一般財団法人　連帯　東北・西南　RENTAI　TOHOKU-SEINAN

On Sunday, September 29th, we provided Tomodachi Curry® at the Asupia Fetival held at Mizusawa Community Exchange Center Asupia in Oshu, Iwate Prefecture and took part in the revitalization effort of the area.

Just two staff at the festival site was not enough, so Mr. Daigo Fujinami from the Oshu International Relations Association kindly arranged volunteers of three men and a woman to assist us. It was a great help and our work proceeded smoothly.

Tomodachi Curry® was very well received by everyone at the Asupia Festival. Upon request, we served it for a fee and not free of charge, and we made a little over 60,000 yen for one day. We would like to take this as a donation to Rentai Tohoku-Seinan and intend to give back to the residents in the afflicted area through our future activities.

This was an opportunity to join the event through our relationship with the Oshu International Affairs Association, and it would be an honor if we have been of some help in the revitalization effort of the area.

On Saturday, July 27^th, we provided Tomodachi Curry® at Building 1 of Ajisai-kan in the Otsuchi 5th Temporary Housing Complex in Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture free of charge to encourage the residents.

Previously, we served Tomodachi Curry® at Iwate Prefecture Otsuchi Hospital Temporary Clinic free of charge on June 20^th. From this Otsuchi Hospital, the Otsuchi 5^th Temporary Housing Complex is about 7-8 km up along the Otsuchi River toward the mountains. Ajisai-kan is situated approximately in the center of the housing complex, and the Otsuchi Social Welfare Council provides conversation partnership, house-visits, and support on meals and other household chores.

The realization of the Tomodachi Curry® event this time was from a request we received to hold the curry event for the summer festival on July 27^th, hosted by the Otsuchi Social Welfare Council.

Tohoku was hit by a record rainfall from the day before the event. It was also raining heavily in Senmaya where we have our base, and the water level of Senmaya River flowing through the center of the town suddenly rose around 6 p.m. and the river overflowed in an instant. Mr. Ichiro Murakami of Murakami Denki Shokai who always assists us is a member of the local fire brigade, and had to continue patrolling the river late into the night. As such, he joined our event after only a few hours of sleep. After we left Minami Exchange Center, we made a stop at Mr. Hideo Sato's house to received 20 L of fresh milk free of charge again for our chai. Mr. Sato is a dairy farmer (Senmaya) who has been supporting us since we started our activities. We then headed toward Otsuchi, but on the way, the roads in Rikuzentakata were flooded and the cars were only able to drive through on one side of the road.

By the time we got to the venue the rain had weakened, and so we were hoping that it might actually stop after a short while. Instead, it began to rain heavily, and we held the event in the worst weather condition ever. The local residents had been looking forward to our event and even gave us a call several times the day before, worrying about the rain, but we stuck to our schedule in the spirit of "Rain, I will not be defeated, Wind, I will not be defeated".

The residents were enjoying the summer festival held indoors, and we put up a tent outside and started preparing Tomodachi Curry®. We were planning to ask them to come outside at noon to pass out the curry, but the rain poured even more heavily, so with the assistance from the volunteer staff of the Otsuchi Social Welfare Council, we changed our plan to bring the Tomodachi Curry® and the chai inside the building.

When we were planning about the event with person in charge of the Otsuchi Social Welfare Council, we had planned to prepare about 100 servings of curry. However, more people had been expecting the event, and in the end, we ended up providing a little over 150 servings of curry even in bad weather. There were only four of us, and without everyone's help, it would have been impossible to complete everything in time. Mr. Isao Aoki, the president of Yugen Kaisha Aoki Shoji who had been supporting us behind the scenes till now, came onto the front stage in order to take charge, and with his help we were somehow able manage the entire event.

As one of the festival events, a dance was performed by the members of the Usuzawa Shishi Odori Preservation Society of Otsuchi. We also invited them to enjoy Tomodachi Curry®, and served chai afterwards as well.

It was a moment we felt that everyone truly enjoyed the event, and we were happy not to have cancelled it because of the weather.

On Wednesday, July 10^th, we provided Tomodachi Curry® at Iwate Prefectural Takada Hospital free of charge to encourage the staff.

Takada Hospital lost all its functions including the ward with 70 beds from the Great East Japan Earthquake. A prefabricated temporary clinic was built after the Earthquake, but patients requiring hospitalization had to go to a prefectural hospital in the neighboring city Ofunato or to Morioka City. Later, a temporary inpatient facility was completed in Februay 1st, 2012 with a ward of 41 beds and an operating room. This temporary facility is the only general hospital in the city of Rikuzentakata, and has become an important institution in the lives of the residents.

