Saving Lives Changing Minds

Transcription

1 March 2016 Saving Lives Changing Minds East Asia Newsletter of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) GREAT EAST JAPAN EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI FIVE YEARS ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL A town recovering from disaster Five years ago, Japan experienced one of the worst disasters recorded in modern history. Tens of thousands were killed, and nearly half a million displaced following the earthquake, subsequent tsunami, and eventual nuclear meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. p6 However, on this fifth anniversary, we focus on stories of hope, perserverance and recovery. This special edition newsletter is a collection of stories that remind us both of the continued challenges Japan faces, as well as the incredible progress the country has made in its journey to recovery since p3 Waiting to go home to Fukushima p10 Care for elderly survivors continues From top, clockwise: Children in Hisanohama in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture release balloons in commemoration of those who lost their lives in the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami 11 March 2011 (photo by Kouji Matsumoto); Mrs. Yomoko Iizawa enjoys a flower arrangement activity organized by the JRCS Fukushima branch (photo by Hler Gudjonsson); Mr. and Mrs. Shinkai visit their abandoned home in Katsurao village, which has been empty for five years due to contamination (photo by Masaya Noda). Saving lives, changing minds.

2 2 / Five years after GEJET Red Cross recovery efforts continue On 11 March 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck northeast Japan triggering a devastating tsunami which caused massive destruction to coastal settlements. The disaster also caused a triple meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, leading to the evacuation of thousands of people from the surrounding area. Five years on from the disaster, life is steadily returning to normal in towns and communities along the coastline. Despite steady progress in rebuilding homes and local infrastructure, more than 186,000 people, the majority originating from Fukushima, have not been able to return home. While almost 80 percent of agricultural land around Fukushima has been decontaminated, some communities closest to the Daiichi nuclear power plant will remain uninhabitable for years to come due to radioactive contamination. Mr. and Mrs. Shinkai were forced to evacuate their home in Katsurao village in Fukushima. Now, they have built a new life for themselves far away from their former home. The JRCS organizes various recreational activities as a part of its effort to provide psychosocial support to those who are still recovering from the disaster, especially elderly people who were forced to relocate and struggled to build a fulfilling life in a new place. Photo by Masaya Noda (top) and Hler Gudjonsson (bottom). Some 70,000 people, many from Fukushima, continue to reside in temporary housing settlements. The elderly and people with disabilities living in temporary housing are particularly vulnerable, said Tadateru Konoé, President of the Japanese Red Cross Society and of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). One of our main priorities has been to work with groups such as the elderly and schoolchildren; providing them with psychological support and other help to overcome the trauma of what they experienced five years ago, said Mr. Konoé. In the wake of the disaster, the IFRC and its member national societies from around the world sent donations. My wife and I both want to go back to Katsurao, but even if we get the permission it will be difficult, said Mr. Shinkai. Our children are already teenagers and there is no school for them in the village. This disaster forced them from their original homes and neighbourhoods. Many feel very alone and still struggle to cope with the aftermath of the disaster. The Red Cross has been there to help them through difficult times. Much of the funding has been spent on large-scale reconstruction projects included the rebuilding of temporary and permanent hospitals medical facilities, kindergartens and public housing.

