April
Our former name was “Team Saru”. It can mean monkey, and is part of the forename of our founding member. When the Team 1 Mission visited Baba-Nakayama village for the first time, nine day after the earthquake, 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 would naturally come back again. They also very generously gave us some choice parts of their precious salted salmon, which gave us a lot of motivation as we were starting out with our relief work. Thus, Baba-Nakayama village is Team Sake’s Godparent. This village is one of the special villages for us. For more details of Team SAKE and our thoughts, visit Objectives and Background
On April 2, the Team 2 Mission headed out of Kyoto for Miyagi prefecture loaded up with relief supplies. The following day before the sunset, we arrived in the first village, Baba-Nakayama. They were very happy to receive these supplies, including items which they had specifically requested. They were especially appreciative of large-sized boots, fermented soybean paste (miso), pickled plums (umeboshi), cotton-buds, nail clippers, and sleeping bags.
While they were able to look for and find large things to use from the rubble, they told us that they also wanted small things to fulfill even the finest wishes. For example, a sewing kit to change the size of relief supplies for redistribution, and earplugs to block the noise at night. They were sleeping in large numbers at Baba-Nakayama Seikatsu Center (http://babanakayama.client.jp/index.html). We heard about many things that they needed.
We couldn’t find words to explain the scenes that we’d seen on the way, but we felt all much better surrounded by pleasant local people under the star-fiilled sky. Here, everybody was helping each other. Although they didn’t know when utilities such as electricity, gas and water supply would be restored, they had decided to live in the village again as best as possible.
On the morning of April 8, the Team 3 Mission left Kyoto by truck for Sanriku area, once again loaded with mountains of relief supplies. We visited Baba-Nakayama village on April 10. The villagers were all happy that “salmon (sake) have come back,” despite the fact that the Team 3 Mission members were different from before, and it was the first visit there for all of them. We brought them the requested goods, such as earplugs, sun visors, and sandals etc.
The villagers were so full of energy. One man had taken on the role of reliable leadership by bringing everybody together, while each villager was performing their designated role for their community without any stress. It was very impressive to see the good aspects of traditional Japanese village culture through their acts. We acknowledged that Japan is strong enough to survive in times of disaster.
We asked, “Is there anything more you need?”
The villager replied, “There is nothing for now.”
Then we asked, “Do you need manpower?”
The villager replied, “No, we don’t need that either.”
We interpreted their great answers as a sign that they were working well together by themselves for the reconstruction effort. They told us that if they needed something, they would contact us. We think this is the ideal situation - that villagers are not dependent on us in terms of independence-recovery. Since it seemed like we were not really needed at that time, we left the village for the time being.
On April 13, the Team 3 Mission paid Baba-Nakayama a second visit (fifth visit overall as Team Sake). We brought some printed documents reagrding insurance coverage and legal advice that they had requested last time. (http://www.nichibenren.or.jp/ja/special_theme/data/soudanQ&A.pdf) They were very happy with our visit and asked us to stay in their house. They asked us where we had been sleeping and when we answered “in the car” they said, “It’s even worse than the victims!” and insisted that we stay. We declined the offer repeatedly, but they arranged everything anyway, as if we’d already decided and accepted their offer. In the end, we were treated to dinner and drinks and stayed for a night.
One of our principles is to do our business by ourselves as best as possible without relying on, or accepting anything from, the affected villages. However, if this principle goes too far, the relationship risks becoming just a one-way thing from “the supporters” to “the supported”; to see these villagers simply as victims of the tsunami and earthquake could mean not accepting the diversity of their human nature. So, if we’re too rigid with this principle, would it really be possible to nurture a good relationship with villagers in terms of long-term support? This issue didn’t arise before we had actually been into the villages and gotten involved in the communities. We now realize that it’s also a very important factor to accept what we are offered by villagers, especially those with great resilience like the people of Baba-Nakayama, in order to build up a reciprocal relationship.
When we were talking with the villagers and having a drink around the fire at night, one of them said, “If an earthquake were to hit Kansai area, we would carry a full load of supplies in a ten-ton ship and come to you.” Another said, “I wonder how far it would be from the Maizuru Port (the nearest port from Kyoto city) to your place.” “A ship of ten tons would be too small!” and so on. Laughter continued throughout the conversation. We were so grateful for this precious moment and appreciated their kindness and great hospitability. In the face of their trying to overcome such a situation together, their forward-looking approach was just beautiful.