Tahir from our Foundation has become close with Dr. Mikihito Ishiki, the former hospital director. We understand that Dr. Ishiki who is 65 years old has extended his retirement which was at the end of this March, and decided to stay at the hospital as one of the doctors. We prepared and held this curry event to thank Dr. Ishiki who has been working hard toward recovery, Dr. Kiyoshi Tabata who became the new hospital director this April, and the hospital staff for their efforts.

The preparation is the same as before, and we began the previous day in order to minimize the work to be done at the event site. We received assistance from the local residents in the preparation work done at Senmaya Minami Exchange Center. This time we had newcomers in the volunteering staff, but everyone worked actively and efficiently, and we were able to serve Tomodachi Curry® within the limited time available. We thank all those who had helped us.

Mr. Keishi Onodera, the president of the Rotary Club in Senmaya, again was generous to offer 14 kg of poultry free of charge, and Mr. Hideo Sato, the dairy farmer (Senmaya), who had supported us since we began our activities, collected 20 L of fresh milk early in the morning and provided this milk for the chai free of charge.

We heard that the hospital staff is comprised of 10 doctors, 40 nurses and 35 technologists, but including others such as the pharmacy staff, we provided approximately over 100 servings of Tomodachi Curry®. It was decided to serve curry from 11:30 to 14:00 since the outpatient department is extremely crowded. Many people requested additional helpings, and the venue was constantly filled with people. We brought trays with lids for people who cannot leave their workplace or those working nightshifts, which turned out to be very useful.

Everyone enjoyed their Tomodachi Curry®, and after the curry we served chai made with fresh milk. By the time we cleaned up the site and were ready to go, we received words of thanks saying "Thank you for organizing such a fun event", and we took a group photo. We had heard from Dr. Ishiki that everyone was looking forward to the curry event, and this was a happy moment we actually felt that they truly enjoyed it.

On Sunday, June 30^th, we organized the ILC (International Linear Collider) Invitation Support Symposium (discussion session) and Walk in Hiraizumi, Nishi-iwai County, Miyagi Prefecture.

Previously on June 1st, our Foundation organized an approximately 10 km walk which we named the ILC (International Linear Collider) Invitation Support Walk from the entrance of Konjikido Golden Hall to the Nanohana Plaza in Ichinoseki. As we learned that the candidate site to build ILC in Japan will be confirmed in July, we decided to hold the second event hoping for the realization to bring ILC to Tohoku with our belief that there is no other volunteer work more important for us than to support this movement in order to encourage Tohoku toward self-reliance.

● Symposium

We are continuing our support activities with our main focus on temporary housing complexes, but we recently learned of a project to build ILC near Ichinoseki. As we had been feeling that the recovery itself is not enough for Tohoku, we strongly felt that realizing ILC construction will jump-start the process of development in Tohoku beyond recovery. However, as we became keenly aware that the understanding and the enthusiasm were still lacking among the general public, we decided to be of assistance even in a small way by organizing a walk to make an appeal.

The venue of the Symposium was provided free of charge with the cooperation of the town of Hiraizumi at the second floor meeting room in the Town Hall. Mr. Tadao Yaegashi from the General Affairs and Planning Division of Hiraizumi was extremely helpful from preparing the venue from early in the morning, to giving us a guide of the streets and the historic sites during the Walk which is described below.

Our Representative Director, Sata acted as the Coordinator at the Symposium. Aside from the two ILC specialists from Ichinoseki City Hall, the remaining nine Panelists were all local residents, and we asked them to give their opinions freely. The Symposium began with an opening remark encouraging everyone participating in the event to have an open discussion with a sense of the general public, and to dream a future after 50 years or 100 years from now for the children with a medium- and long-term point of view.

We positioned the Panelists in the center so that everyone in the room could participate in the discussions as a whole and share a sense of unity wherever they are in the room. One of the comments we received afterwards mentioned that it was a good event because it was not a one-sided, lecture-hearing event but one where the participants could freely exchange their views in a relaxed atmosphere.

We would like to share some of the other comments we received from the participants.

