We are a Kyoto-based grassroots volunteer group who assist survivors living in some small villages of the Sanriku area, Northeastern Japan, who were affected by the triple disaster on March 3, 2011. We support them through providing goods and services such as personnel (volunteer manpower), commodities, technical skills, and information.
On March 20, we began our support activities under the name of “Team Saru” (it can mean monkey and is also part of the forename of the founding member). One of the villagers pointed out that “Saru” can also mean leaving in the Japanese language, but that if it were changed to “Sake” (salmon), it would imply that the Team will naturally come back again. Thus our name has been “Team Sake” since then and we pledge to provide ongoing support.
Even though we are a small group, we are making an outreach effort focusing on providing assistance to the places that are most in need, and we are doing our best to accommodate wishes which adhere directly to the desires of each village community at a grassroots level. We offer continuous support, based on attentive and reciprocal assistance through interactive dialogue.
Background
Masaru Adachi, the instigator of Team Sake, has cycled the Japanese terrain extensively, and when the earthquake and tsunami hit, he was geographically well aware of the mountainous hills and valleys of the Sanriku area where people would be in most need, and where aid would have trouble reaching. On the 9th day after the Tohoku earthquake, he put out the call for donations of relief supplies from his home in Kyoto. People mobilized quickly and friends and colleagues delivered as much as possible to his house by nightfall. He and a friend set out to deliver these relief supplies to victims living in isolated small villages. When they had driven as far as they could, they continued on bicycles and then on foot to deliver the donated relief supplies directly. They reached Hadenya village and Baba Nakayama villages in the southern Sanriku area. The villagers were very happy.
In Baba Nakayama village, known as a fishing village, the people offered Masaru and his friend their preserved food, salted salmon, as a gift of their hospitality. They declined the offer very politely again and again, but in the end were compelled to accept it.
Some traditional culture of the Ainu (Japan’s indigenous peoples) still remains in this village. Even the villagers’ dialect here still retains some Ainu language. As a result, this fish tastes similar to “Saketoba”, salted salmon from the Hokkaido area. This traditional preserved salmon is made and stored by each household every December. When the village was hit by the earthquake and tsunami, most of the buildings and lands were completely destroyed, leaving only four houses standing. Survivors were able to salvage some of the salmon they found in refrigerators which had been set adrift by the tsunami. They also washed and polished salvaged rice (which had been submerged in seawater) to keep themselves going while they waited. These supplies sustained their lives for 10 days until Team Sake arrived.
Objectives
We are a Kyoto-based grassroots volunteer group who assist survivors living in some small villages of the Sanriku area, Northeastern Japan, who were affected by the triple disaster on March 3, 2011. We support them through providing goods and services such as personnel (volunteer manpower), commodities, technical skills, and information.
On March 20, we began our support activities under the name of “Team Saru” (it can mean monkey and is also part of the forename of the founding member). One of the villagers pointed out that “Saru” can also mean leaving in the Japanese language, but that if it were changed to “Sake” (salmon), it would imply that the Team will naturally come back again. Thus our name has been “Team Sake” since then and we pledge to provide ongoing support.
Even though we are a small group, we are making an outreach effort focusing on providing assistance to the places that are most in need, and we are doing our best to accommodate wishes which adhere directly to the desires of each village community at a grassroots level. We offer continuous support, based on attentive and reciprocal assistance through interactive dialogue.
Background
Masaru Adachi, the instigator of Team Sake, has cycled the Japanese terrain extensively, and when the earthquake and tsunami hit, he was geographically well aware of the mountainous hills and valleys of the Sanriku area where people would be in most need, and where aid would have trouble reaching. On the 9th day after the Tohoku earthquake, he put out the call for donations of relief supplies from his home in Kyoto. People mobilized quickly and friends and colleagues delivered as much as possible to his house by nightfall. He and a friend set out to deliver these relief supplies to victims living in isolated small villages. When they had driven as far as they could, they continued on bicycles and then on foot to deliver the donated relief supplies directly. They reached Hadenya village and Baba Nakayama villages in the southern Sanriku area. The villagers were very happy.
In Baba Nakayama village, known as a fishing village, the people offered Masaru and his friend their preserved food, salted salmon, as a gift of their hospitality. They declined the offer very politely again and again, but in the end were compelled to accept it.
Some traditional culture of the Ainu (Japan’s indigenous peoples) still remains in this village. Even the villagers’ dialect here still retains some Ainu language. As a result, this fish tastes similar to “Saketoba”, salted salmon from the Hokkaido area. This traditional preserved salmon is made and stored by each household every December. When the village was hit by the earthquake and tsunami, most of the buildings and lands were completely destroyed, leaving only four houses standing. Survivors were able to salvage some of the salmon they found in refrigerators which had been set adrift by the tsunami. They also washed and polished salvaged rice (which had been submerged in seawater) to keep themselves going while they waited. These supplies sustained their lives for 10 days until Team Sake arrived.
Masaru and his friend Itou received five salmon heads, the most delicious part of the salmon. On their return to Kyoto they held a debriefing session (25 March) with friends and colleagues. They shared their story, along with bowls of miso soup that included the valuable salmon.
Through this experience, all those present realized that they would like to become deeply involved, to build up stronger relationships with these small village communities, while supporting their immediate relief-supply needs and helping them towards recovery. Simultaneously, to foster a spirit of independence in the reconstruction effort and to create a network throughout Japan and the world, to help bring the villagers visions closer to realisation. Thus, Team Sake was born.
Masaru and his friend Itou received five salmon heads, the most delicious part of the salmon. On their return to Kyoto they held a debriefing session (25 March) with friends and colleagues. They shared their story, along with bowls of miso soup that included the valuable salmon.
Through this experience, all those present realized that they would like to become deeply involved, to build up stronger relationships with these small village communities, while supporting their immediate relief-supply needs and helping them towards recovery. Simultaneously, to foster a spirit of independence in the reconstruction effort and to create a network throughout Japan and the world, to help bring the villagers visions closer to realisation. Thus, Team Sake was born.
