One Year Anniversary Japan Earthquake Tsunami in the Tohoku region – Part 2

Earthquake Tsunami in the Tohoku

It was a chilly morning in Ichinoseki as we headed to one of World Vision Japan’s livelihood projects in Minamisanriku in Miyagi prefecture. 

This coastal town was among the hardest hit by the magnitude 9 earthquake on March 11, 2011.

First Anniversary Japan Earthquake Tsunami in the Tohoku region – Part 2

Once home to about 17,000 people, this town has been almost entirely washed away by the tsunami.

The earthquake triggered a tsunami that travelled as far as 10 km inland reducing the town to splinters and debris.

This coastal town, previously known for its stunning beaches, also used to thrive on its fishing industry and marine cultivation, more specifically, seaweed or wakame cultivation.

The seaweed cultivation can be harvested within 12 months. Hence, as part of the livelihood project, World Vision Japan (WVJ) decided to come up with all the necessary support to help restore the trade.

WVJ believes this project will improve the well-being of many children whose parents are seaweed fishermen.

It is estimated that 95% of the approximate 100 boats used for seaweed cultivation were destroyed by the tsunami.

Last October, WVJ provided twelve boats for twelve local ports in Shizugawa and Togura districts in Minamisanriku.

The ‘wakame’ fishermen process the seaweed planted in time, thanks to the support from WVJ.

About 80% of fishermen interviewed by WVJ have lost their homes and equipment that can cost from USD$20,000 to USD$30,000 a set.

Therefore, in addition to the boats, WVJ has also provided boiling machines and compressors to process the seaweed.

Besides providing many women with work opportunities, processed seaweed can sell for a much higher price, up to 10 times more!

 
 Wakame processing equipment by WVJ.

Whilst part of the group went to see seaweed harvesting, some of us chatted with a local fisherman who had escaped the tsunami.

Whilst feeding the salmons at sea, Mr Takao Sasaki saw the sinking of anchored fishing facilities.

Later he witnessed a whirlpool and saw oyster cultivation facilities drifting out to sea. Immediately he veered his ship further out to sea to avoid the brewing tsunami.

It was when Mr Takao saw Japanese houses floating out to sea; he knew he was fortunate to have escaped a very destructive tsunami.

However, upon docking his ship, he was still shocked to see that almost everything had been washed away, even the portlights.


 Mr Takao Sasaki, a tsunami survivor, recounts his experience of the destructive disaster.

When the boat returned with the wakame harvest, the fishermen’s wives prepared some tasty and warm seaweed soup and salad, perfect for the harsh cold weather!


Fresh seaweed salad ready to be eaten.. yum!

Seaweed soup is very nutritious!

There is still much to be done for the wakame industry at Minamisanriku, and WVJ has some future plans in store:
  1. To provide different equipment and facilities to process seaweed after cultivation
  2. Install twelve tents where wakame cultivators, including women, can share the equipment and work together.

Fisherman in Wakame
Wakame Fisherman.

With our stomachs full of wakame, we headed to Shizugawa hill. We passed long stretches of flattened grounds, and there was much silence inside the bus (perhaps many were still feeling full from much wakame), almost echoing the sentiments of zero activity in the area.

View from Shizugawa hill – these barren lands used to be a flourishing, beautiful town bustling with activities.

Some have compared the aftereffect of the tsunami to Hiroshima and Nagasaki.



Along the way, we passed more flattened grounds where the WVJ building once stood.

If you want to know more, please visit the World Vision website.

Or you can also read Part One of the One Year Anniversary observation of the East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami and also about the diaries of volunteers and aid workers of their experiences during the early days of the tsunami.

Conclusion

Writer Lilian Chua was sent to the Miyagi prefecture by World Vision Malaysia to follow up on the One Year Anniversary observation of the East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami in the Tohoku region of Japan.

Malaysia Asia

Blogging since 2007, but writing online since 1997. I belong to the 1st generation of worldwide bloggers, which is of course old-school. Since 2008, I created Malaysia Asia and this travel, flood, gadget and lifestyle blog has won numerous physical awards from tourism boards around Malaysia. (Not those online awards). After 12 years of blogging, I have semi-retired and now blog about things I like, do product reviews and enjoy life. My work has been featured in Lonely Planet, CNN Travel, Yahoo Travel, Wall Street Journal, and many other international publications. Find out more about me and thank you.

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