“Buddhist monks from Hamamatsu-city visiting Kesennuma”

Open the temple to anybody

We visited two temples in Kesennuma-shi on 13 October 2011 with four Buddhist monks, who are members of Soto-shu Hamamatsu Youth Organization in Hamamatsu-city in Shizuoka prefecture. Hamamatsu-city is located near the coast area, which is a similar environment to Kesennuma-city, and is predicted to get tsunami damage caused by Tokai Coast Earthquake. Therefore, the Buddhist monks came to hear the story about how each temple in Kesennuma works as evacuation center after the earthquake, in order to apply their experience to predicted disaster from Tokai Coast Earthquake.

The temple that we first visited was Kofuku Temple, which is located in one of the most damaged area from the earthquake. According to the monk of Kofuku Temple, since the elementary school is closely located, many school children came and evacuated in snowing. Those children played outside, and voluntary helped other people during staying in the temple. Their volunteer spirit helps people get together as a team in the evacuation center. Also, they prayed and chanted a Buddhist sutra for many victims at the cemetery, in which the victims are temporally buried.

The temple that we visited second is Sensen Temple, which is located in Motoyoshi-town in Kesennuma. More than 400 people were evacuating there. According to a chief monk of Sensen Temple, it was predicted that the earthquake would hit Sanriku area more than 90% probability, and he expected to open the temple as evacuation center. Therefore, he started repairing the temple, and prepared for the predicted disaster in advance. One of Buddhist monk from Hamamatsu Youth Organization said, “Their story makes me enhanced. I want to visit here next time too.”

13 October 2011, Shanti Volunteer Association (SVA)

“Transformation of Volunteering”

The Symbol for Revival of Town - Acrylic Brush

The members of “Ande-net@Otani”are knitting “Otani Globefish.” The members consist of the residents, who live in temporary housing located at Otani elementary school and Otani junior high school in Motoyoshi town in Kesennuma-city. The members gathered at Otani community center on 29 September, 2011.

The activity started when Ms K asked SVA volunteer staff to provide knitting wool. The project originally started when the acrylic brush was presented to the people who moved from evacuation center to temporary housing. The idea of Otani Globefish comes from the symbol of Globefish Motoyoshi town in Kesennuma-city. Casual tea ceremony event of “Nondenet” was also held on the same day.

“Ande-net@Otani” started from the middle of June, and it currently has approximately 10 members, who live in temporary housing at Otani elementary school and Otani junior high school, including Ms. K. According to Ms. K, “some of them are enjoying knitting to kill boring time at temporary house. The money raised from sales is used for utility expense, supply expense, and any activity expense for community room. In addition, Ms. K and other members are planning to go on a one-day trip to a nearby hot spring. Ms. K said that it is important to have something that she can concentrate on, since it is easy to lose interest to anything. Ms. K also said, “I want to recruit more people.”

“To be ‘Someone to talk to’ – Visiting from the Neighbor Town”

Evacuated by jumping on a car

Mr. Sato, who is a volunteer member of “Bor Pennang,”has been regularly holding tea ceremony events with friends at evaluation centers and temporary housings in Kesennuma-city since April. Mr. Sato himself was “affected by the disaster in Kamaishi-city, Iwate prefecture.” He continued, “I wanted to do something that I can as one of neighbor residents in Tohoku area. I had experience volunteering at hospitals providing teas for patients and their families and thought I can do something similar where I can talk with and listen to victims. He is visiting Kesennuma-city in Miyagi Prefecture from Iwate Prefecture almost every week.

Going forward, he said, “we want to expand our activity to more local and women associations. It is difficult to know what they want from us and what we can do for them. As a result, we don’t know what we should provide and support. On the other hand, casual tea ceremony event is simple. No special skill and no special equipment are required, and anyone can join in, no matter what generation they are. It also gives people the opportunity to find and talk to others of the same generation.”

“Fishermen cannot live in the Mountains”

Fishermen who have lost their ships

The ‘Fishermen’s Hammock’ project has been drawing a lot of attention. The project started in early August at Seiryoin evacuation center near SVA’s Kesennuma office by several fishermen who lost their ships from the tsunami. What triggered the fishermen was a foreign volunteer visiting the evacuation center who requested them to make a hammock.

The fishermen’s hammock is made using a unique method that fishermen use to create fishing nets. Around 10 fishermen gather around to collaborate and make hammocks.

We interviewed Mr. O, who had lost his job at a seafood processing factory from the disaster. Mr. O once worked as a tuna fisherman and is now utilizing his experience to make the hammock. He works very diligently and appears very satisfied as he tries on a completed hammock.

Picture captions:
Hammock makers working in an area which once was used to dry rice

“6 Months from the great Tohoku Kanto Earthquake”

Our sincere condolences to the victims of the 11 March Great Tohoku Kanto Earthquake. We pray and hope for an early recovery of the affected areas.

SVA has established offices in Kesennuma-city, Miyagi prefecture and Tohno-city, Iwate prefecture, and have provided aid to the victims since the March disaster. Our initial activities were focused on emergency relief such as rations and soup kitchens.

