7Nature Usagi Report for 6/8-6/17 Miyagi-Sendai-Higashi Matsushima-Ishinomaki-MinamiSanriku-Kesennuma-TomeFukushima -Tazawa Iwate -Yamadamachi -Otsuchi Cho
To all my relations
In this trip, we were able to deliver the relief suppliers to Fukushima, Miyagi and Iwate.
When driving along the coast where was struck by the tsunami, it made us realize once again how severe the damage is.
If we liken the Japanese archipelago to a human body, it wouldn't be an overstatement to say that the left arm was lost by the tsunami and earthquake, and the nuclear accident has caused cancer in the body.
The victims in Tohoku have been trying to overcome the difficulties by staying together and keeping a bright attitude. But now in the third month of the tragedy, maybe because the tense inside them has gone, they looked rather tired than before.
Details of the locations and relief supplies we delivered this time.
- 20 families living in Temporary housing in Ono, Higashimatsushima City, Miyagi Prefecture
Laundry detergents, fabric softener, bleach, kitchen cleaners, toilet and bath cleaners
- Yamoto, Higashimatsushima City, Miyagi Prefecture
Flypaper, insecticide, insect bites medicine, cold medicine, rice, daily necessities, toilet paper, detergents
- Teizan, Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture
Children's stationery, children's clothing, language dictionaries, English-Japanese dictionary, raincoat, food, daily necessities, children's bicycle
- Asunaro children day-care center, Tazawa City, Fukushima Prefecture
Bubble soap, balloons
(7Nature Usagi workshop for children is scheduled to be held here.)
- Yamadamachi, Shimohei gun, Iwate Prefecture
Food, kitchen detergent, laundry detergent, miso soup pot, five large square plates, five small square plates, 5 sets rice bowl
Radio cassette recorder (to collect information for blind people)
- Yamadamachi, Shimohei gun, Iwate Prefecture
Boxed tissue, toilet paper, laundry detergent, fabric softener, dish washing detergent, nursing gloves, socks for children
Two pairs of sport Shoes, food
- Six families livingin Otsuchi Cho, Shimohei gun, Iwate Prefecture
Various seasonings (soy sauce, mirin, vinegar, salt, miso, etc.), detergents, T-shirts, masks
- Eight young-mother families, Hebita, Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture
Baby food, diapers, wipes, milk bottles, detergents, children clothes, toys, ionized water (for children)
Children's insect repellent, antiseptic Alcohol for children, barley tea + tea pot
- Central of Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture
T-shirts, socks
- Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture
Food, detergents, toys, etc.
That’s all for this time.
Kids in Sendai municipal housing evacuated from Higashimatsushima
They couldn't forget about the tsunami until recently, and by the changing of environment, they had finally got back the impishness, the grandma told us.
Minamisanriku Team members
They are the local team who are busy working on delivering supplies to the rest 54 families, cheerfully and brightly.
A family living in Kirikiri, Yamada machi, Iwate prefecture
The daughter's house has been washed away, so the whole family is now living in grandma's house.
The daughter goes to the evacuation center and help cooking every day. It looks like the brightness of grandma is encouraging everyone.
Among all the places we have visited this time, Kesennuma showed least improvement.
Brother and sister living in Otsuchi Cho, Iwate Prefecture
They told me that they were a bit relieved because of having moved to the temporary house and being able to secure some private.
The sister was swept along by the waves for about 1 km. She told us that it felt like she was watching herself spinning around in the water from somewhere above, and that she felt so embarrassed with herself at the time.
She also told us that there were a lot of people who had the same experience of watching themselves as a third person.
And as the brother has a weak sight, he had been struggling to hold on a pole, bobbing up and down in the water and managed not to be washed away.
"Baby Bonds"- A group of young mothers in Ishinomaki
None of them could win the draw for temporary housing; their living condition has remained unchanged since last time we visited here.
It seems that Ishinomaki is the hardest place to win the draw for temporary housing.
A married couple we met in Fukushima city.
They are planning a concert of Nataliya Gudziy in Fukushima city.
Nataliya Gudziy is a musician who was exposed to radiation somewhere 2 km from Chernobyl of Ukraine. She is currently holding concerts around the country in order to help evacuating the children from Fukushima prefecture.
