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

One day of volunteer workers

We departed from Tokyo to the North on Saturday evening and came back Sunday midnight.
I was really ashamed because I went there only for one day.
I saw the people yelled at the president of TEPCO and Prime Minister Kan at the shelter
when they visited there.
They said "Have you ever lived in the shelter for one month??"
"You may think you can go back to safe Tokyo if you put up with only one day in the North!!!"
To be honest, I didn't want to stay and work in the North for one week because
I didn't know actual situation and was worried about another aftershocks and nuclear power plants.
Yes I am chicken.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday

17:00 Everyone gathered a Japanese bar in Tokyo which is run by Mr.S.
Some prepared for dinner. Others did packing.

18:00 We had dinner there.

19:00 We went to public bath.

20:00 I went to the shop to rent a car.

21:00 We put stuffs and equipments on cars.

22:00 We finally left Tokyo.

We went up to the North through Tohoku Highway which was restored 93% only 10 days after the earth quake. On the way, there are some cracks and it was bumpy.

We took rests for a few times at parking area.



Sunday

2:00 We arrived at a parking area in Miyagi and slept in a tiny car.

6:00 Waked up and had breakfast. Another car came from Nigata and met the member there.

8:00 The car from Nigata with two members went to Minami-sanriku.
Two cars with others went to Ogatsu in Ishinomaki city.

10:30 We arrived at the town hall which was completely damaged by tsunami.
Only its frame stands.

10:45 A NGO group leaded us to the small shelter where we served dishes.
The group connects a small volunteer group like us and the shelter which need helps.

11:00 Arrived at the town called Mizuhama and prepared for dishes.

12:00 Served dishes for people there.

13:00 We also had a lunch with them.

14:00 Cleaned up everything and went to see devastated area in Mizuhama.

15:30 Left Mizuhama and Went to Minamisanriku where another member did volunteer work.

17:30 Arrived at the evacuation center (primary school) and played with children.

18:30 Left for Tokyo

20:30 Arrived at Kunimi parking area in Fukushima and had a dinner.

I majored radioactive there.
It was much higher than Tokyo but it's lower than when you are on the plane.

0:00 Finally arrived in Tokyo and went to stranger's place. (He is a friend of my friend.)

6:00 Wake up and came back to home.

Introduction of volunteer members

I'm drunk today... I really want to get drunk these days.

The volunteer members are really interesting.
They assembled through their friends.
I am the only one who joined through twitter.

=Member=

Mr.S- He worked for years as a fire man. Now he runs a Japanese bar.
He thinks he want to help someone before he is dead then he started this project.

Yu- He is just 20 years old and a leader of our group.
He withdraws from university temporarily and is doing many activities.

Tomo- He is a carpenter and is very good at driving.
He drove all most of the way.

Mr.O- He works for JAXA like NASA in USA.
He did volunteer work at shelter for evacuees from Fukushima in Tokyo.

Mai- She is friend of Yu. She works for fair trade NGO.

Kota- He experienced evacuation life 11 years ago. Miyake island (which is located
in the South of Tokyo. Actually it is Tokyo prefecture.) erupted in 2000 and
he had to escape to Mainland. Now he goes to University in Tokyo.
He is also a friend of Yu.

Arisa- She is a famous model in a teenager magazine.
She is a friend of Mai.

Yone- He is a university student in Tokyo. He is a friend of Mai and
also works in fair trade NGO.

Yuki- She is a one of famous art universities student.

Almost of them are younger than me.
I was surprised at their age and their action.
Students have more time than workers and can active more flexible.
In addition to that, we are young and powerful:)
I am really happy to work with such active students!

The way to join a volunteer group

From where should I start...?

Well, now my thoughts with people in the North.
I'm always thinking about what I can do for them...

On 23th of April, I joined a volunteer group and went up to the North to serve dishes for a shelter.
I have been working for German TV since the earthquake happened.
I frustrated myself because I just sit on the chair and was stuck in front of TV.
I think I saw much more sad stories on the programs than the others but I couldn't do nothing
for people in the North.

In the middle of April, I quit the German TV and finally had a free time.
Soon after that, I tried to find an opportunity to do volunteer in the North.
Famous NGO like peaceboad and Unicef recruited volunteer works but it was already fulled.
Then I tried to find a group on twitter.-entered word "Minami-sanriku or Ishinomaki" "Recruit" "Volunteer".
There were some group which recruited volunteer works.
I found a group and sent a message.
"I would like to help people in the North. Can I get ride your car and join your group?"
They planned to go there on 23th and I contacted them on Thursday.
I got a positive response from them soon.

The group called 'Gakutsuna'. It means connecting students and the North.
They drive to the North every weekend with relief supplies and workers.
Some work only on the weekend and come back to Tokyo.
Others remain in the North for one week to work and they will pick them up in the next weekend.
This is their concept.

I've never met members before but my strong wish drove me to join them.
I can say everybody can do volunteer work if you really want to help people.
I'm happy to help you to find a chance to do volunteer in the North.
Let me know if you want.

Why I should write...

3.11- Many things have changed on that day.
We can't go back the normal life like before 3.11.
Things have amazingly changed a lot around me too.
I lost my best friend by tsunami, broke up with my boyfriend, met many new people,
got a new job and so on... Even invisible things like my personality have changed.

I think I should write this crisis down before some memory has gone.
Fortunately, my memories are still vivid.
So I will write whatever I remember...

Minami