• Realization of ILC construction will be a benefit. Education shall be strengthened toward internationalization.
• Hollowing out of industry has reached Ichinoseki, and many people are losing their jobs with factories shutting down. If the industry is rejuvenated with ILC, it will bring good effect to the next generation. People who left the area may return.
• The town of Fujisawa is suffering depopulation, and does not have enough people even when the recovery proceeds. The town may or may not continue to exist. This is a great chance to bring about positive thinking, and I would like the children to have a variety of opportunities. If it is clear that there would be no problems with ILC, I would like to actively invite ILC.
• Hiraizumi is historically and culturally attractive for non-Japanese, though there is not enough promotional activities. Hiraizumi is already helping to internationalize the area.
• If ILC construction is realized, researchers, their families and others related to the project will come from around the world and will increase internationalization. However, the educational environment for their children is said to be insufficient in Tohoku. As we are in the age of the internet, we could overcome this by making good use of the surrounding environment.
• Unclear issues of the ILC need to be clarified in order to eliminate fear toward the unknown. There seems to be a difference in the level of interest even within Iwate Prefecture. I would like this project to proceed while having everyone's understanding. I am hoping that the secondary effect from the industry will raise the level of cultural education.
• There have been facilities specifically for Japanese researchers, but ILC will truly become an international institution. Tens of thousands of people will arrive from abroad, making it a model city of internationalization (science, education, and culture). It seems that at first, a site evaluation council organized mainly by Tohoku University and Kyushu University will be held with about 10 scientists to make a final decision on the candidate site in Japan, which will later become the official candidate site after receiving approval from the Japanese government.
• Depopulation in Senmaya is also significant, resulting in negative impact. It seems very attractive if ILC construction will bring improvement with the expected economic effect. I would like this to become a DREAM, not a POEM.
• Pilgrims come to Okago from around the world. I have had feelings of rejection toward foreigners, but once you get to know them, many of them are good people and I am reflecting on this way of thinking, that it needs to be changed. I would like to welcome more foreigners, and would like to think of ILC as an opportunity to change.
• The extent of the economic effect of ILC is questionable, but it is expected that it will stimulate people since their conscience toward self-reliance is low. It is good that the government gives directions, but I feel that the citizens themselves need to think and act on their own.
• The effect of ILC could be considered separately for educational, official and industrial spheres. One idea is to have a specific district where foreign doctors could work in Japan. If ILC does not come, then it might be interesting to construct a rocket launching base making use of the fact that this granitic area is sparsely inhabited. I would like to value having a channel linking us to science. It would be interesting to have a brainstorming meeting.
• I do not know much about ILC, but I am happy that an institution bringing in dreams will be coming to Japan. I feel it would be even better if it will create more jobs.
• Is it right to proceed with ILC construction when the recovery from the aftermath of the nuclear accident is not completed?
• What would happen in terms of the destruction of nature which would occur after constructing ILC?

Comments ranged from those not only approving to bring ILC, but to those pointing out the issues requiring consideration. What the Representative Director, Sata wished to convey as the closing remarks, is how much the religious ways of thinking in a positive sense is required in order to maintain a healthy mind toward peaceful use of science in this day and age, when science and religion are required to be the two wheels of a cart. He also commented that when Iwate Prefecture becomes the ILC construction site, we may find ways in religions represented by the local temple Chuson-ji on how to deal with issues of science being a double-edged sword, leading us from a broader perspective toward the correct path.

At the end of the Symposium, we all prayed for the numerous victims of 3.11 and also hoped for a brighter future of Tohoku with the arrival of ILC with the Heart Sutra given by the priests Mr. Sato (Soto School) and Mr. Haseki (Tendai School), followed by some verses from the Koran read by our staff Syed Tahir from Pakistan to close the event.

● Support Walk

The previous walk was 10 km in distance, which seemed rather difficult for those who may not be strong enough for the entire route. Therefore, this time we changed to a shorter, more relaxed route so that more people could join us. With the cooperation from Mr. Yoshinori Kikuchi, the representative director of the local company Kawashima Printing Co., Ltd., and Mr. Tadao Yaegashi from the General Affairs and Planning Division of Hiraizumi, we were able to set our starting point at the square of Kyūkanjizaiō-in Teien (Park of former Kanjizaio-in). We are sure everyone who came to join us at this beautiful, open space were able to start walking with a refreshing feeling.

Our Representative Director, Sata gave an opening comment little before 1 p.m. which was followed by a group photo shoot, and then we started to walk. Approximately 80 people joined the Walk, and each proceeded on their own pace under a pleasant weather (cloudy, 20°C). As before, we prepared two English banners and six Japanese banners, a total of eight banners, and each participant proceeded with the Walk step by step with hopes for the realization.

We reached our goal after about one hour, and as all the participants were able to complete the Walk it felt our feelings became united: "ILC, we welcome you to Tohoku!"