On April 17 the Team 4 Mission went to Baba-Nakayama. The villagers were happy we came to visit continuously. We learned that the amount of relief supplies coming to the village had been gradually decreasing. We heard about their concerns regarding the nuclear power plant, the future of fishery, future housing (including the issue of temporary housing), subsidies, and other things. We were treated to dinner, drinks, an open-air bath (although only for men), and a place to sleep for the night.
They are such well-disciplined people that they have their meals in order from the young and old first, to the men and women afterwards. Both the men and the women seemed very busy with not so much time to spare or to dwell on their own personal issues. We asked after the necessities required, such as sauces and seasonings. They said, “Some dressings would be nice as we’re running out,” but unfortunately we didn’t have any with us. The situation has been changing moment by moment. As electricity poles had just been installed nearby, they were expecting to get the power back in about ten days. One villager said, “It would be very nice to have music, but the evacuation center (Baba-Nakayama Lifestyle Center) is not of that atmosphere. But if there is a computer, we can play music or DVDs when electricity is restored, even though I am not sure when there would be an internet connection.” This time an information representative asked us to fill out the list of relief supplies we had brought in. On the list, there was even a checkbox for whether the goods had been distributed for free, or had required payment from the villagers.
May
On May 7, while we were preparing to apply for a subsidy for Team Sake, we suggested to the Baba-Nakayama village representative that they also apply for a subsidy for themselves. He said, “Honestly, what we want right now is a ship! There is not even a single ship remaining in this village. But the fact is we can’t use a ship unless we finish cleaning-up the area inside the sea. We have been able to borrow a jumbo (heavy machinery) for two months free of charge. Today is actually a day-off, but we’re working with the jumbo because we don’t want to waste the limited time. Since we can’t decide about a subsidy application only for Nakayama village, we’re going to talk with Baba village and exchange views and opinions.” We told him that we would be willing to help them out for the application. “There have been lots of volunteers coming to help Baba-Nakayama village. Thanks to them, we’ve been getting through. We have been okay so far without relying on government administration at all. But in terms of temporary housing and things that may come to us from now on, we’ll eventually need to receive a favor from them.”
Later, we gave a simple telescope (10×25 magnification) to one of the villagers who had wanted it to look at the sea to know what was floating on it’s surface. Although he could see better with this simple telescope, he actually wanted a standard telescope with which he would be able to see three times more than with this one. There had been an overturned boat floating on the surface of the sea, but later the waves moved it elsewhere, so he wanted to confirm where it had ended up. It would be very helpful for him to know what is floating on the sea for when he goes to salvage things.
On this blog, Villagers’ needs are only listed in Japanese, as these lists are constantly changing and high-maintenance to update. If you would like to send goods, but unable to read Japanese, please contact Team Sake directly. Please provide your information including an estimate of how much you would like to donate, and where you live.
If you are able to read Japanese and have decided what you would like to send, please contact us to double-check the goods you have selected are still required, and then, once posted, contact us again to inform us that they’ve been sent. Please write a short note to the villagers to accompany the donation (English and pictures are okay).
On the same day, the town office released information about temporary housing. We had actually talked with villagers about future housing before. We had gotten to know that there were more households who want to move into temporary housing immediately (even though they’re located a bit far away), than those want to stay in temporary housing in the village; the number of households that want to stay in the village are fewer than the number of temporary houses planned to be built in the village. Because villagers had discussed and considered this before, it seems that confusion could be avoided. We were very happy that the information we had provided seemed helpful for them.
This is an article on the Team 1 Mission volunteers to Baba-Nakayama village. At that stage, we hadn’t yet become known as Team Sake.
The Yamaguchi edition of the Mainichi Daily News, May 15, 2011
“Walking in a Stricken Area: the Tohoku Earthquake, Strong Realization of Face-to-face Support”, by Kazuyuki Ogaki
After being sent to Iwate prefecture, I went to interview two graduate students who were carrying relief supplies from Kyoto to the villages isolated from transportation and communication due to the disaster.
