Animals are also victims.

I didn't see many cats in the North but I met three cats in Mizuhama city.

One of them had a big scar on its side...

I could see the red fresh.

Yes. There were broken windows and rubbles everywhere.

I couldn't do anything but I gave them foods.

They seemed to be very starving. Of course, human beings can't care about them

because they do their best to survive.

Cats get all weak...

The environment are really bad even for cats and surely for dogs.

Where have their owner gone?

A story of Mizuhama

Mizuhama is the town where I went to serve dishes.
There is a shelter which used to be a kindergarten and about 100 people live there.

Soon after the earthquake in 11th March, the energy supply was shut down so
they couldn't listen even tsunami alert. Of course mobile phone didn't work.
They decided to evacuate to the higher place.
Some could survive and others were swept to their death by tsunami.
360 people lived in Mizuhama, 3 people are dead and 6 people are still missing.

They were isolated almost one week because the only tunnel to go to the center of city was not
able to go through.
Then they had to cope with the situation without energy, gas and water supplies.


Mizuhama experienced many tsunamis.
In 1960, there was huge tsunami caused by a big earthquake in Chili.
Some people still remember the incident.
They made huge tsunami protecters on that time but massive tsunami of 3.11
wiped out even them. They were useless.

Who said Japanese wouldn't be a burglar in times of disaster??

On the first week after 3.11, the foreign media reported that

"Wow! Japanese are very clam and they make a line to buy foods in the
convenience store not steal!! Nobody steals from damaged houses!
No crime and no conflict there! What a ordered people!"

This is not true.

The policeman there are busy to prevent burglar from stealing
something from someone's house or things, for example new tires or equipments, which
were flown from somewhere by tsunami.

See?
Someone stole cans from a vending machine but I think we can't blame the person who
stole them. They were starved and HAD TO find a way to get foods and drinks to live.


This car's owner said that petrol was stolen.
Even the car is "standing", bad people tried to get petrol...

Well, it might be true that less criminal happened in the Norther Japan compared with
Haiti or Indonesia but also Japanese people steal things to live or to benefit...

Relief from Tokyo

I was asked to join the same volunteer group to serve dishes in the North last weekend.
I couldn't join them last weekend because I had a belated graduation party which
was called off because of the earthquake.

Instead I decided to aid from Tokyo.
As I wrote on this article, I sent relief aid through this NGO.
First, I looked up the list of shelters who needed help.
Secondly, I found what they wanted and found out if I can financially allow it or not.

So I chose one evacuation center in Ishinomaki city, Miyagi prefecture, where still
500 people live.
What I sent are 20 cans of tuna!!

I wanted to pack other stuff but I didn't because people in devastated areas really
care about 'fairness'. I've heard conflicts develop between villages or people because
some area got enough help, other areas still are suffering foods.

I just put a short letter.

Delivery services run well so if a big incident doesn't happen, this box will arrive in
Ishinomaki tomorrow.

I think this system is very organized and good because you can see
how money that you spent will be used directly.
You never see if the money you donated to Red Cross or UNICEF were fairly used.

Hope I can help them even a little bit.

Where did we go?

You may not know exactly the areas which were swept out by tsunami.
Here is the map.


The blue spot is the town where we went.
Let's take a closer look.


We went there along the road which is marked with a blue line.
The photos on the last article were taken in the river side.
Unbelievably, the tsunami went up along the river and swept out buildings in inland.

Who thought that the tsunami would come to inland???

The riverside areas are flat so they couldn't escape to the higher place.
On the other hand, the area where we went have some higher ground and the evacuation center
is located on a hill.
As you can see on the second map, Oshika peninsula has ria coasts.
There are hundreds of small villages. Thus, not many people come to there
to support. There are still so many shelters which is desperate for aids...

Though the way to the North was bumpy, the scene seemed to be same as before.
However, suddenly these scenes came in front of me...


We could see the sea side from the road. Nothing seemed to be there from the beginning.
These area are exactly the place where my friend was killed by tsunami.


I thought someone had cleaned up before we came - which was not true.
Tsunami wiped out everything...
I can't believe that this crisis happened in the same island where I live yet...

【URGENT】 I need your help

I'm still wondering what I can do for people in the North.

I found this site. (Only in Japanese)
http://fumbaro.org/campinfo.html

There are lists of what evacuees need.
Those who want to help them buy or prepare food or equipments according to these lists
and send them directly to theses evacuation centers.

If you are interested in this project and want to help the people in the North,
please let me know.
I will raise fund from you and organize everything.
I think this is much better to donate to big NGO like UNICEF or PEACE BOAT
because you can see how your money will be used.

Thank you for your attention.

e-mail: bell.onda721@gmail.com

Minami