan relief efforts, according to the site.

The site does not say if the singer has designated a specific charity to receive the funds or if she will set up her own, but on her official Facebook page, Gaga has posted a link to a fundraising site for Save the Children';s Japan relief effort.

Gaga has more than 30 million fans on Facebook and in excess of eight million followers on Twitter.

If each of her Twitter followers were to buy a wristband, the award-winning singer will help raise more than US$40 million ($51.8 million) for victims of the quake and tsunami in Japan, which have claimed more than 4200 lives so far, with more than 8000 still missing.

- Newstalk ZB