A message from Nataliya Gudziy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry_WACFd8Ds
Children playing in a kindergarden in Fukushima, they can't play outside of course.
Are they able to remain in good health just staying in the room? I was really worried.
(* All above photos posted with owner permission.)
My impression about this trip
Relief goods in the evacuation centers seemed to be enough for the people living there. However, for those who have moved into the temporary housing and those who manage to live in their partially destroyed houses, the supplies including food, daily necessities are in shortage. People love the land where they were born and had spent most of their lives. I felt it would be difficult for us strangers to convince them to leave and go live in somewhere else.
Now people in Japan and in the whole world are focusing on Fukushima, but not the victims of tsunami and earthquake. This worries the victims a lot that the support for them may only for the beginning and won't be carried on in the future.
Also there are a lot of children there who have closed their hearts to others because of the lost of their friends and parents.
I think that psychological care for children is a very important issue in the future.
Temporary housing is like an apartment room, where a college student would live, with refrigerator, air condition, washing machine, TV, etc. Actually it's not as bad as I had thought.
However, once people move to the temporary housing, they will get 20 kg of rice as the last support and lose all the ongoing support including the supply of food and daily necessities. For this reason, a lot people who have lost their income sources have to give up the temporary housing and remain in the evacuation center.
After moving to the temporary housing, if they can get some minimum allowance every month until they find jobs and get everything back to track, the problem will be eased. All the provinces including cities and prefectures have their own fund for emergency use. I think it is imperative to pass the fund as allowance to people who move to the temporary housing.
I also strongly felt that individual care is needed because everyone we met had different difficulties.
Fukushima was filled with heavy atmosphere, which was something different with tsunami and earthquake.
We visited a kindergarten here.
The principal was having a headache about the situation. "The radiation dose inside is quite high but still in the safe limit, but when we move the Geiger counter to the outside playground, puddle under the slides, wet places, and plants, the alarm will go off immediately with a reading higher than 3.0uSv/h."
Because it's the third month since the Fukushima nuclear accident occurred, children here don't wear masks anymore.
The city of Fukushima is taking measures to reduce the radiation by removing top soil from the playgrounds in schools and kindergartens. Meanwhile, radiation keeps leaking from reactors, it looks to me that they are doing a vicious circle.
If they have the budget for removing soil, why don't use that budget to make offers to convince the parents who are still living in Fukushima with their children to move out to a safer place? I really wish the government can use their budget wisely. It's not too late; we can still help many children.
As 7Nature Usagi Team, we will continue to make efforts to transfer children as many as we can to a safer location by this summer.
7 Nature Usagi Kids Relief Assistance Team will continue the support activities for a long term.
Donation of relief goods for children is continuously appreciated.
Thank you for your support and donation.
Relief goods we need:
Food (long-life ones such as retort food, rice, vegetable juice, etc.)
Daily necessities, daily consumables (soap, mosquito coil, diapers, wipes, fabric softener, bleach, shavers (female, male), toilet paper, women's cosmetics, etc.)
Children's clothing, baby products, toys, stationery
PS, we have been receiving a lot of relief goods at the beginning, but recently the amount has decreased.
Please send the relief goods to
7Nature Usagi Kids Relief Assistance Division
161-0031
Nishi Ochiai 4-12-8-103,
Shinjuku, Tokyo 161-0031
Tel: +81(0)80-3127-7476 or +81(0)90-1807-9707
Ask: Fujita,Chikyu
For inquiries: office@oak-to-all-relations.com or
jumping1972mouse@gmail.com
Donation request
We will strive to continue our support for the children, families we have met, and families we will meet in the future, who have been affected by the tragedy.
We'd appreciate your donation and support.
Resona Bank
Mejiro branch 314
Account holder: powwow-aeaa Earth Kids Project
Account number: 1229102
Support
The North Face, people in Choja machi, Nagoya, and every individual who has sent us the relief goods from inside and outside the country
7 Nature Usagi-The North Face official website:
http://www.goldwin.co.jp/tnf/powwow/
7 Nature Usagi Twitter
http://twitter.com/#!/7NatureUsagi
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