6 months have passed since the disaster and the affected areas have slowly begun to restore. However, the lives of each of the victims still have a long journey to recovery and require ongoing support. Sadly, the emotional wounds will never heal. SVA is committed to working closely with the locals in providing ongoing support. Our upcoming activities are scheduled as follows:

Otsuchi City Library, Opening soon

Mobile library supported by SVA, will be going around Rikuzentakada city, Ofunato City Sanriku-cho, Otsuchi-cho, and the Yamada –cho of Iwate Prefecture where the big earthquake left a massive damage in the city. The ideal of this project is to provide various kinds of book such as novels, comics, children’s book, and etc. to the refugees of Iwate prefecture who is still having hard time after the earthquake.

Within this project, we have created a small library in most of the temporary houses in Otsuchi city.

Wanting to make the bookshelves of Iwata

In order to make library, we must have bookshelves to keep the books. Ordering the bookshelves on the internet will be the easiest but we have asked the carpenter of Iwate if they can make them of us. One of SVA staff asked a carpenter who works at Iwate but got a reply back saying “we would like to help but, all the workers here are now out creating temporary houses to the refugees”. But was introduced to another carpenter who might be able to do the work.

The owner this carpentry shop was willing to do the work but again, he was not quite sure when he can built all 25 bookshelves as he too had other works in his hand. One of the major events called Touno Matsuri of Touno city was coming up. We understood his situation but he was our only hope so we officially asked him to do the job.

Surprisingly, 2 weeks after we officially ordered the work, we got a call back from the owner saying he is almost done making 25 bookshelves. He had worked very hard for us creating the bookshelves in his spare time, wanting to see people becoming happy being able to read books.

“Do you have these kinds of book?” requests from the Refugees

Growing request

Recipe books and gardening books are very popular where ever you go. Mystery novels written by Higashino Keigo and Miyabe Miyuki are also popular. SVA are trying to gather these popular books and have them in stock when we go around the temporary houses.

It’s been a month after this mobile library has started and we are seeing a change in the request we are getting from the refugees. ‘How to’ books for knitting are becoming very popular to women above 50s as they say “we have nothing much to do…” Next, Japanese dictionaries too are popular as many wants to write letters but sometimes need to dictionary to figure out the ‘Kanji’. We first thought Dictionaries will not have much needs but have realized that various kinds of books are being needed to the refugees.

Novels written by Jakucho Setouhi, Misuzu Kaneko, Kyoutaro Nishimura, Yasuo Uchida, Hiroshi Mori, and etc. are becoming popular and is being requested all the time. Also, books with bigger word size are being requested. The reason for this may vary but these kinds of detailed request are growing.

Requests from the refugees are becoming detailed but we are thinking this is showing that we SVA are creating a stronger bond with the refugees. And we are very glad that this relationship is being created.

We have only limit to the Puzzle books where you have to write in the book, we try to give the book when we have a lot of stock of these.

Iwate Mobile Library Project

"Struggles Of The Female Student Volunteers in Kesennuma-city"

Becoming an SVA volunteer to learn about NGO activities in the disaster affected regions

Trusted from the locals

Young energy necessary for the restoration of Kesennuma

"New Connection after the Disaster"

Revival Festival of Hiraiso

With the Local People

"What We Can Do Today For Children Who Bear The Future Of The Region"

Educational support provided at an elementary school

Collaborating with Kesennuma-city and city volunteer organizations

"The Last Look At The Summer Version Of The Mobile Library?" (6 September 2011)

A mobile library car is inevitable for the mobile library program. Mobile library cars are usually remodeled minibus or trucks that can hold around 1,500 to 3,000 books. However, what has supported the "Iwate Mobile Library Project" in the past 2 months since the beginning of the project is a pickup truck with bookshelves on the rear deck.

Accidents one after another, but will keep going

Mobile library supported by SVA, will be going around Rikuzentakada city, Ofunato City Sanriku-cho, Otsuchi-cho, and the Yamada -cho of Iwate Prefecture where the big earthquake left a massive damage in the city.

Windy weather, trouble with the car; accidents always comes together with the Outdoor activities. The SVA member will fight back even if any trouble happens.

Completely exhausted from the heat (July 17th, Rikuzentakada)

The first day of the mobile library was the battle with heat. Although the nervousness were seen by each staff member, the heat had completely melted that as the temperature had exceeded to 35℃. Keep concentrating was very hard in this environment but to prevent any trouble to happen during this event, we worked as a team taking care of each other.

Cold!! (July 23rd, Ofunato)

On July 23rd, the temperature dropped down under 20℃ and was very cold compared to the previous week. Blowing wind was very cold, and the rain stated falling which pulled the temperature down. The strong wing blew the flags, desks, and chairs that we have set for people.

During the event, another earthquake struck, which the intensity was 5. People who had gathered to check out the books were frightened as the road shook so hard. We have realized the importance of discussing how to correspond to the sudden change of weather, earthquake, and etc. which can lead to danger to the citizens who gathered around the mobile library.

Voices from People about the Mobile Library

"Very Thankful that we can borrow books", voice from refugees

Reading again the favorite book

“It was my favorite book, but was washed away”

Mothers brought their children to the ‘mobile Library’ located in Rikuzentakada city Auto Camp - Mobilio. One mother said “This book was my child’s favorite book,we had the same copy at our house, but was washed away by the Tsunami”.

“I would like to read this book again since I had the same copy at my house. I feel relived having the favorite books around.” One said, requesting for other books she likes.

We will do our best to to deliver peoples favorite books, memorable books all over the city.