3 3 / East Asia Newsletter Great East Japan Earthquake and Tstunami Special Red Cross continues to care for elderly survivors Mrs. Toshiko Yamada is one of the many devoted Japanese Red Cross Society volunteers who regularly visit residents of the temporary housing units in Fukushima. My main task is to care for those who are already over 80 years old and living alone, to see if they are alright, and to cheer them up with small gifts, the 81-year-old said. Together with other volunteers, she also takes part in cleaning the areas surrounding the units and planting flowers there. The Minamiyanome temporary housing units are mainly occupied by the elderly and disabled who were forced to evacuate their homes following the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami, which destroyed their houses and caused a meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Many of the residents are from Namie, now a ghost town less than 20 kilometres away from the power plant. More than 21,000 people lived in Namie town before nuclear contamination made it uninhabitable. With the help of Mrs. Yamada and other volunteers, Japanese Red Cross volunteer Mrs. Toshiko Yamada, 81, regularly visits the elderly living in Minamiyanomi temporary housing compound. Photo by Hler Gudjonsson. the Red Cross chapter in Fukushima recently organized a day of activities including a general health check on the elderly residents, health education and first aid instruction. The residents were also entertained with folk music and a flower arrangement session, one of the most popular traditions in Japanese culture. I have met a lot of new friends since I moved to this temporary housing unit, and although I have lost contact with most of the people I used to know, I definitely cannot say that I am lonely, said Mrs. Yomoko Iizawa, who used to own a pub in Namie town. Mr. Masao Shibata, 77, has been living in the temporary housing unit since the summer of He will finally be relocating to a permanent home in July. I feel relieved that I will soon get a home of my own, but at the same time I am also worried about my financial situation, since I don t have a job now, he said. For Mr. Masao and the other elderly participants, the Red Cross event is a very welcome change to break the daily routines at the temporary housing compound. Still fit for his advanced age, he volunteered to demonstrate resuscitation techniques on a training manikin, while a Red Cross first aid instructor explained to the audience how to react if someone collapses and needs immediate medical attention. Five years after the disaster, over 76,000 evacuees remain in temporary housing. The future of the depopulated areas in Fukushima remains uncertain, particularly for the elderly and those who lack the means to move to permanent homes. Mrs. Yomoko Iizawa, 64, learns potentially life-saving skills at an event held by the JRCS. Photo by Hler Gudjonsson. Over the last five years, the Red Cross has constructed 798 houses for the elderly who lost their houses in Iwate and Fukushima prefectures.

4 4 / The project is one of a number of recreational activities organized by the Red Cross in its efforts to provide psychosocial support to those who are still recovering from the disaster. When some of the participants first joined us, they showed obvious signs of depression, explained Mr. Mitachi. Participants in Nordic walking activities organized by JRCS. Photos by Masaya Noda. Nordic walking helps survivors cope with trauma and depression When the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami struck on 11 March 2011, more than 470,000 people, many from Iwate prefecture in northeast Japan, were forced to leave their homes and resettle in temporary housing settlements. Today, five years on, thousands are still unable to return to their places of origin and remain dependent on assistance provided by the government and the Red Cross. Many of the elderly fell sick after they were displaced and moved into temporary housing, said Mr. Mitachi, a Japanese Red Cross Society volunteer. Mr Mitachi manages the Nordic Walking Project, set up in 2011 by the Japanese Red Cross Iwate Chapter to support the elderly population living in temporary or public housing units. After attending a few sessions, they started looking happy and were full of energy. It not only makes people feel better mentally it also greatly improves their general health. The vigorous exercise works the pain out of their joints. Using the poles softens up their stiff backs and shoulders. Before I joined the Nordic walking group, I rarely exercised, said Ms. Chizuko Hakoishi. It is so good to sweat, and since I started walking I feel that I am in much better shape, she said, beaming after returning from another walk.

5 5 / East Asia Newsletter Great East Japan Earthquake and Tstunami Special Nordic Walking helps Mrs. Chizuko Hakoishi to come to terms with her sad experiences. She regularly participates in Nordic walking organized by Japanese Red Cross Society Iwate Chapter. Photos by Masaya Noda. Mrs. Hakoishi is content with her life in the public housing complex where she has established a busy schedule filled with various hobbies that keep her occupied. Nevertheless, she can never quite get away from the memories of her past. When the tsunami came, she barely managed to save herself by clambering up a nearby hill, from where she watched the sea engulf the entire town. The houses made a loud rattling sound when they were carried away by the wave, she said with a shudder. / Before I joined the Nordic walking group, I rarely exercised. It is so good to sweat... I am in much better shape. Mrs. Chizuko Hakoishi / Her reminiscences are still painful, especially when she thinks of her young neighbor, who went back into her house but never re-emerged because she did not believe that the tsunami would come. Mrs. Hakoishi still regrets that she did not do more to stop her. In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, over 700 Japanese Red Cross Society psychosocial workers were deployed from all over the country to provide support to more than 14,000 people in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures. Five years on, the psychosocial support programme continues. Every two weeks the Red Cross staff and volunteers visit people like Mrs. Hakoishi to ensure their well-being. Participants in Nordic walking activities organized by JRCS. Photos by Masaya Noda.