Masaru Adachi (34) and Hidetoshi Ito (25) are members of the Kyoto University cycling club. With the aim for delivering relief supplies to places cars can’t get into, they left Kyoto on March 20 in a small pickup truck loaded with relief supplies and their mountain bikes. On 21st, they went into some isolated villages in Minami Sanriku town, Miyagi prefecture, and delivered supplies including rice and fermented soybean paste (miso). On 22nd, I met with them in Ichinoseki city, Iwate prefecture. I joined them in their truck and we went around Rikuzentakada city and Ohunewatari city together. On the evening of that day, we arrived in Baba-Nakayama village, Minami Sanriku town on the Kashiwazaki peninsula.
Two hundred households were washed away by the tsunami, and there were 95 evacuees in a small community center. We managed to arrive in the village by truck, but the coastal road was blocked by the rubble. So in order to go to the next village where relief supplies were being sent and assembled, they needed to go on a very steep, narrow mountain road. Electricity had not even been restored yet. One woman (46), returning home from assisting victims of the disaster in Sendai city, collapsed from exhaustion and was not able to call for ambulance. The woman fell into convulsions and died a few days later. Kurayoshi Abe (61), a fisherman and a representative of the evacuation center, said in anger and chagrin, “It cannot be helped, even if we pray for the entire God.”
When Mr. Adachi and Mr. Ito were going to unload rice, miso, gasoline etc. from the truck, victims came to them one after another, with smiles on their faces in much appreciation. What was very impressive was their expression of happiness that people had come from outside. “Thank you for coming all the way to such a place.” “Please don’t forget this village.”
In the truck bon the way back Mr. Adachi muttered, “Since the stricken area is so huge, there are some areas where the support will come too late. Some of them will think that they have been forgotten. I think the face-to-face support is important so that the supporters and the survivors can understand each other.”
“Reconstruction of the stricken area will take a great many years. If we can see the faces of the victims, the support may continue longer. I realized the necessity of this face-to-face support.”
June
Baba-Nakayama is one of the first villages we went into, and they gave us a name: “Sake.” Baba-Nakayama is a very special place for Team Sake. We had been stopping by at this village each time we came, but after the Team 5 Mission, we didn’t go back for more than a month. We’d been keeping an eye on the progress of their reconstruction efforts through the website of the Baba-Nakayama Lifestyle Center (http://babanakayama.client.jp/).
The Team 8 Mission visited Baba-Nakayama village on June 14. The villagers were very surprised to see us walking down from the opposite direction, just as they’d been eating salmon and talking about us, saying “we haven’t seen much of Team Sake these days.”
Kurayoshi Abe, one of the leaders in the village, seemed as busy as before dealing with people dispatched from the town and other matters.
As yet it is still impossible to restart fishery in Baba-Nakayama, but there is an allowance from the town administration for the clean-up of rubble, so the men can receive a subsistence wage for the work they do. Whilst the women have been supporting the whole village, their work doesn’t create any income. Kikumi, one of the leaders of the women, was solicitous of everyone. “I wonder if there are any jobs or an allowance available, even the rate is 300 yen per hour.” We informed a reporter of this, who urged us to write it down on paper, but we couldn’t put it into words very well.
The villagers are trying to create opportunities, such as organizing knitting classes, so that everyone can become closer through group circles. They think that the knitting circle could help relieve people who’ve been missing their family or can’t help but be in deep thought. It’s also a means to cherish the relationship between people and this evacuation center, even after they move into temporary housing and start to live separately again.
Their needlework is of such a high quality that I suggested they sell their needlework with their own logo, to define the goods as made by Baba-Nakayama women. We strongly remember what Kikumi said at the beginning of April - that there was no time at all to spare for knitting. So at this time, we would very much like to assist them with the needlework they have been able to recommence. Is there anyone out there who can design the logo?
We really want these women to keep their spirits up until they are finally able to go back to fisheries work and shine as their true selves. They have great way of sticking together, and wisdom that have been drawing upon to this day to support the village as a whole.
Kikumi got clear away from the tsunami, holding her three-month-old grandchild in her arm, regardless of her mobile phone, glasses, driver’s license, wallet and everything else. She’s been getting through to the present by thinking about everyone. She’s always smiling and that really cheers us up. We listened to her stories while we ate pickled turnip and fresh cucumbers harvested from the field. They were very delicious.
Despite the fact that there had been about 200 evacuees at one time in Baba-Nakayama Lifestyle Center, there were only about 60 evacuees remaining. It had finally been decided that the temporary housing being built on the hill behind the village would be ready to live in in about a week. With the availability of temporary housing opening up, this evacuation center will come to a close at last.