The event was reported in the Iwate Nippo and Iwate Nichi-Nichi Shimbun.

Article in the Iwate Nichi-Nichi Shimbun dated July 1^st, 2013

Article in the Iwate Nippo dated July 1^st, 2013

On Friday, June 28^th, we provided Tomodachi Curry® free of charge at Otsuchi Town Hall in Iwate Prefecture, to support the City Hall staff.

The town of Otsuchi lost 40 of its senior staff including the Mayor Mr. Koki Sato, paralyzing the administrative functions of the town. The long distance from Morioka City further worked against them, as it was difficult for the news of the damages to reach the city. As such, Otsuchi continued to be isolated from the surrounding areas for some time. From August 6th last year, the school building of former Otsuchi Elementary School became the temporary office building of Otsuchi Town Hall. Mayoral election was held on August 28th, and former chief of the Administrative Division Mr. Yutaka Ikarigawa was elected mayor and continues to be till today. However, even now almost half of the current 280 staff is a support staff coming from all over the country.

We became close with a priest Mr. Takahashi at Kichijyo-ji of the Soto Zen School in Kirikiri, Otsuchi, from the connections of Tahir from our Foundation. His temple was spared from the tsunami as it was high on the hills, and as such, soon after the Earthquake, accepted close to 250 people who were affected by the disaster. When we reported that we were planning to provide Tomodachi Curry® at Iwate Prefecture Otsuchi Hospital on June 20th to encourage the staff, we received a request to hold a similar event at the town hall, which resulted in this event. Hearing that there are also temporary housings of police force and fire department in the Town Hall premises, we began to plan the event for a total of around 280 people.

It is approximately 2.5 hours by car from our base of the Foundation in Senmaya (Ichinoseki City) to the town of Otsuchi, so we left at an early hour of 5 a.m. so that we could start our preparation at the venue from 8 a.m. On the day before, we did our preparations at Minami Exchange Center in Senmaya to minimize the work to be done at the venue. Mr. Keishi Onodera from the Rotary Club in Senmaya kindly provided us 36 kg of poultry, again free of charge. And the JA (Japan Agriculture) in Daito provided us a large amount of tomatoes at a greatly discounted price.

There were some drizzles in the morning on the day of the event, but by the time we arrived in Otsuchi the rain had stopped. Though it was a chilly day for the end of June, it was good enough for the event. As soon as we arrived, we began preparing for the event by starting to set up a large tent between the Town Hall and the fire department building.

By the time the spicy scent of the curry from the pot started to fill the air, more people came to visit us to see how we were doing. It was the happiest moment when Mayor Ikarigawa himself came to the preparation site and gave us words of thanks. He even gave a tour of the Town Hall for our Representative Director Sata and Tahir, visiting each department holding the curry himself and telling the staff about the curry which was to be served.

From 12 noon, we started serving Tomodachi Curry® using trays with lid to efficiently serve them in a short period of time. Many of the staff came as a representative of their department, and there was even a case where two people brought back curry for 25 people.

A long line instantly formed in front of the table where we served the curry, so we quickly changed our formation of role-sharing. Until then, we were serving every dish with the lid, but we changed this to ask our guests to take the lids themselves if necessary. This was effective and shortened the waiting time to a large extent, enabling us to finish serving in about 15 minutes.

Whenever we prepare Tomodachi Curry® for the events, we always make sure to prepare more than 1.5 times the expected number of guests so that there wouldn't be anyone left without the curry. This time, we provided 400 servings (including the additional helpings) which far exceeded the scheduled 280 servings.

We thanked everyone for their strenuous efforts with our curry, and were greatly thanked in return by the mayor and the Town Hall staff, coming from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south. Dr. Iwata, the hospital director of Iwate Prefecture Otsuchi Hospital where we held a Tomodachi Curry® event on June 20th, took the time to come to the venue together with the chief of Head Office and other doctors to show appreciation and joined in the luncheon event.

After the curry event, we visited the temple of the priest Mr. Takahashi who gave us the chance to hold this event, and had the honor of listening to the stories of the situations soon after the Earthquake. We imagine how hard it must have been to take care of 250 people for nearly two months after the Earthquake, just by himself and his wife. We were all humbled by his self-effacing and modest manner, repeating words of appreciation for the event we held.

Mrs. Takahashi, who had sealed off preparing matcha (powdered green tea) after the disaster, greeted us by resuming her matcha. It was a touching moment where we felt that our event had brought about a change in some way.

There is only so much we can do for the people of Otsuchi who suffered extensive damage, but we are determined to continue our activities to support self-reliance of this community.