6 6 / Red Cross disaster preparedness helps to ease children s fears Children hold hands during an evacuation drill in Hisanohama, a small town in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, that was largely destroyed by GEJET. Photo by Kouji Matsumoto. DISASTER PREPAREDNESS IN REGULAR SCHOOL ACTIVITIES On a wide strip of land closest to the sea, an ancient little Shinto shrine is still the only structure in sight. The tsunami destroyed almost every other house in the low lying parts of Hisanohama, a small town in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture. Five years have already passed since the disaster, but the town is still under reconstruction, and many of the children who live there still have lingering feelings of insecurity. I sometimes feel scared when I see news about disasters on television, said Haruma Kobayashi, 11, who is a fifth grade student at Hisanohama Elementary School. He was only seven years old at the time but he still remembers how terrifying it was when the tsunami destroyed his hometown and radiation from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant forced everyone to abandon the town for a long period. Together with all other children in his school Haruma attends the Red Cross youth disaster preparedness programme as part of daily life in school. I have learned what I need to do to save my life if there is a tsunami and how important it is to cooperate with others in a disaster situation, said Haruma. Preparing for disaster and learning how to react not only saves lives in times of emergencies, but it also helps to make the children less worried, said his principal, Mr. Kouji Matsumoto, one of those members who designed the Red Cross youth programme and the teaching materials. The programme is being implemented in many schools in Japan. Understanding the risks and limitations of natural disasters makes the students more confident that they are going to be safe, and also makes them take their responsibilities very seriously he said. The Hisanohama kindergarten lays in rubble after the tsunami and earthquake. Photo by Kouji Matsumoto. The principal took an example from one of the regular Red Cross youth disaster preparedness exercises when the students have to evacuate the school and move to higher ground. It made me very happy when I saw that the older children spontaneously hold the hands of the smaller ones and take responsibility of them while they were walking to a safer place, he said. UNDERSTANDING THE VALUE OF A NORMAL LIFE During the ancient Japanese Tanabata Festival in July/August every year, boys and girls write their wishes on strips of paper and hang them on wish trees made of bamboo. Under normal circumstances when

7 7 / children are living in a safe and stable environment they write what they want to become when they grow up. In Hisanohama Elementary School, it is different. Our children write that they want to go home to their old house or that they want to solve their family s problem. Their experiences have made them much more conscious of how important family and a secure home are for their happiness and wellbeing, said Mr. Matsumoto. In a way the disaster has forced the children in Hisanohama to grow up faster than their peers who have always lived in a safe and protected environment. They have learned to appreciate what they have, and they are grateful for the small things that give them happiness in their daily life. depressed and hopeless people became when their future was so uncertain. I think all this has taught me how valuable it is to have a normal life, she said, displaying wisdom beyond her age. One of the factors that greatly reduced the impact of the tsunami was a belt of oak trees that had originally been planted for this purpose during the 19th century. As a part of their disaster preparedness activities the children replanted this grove on the side of the big seawall that has been built on the coast to stop the next tsunami. The old shrine stands alone below the seawall, still surrounded by bulldozers and excavators in the middle of a huge construction site. Allowing the shrine to remain where it is was one of the recurring wishes of the children during the Tanabata festival this year. Their wish has been fulfilled and the small structure continues to kindle the hopes of people in Hisanohama, reminding them that although it will take time, the town will eventually be restored and people will be able to return to their homes. I was only a first grader at the time of the disaster so I did not understand very well what was happening, said Miyu Sato who is in 6th grade of Hisanohama Elementary School. But I remember that we could not take a bath for many days and how From top, clockwise: A Geiger counter shows the level of radiation on the school grounds of Hisanohama Elementary School (photo by Kouji Matsumoto); Fifth grade student Haruma Kobayashi attends the Red Cross youth disaster preparedness programme that is part of regular activities in Hisanohama Elementary School (photo by Kouji Matsumoto); A small Shinto shrine is the sole structure left standing after the tsunami (photo by Hler Gudjonsson).

