Four months after the Disaster

Today, just four months have passed from the Disaster.

Fortunately my life has recovered fully.

But the areas where Tsunamis attacked are still damaged.

The pace of recovery is relatively slow.

Many people who lived in Tsunami damaged areas can't find their new jobs.

Two months passed from the disaster

Two months passed from the disaster.

I feel it's too long, but simultaneously I feel it's too short.

Around us, we can spend the days as same as we did before the disaster.
But many shops, especially large shops such as shopping malls, are still closed,
because the buildings damaged severely.


But seaside areas are still damaged, the evaquees' life is far from recovery.

14,949 peoples were killed by the disaster, and 9880 peoples were still missing.
So nearly 25,000 peoples were victimized by the disaster.

Some hundreds thousands peoples lost their jobs.

And until now more than 120,000 peoples live in the shelters.


Many peoples still need helps.

Child's Day in Japan

In Japan, 5th May is the "Child's Day (子どもの日）".

But at least 132 children lost both their father and mothe by the disaster.

And we can't count how many children lost their parent, relatives, and friends.

I really wish they get happy days as soon as possible.

We recover our daily life, but severely damaged areas are far from recovery.

Symbol poster for recovery

Miyage prefecture made a symbol poster for recovery.

"復興へ頑張ろう" means " Do it for recovery" or "bear up under disaster".
"みやぎ" is "Miyagi", our prefectre.

Temporary houses

Because of Tsunamis many people lost their houses.

Just after disaster more than 360,000 people escaped to shelters.

Although one month has passed, there are more than 143,000 people in shelters.

So temporary houses are actually necessary for them.

More than 46,000 temporary houses are necessary, but it's quite difficult to find enough places for construction of temporary houses.

In my town 40 temporary houses is now constructing.



Today, cherry blossoms are just blooming in Sendai.

Uhm.... spring just has come.

We are bored with earthquakes

After 3.11 disaster, we have had TOOOOOOO many earthquakes of after-shocks.

Today just one month has passed from disaster, we have more than 16,000 earthquakes since 3.11.


We are really bored with earthquakes !

Tsunami no BAKA !!

Yesterday I found this message board.

"つなみのバカ (Tsunami no Baka)" means "Shit ! Tsunami" or "You're stupid, Tsunami!".

I can't agree with it more !


But we're not LOOSER !!

Big Earthquake Again !

A big erthquake of magnitude 7.4 hit again on yesterday night.

We recover our daily life, but electricity and city water have stopped again.


We have had too many aftershock.


We are really tired of shaking.

New School Year begins

In Japan, new school year begins from April.

So many schools start new school year.

But many pupils and students lost their parents, relatives, and/or friends.
Many pupils and students also lost their home.

In Miyagi prefecture 16 children became orphans, and more than 50 children did in Iwate prefecture.


I really hope they can grow strongly and get their happy life.



About the university, new school year begins from May in this year.

I'm afraid many students need the mental care for PTSD of their experiences of disaster.


In fact  I feel I had a light-level of PTSD of disaster.

Tragedy of Ohkawa Elementary School

Kitakami-gawa (Kitakami river) is the biggest river in Tohoku area in Japan.
It's long about 250 km.

Here is the firth of Kitakami-gawa.
Very beutiful place.

Here is about 3 km above the firth.
Strictly speaking, this is the artificial river to avoid the flood.
It was made about 100 years ago.
(Original Kitakami-gawa run to Ishinomaki, southern place from here.)

A long bridge was across Kitakami-gawa, near the place of above picture.

On the far side of this river, there is Ohkawa Elementary School.
Ohkawa Elementary School was 2nd floor building.

108 pupils went to this elementary school, and 13 teachers worked.
After Tsunamis hit, only 34 pupils and 3 teachers can survive.

When Tsunamis hit, they took roll-call for checking the safe of pupils on the school yard.
They all were engulfed by Tsunamis.

Because it is 3km apart from the sea, they never think Tsunamis hit them.


I'm afraid survived pupils and teachers have severe trauma.

I really hope they revive for their late friends.

Memories of Sanriku-kaigan

After big earthquakes, huge Tsunamis hit Sanriku-kaigan (Sanriku seacoast).

Sanriku-kaigan is ria seaboard, so mountains close on the sea.

There were many small hamlets in Sanriku-kaigan.
People lived in narrow  lands near the sea.

The scenery was really beautiful and I love it.

Many peoples worked at fishing and/or cultivating oysters and seaweeds.



These hamlets were at Ogatsu suffered severe damages.

I'm afraid these hamlets disappeared now, and residents are isolated.



Here was Onagawa where had a big fishing harbor.

Tsunamis hit Onagawa hardly and this town was broken-down wholly.

A small seaside hamlet was disappeared by Tsunamis

Our daily life improves day-by-day.

It become relatively easy to buy foods, but it's still severely difficult to buy gasoline.
To buy gasoline there are three or four hour queues to petrol stations.

But I suppose it improves for these several days of this week.
(I really wish so...)


Today I went to Shichigahama, neighboring town where was severely damaged by Tsunamis.

In last year I was used to visit there by bicycle, because Shichigahama is beatiful seaside town.

This was the scene of last year.

Today.

A small hamlet near above harbor suffered severe damages by Tsunamis.

I guess there were some victimes, unfortunately.

I shocked how strong Tsunami's power is, and I lost any words to say.

I really hope the people will recover their lifes as soon as possible.

And I wish they get enough supports to recover their lifes.



Small in land: strong in heart

One of my blog friends, Haruo san,  made a good flash for cheering up Japan.

Sorry for a small window.
Please choose "Watch on Youtube" with right click.

Never forget her

At Shizugawa in Minami-sanriku-cho where was severely damaged by Tsunami,
one town staff of 25 years old, named Miki Endo, was missing after Tsunami attacking.

When Tsunami was attacked to Shizugawa, she worked at the 3rd floor of
the counter-accident center and continued to announce for Shizugawa residents
" Escape to higer places, big Tsunami is comming soon, hurry up!"
until the moment Tsunami attacked.

Big Tsunami engulfed the 3rd floor where she worked.

She will marry on this autumn.

I can't find any words to say, I can only crying.


Sorry for my poor English, I can't describe it enough.


Countless miseries happened in that disaster.


Shizugawa was a beautiful seaside small town and I love there.

Shizugawa, two years ago.
This view was disappeared.

11th day after disaster

11 days passed from disaster.

I would like to go to seaside, but I couldn't go.
The influence of Tsunami is still remained.

Here was originally field apart from 100 meter from sea.
Many ships were carried away.

Railway was severely damaged by Tsunami.

Opposite side.

I think it takes long times to recover this railway, Senseki-sen Line.

After big Earthquake in Japan

At 2:46PM on 11th March big earthquakes attacked East Japan.

After earthquakes huge Tsunamis attacked seaside areas and robbed many (more than 21,000) peoples’ lives and everything.

Our life has been changed after this disaster.

I live in Shiogama where Tsunamis attacked.  More than 20 peoples were died and nearly 50 peoples were missing.  Of course ruins of our city were severe for us, but our ruins were relatively smaller than many other towns.

For one week after earthquakes we couldn’t use electricity.

Now, 10 days passed, we can’t use city water and city gas.

And it is quite difficult to buy foods and gasoline.

But our life turns to recover, although steps are very small.

This photo was taken on 12th March, a day after big earthquakes, at neighboring city Tagajo.
Oil complex had been firing for a few days.

I took this on 13th March, two days after big earthquakes, at a harbor of Shiogama.

A road was severely damaged.

Oil complex was still firing.