8 8 / Radiation scanners from Red Cross ensure safe food in schools After an earthquake and tsunami that caused a triple meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant on 11 March 2011, towns and villages around the site of the accident had to be evacuated because of radioactive contamination. Communities further away also experienced increased radioactivity, and in response to widespread and growing concerns about radiation in food among residents the Japanese Red Cross Society gave 109 radiation scanners to affected municipalities in Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures. After we got the machines the children knew that it was alright to eat the food in the school, and they felt much safer, said Seijyu Ohashi, who was principal of Nihonmatsu 3rd Junior High School in Fukushima City at the time of the disaster. Especially the parents were relieved that we were taking such effective steps to ensure that what their children had in the school canteen was not radioactive. The extent of the contamination was not so well known first after the accident and many people were very worried about food safety, he said. Mr. Ohashi s school was one of the nine schools in Nihonmatsu that were equipped with radiation scanners from the Red Cross. Nihonmatsu 3rd Junior High School received 37 children that had been evacuated from the most seriously contaminated areas around the power plant. Being uprooted from their hometowns and separated from their friends was very difficult for many of the children. Their parents of these From top, clockwise: Bags of contaminated soil wait to be disposed of (photo by Masaya Noda); Mr. Ohashi, former principal of Nihonmatsu 3rd Junior High School in Fukushima City (photo by Hler Gudjonsson); There are millions of tons of radioactive soil, and huge bags of soil wrapped in green plastic are a constant reminder of the disaster (photo by JRCS). children were often very stressed. Often they had no homes and faced difficulty finding jobs, and this put additional pressure on their children, said Mr. Ohashi. Although Nihonmatsu did not have to be evacuated, the area was badly contaminated along with other parts of Fukushima City. A five centimetres thick layer of topsoil had to be removed from the school grounds, and the school swimming pool had to be completely renovated before it could be used again, said Mr. Ohashi. The contaminated topsoil from around 300,000 homes in Fukushima has been removed to reduce the radiation in people s daily environment. Enormous storage sites have been filled with millions of tons of radioactive soil, and all around Fukushima City can be seen stacks of soil wrapped in green or blue plastic, a constant reminder of the disaster. Radiation in Nihonmatsu and other parts of Fukushima City remains high, but after years of decontamination work it is now within safe levels, and school children are again allowed to play on the school grounds and use the swimming pools. The children who were in junior high school at the time of the disaster have graduated and some of them are already in university, busy with preparing their future. At the same time the past few years have been very hard for many of the displaced children, and still today it is not always easy for them to forget, said Mr Ohashi.

9 9 / East Asia Newsletter Great East Japan Earthquake and Tstunami Special The shop she and her husband previously owned was completely destroyed and they had to start their business from scratch in a small rented space. Despite everything we are still going strong, but we worry about how much time we have left on this world, she said. After he lost his home and store, Mr. Toshikatsu Endo opened a shop in temporary facilities provided by local authorities in Hisanohama town, Fukushima. Photo by Hler Gudjonsson. Life slowly returns to normal in Hisanohama The small town of Hisanohama in Fukushima prefecture was badly hit by the tsunami on 11 March In the days and weeks that followed, townspeople tried to salvage their valuables from the ruins but their efforts were mostly in vain, as almost everything they owned had been carried away and destroyed by the tsunami. In the first few years following the disaster, I couldn t sleep properly. Every night I was startled out of my sleep with a feeling that a tsunami was coming, said Mr. Toshikatsu Endo, 51, who runs a small grocery store in the town. opened a new shop in a temporary facility provided by local authorities. The shop is much smaller than before, but he is back in business and making a living. Many of the inhabitants who were affected by the disaster were also elderly people who had small shops and services in the old parts of the town, particularly in the low-lying areas close to the seashore. One of them is 75-year-old Mrs. Makii Sugahara, who opened a new hair salon after losing her old one to the tsunami. Mrs. Sugahara had to get new chairs, scissors and other necessary tools for her new salon. Her neighbour, Mrs. Terui Sato, shares her concern. I was fortunate to be able to rent this space for my new electric household appliances store, but I am getting old, and I worry about the future when I can no longer earn a living, she said. We lost everything in the tsunami including the everyday household items that we take for granted as an indispensable part of modern life, said Mr. Endo. When the Japanese Red Cross Society gave us an emergency relief package with all the most important electric household appliances, I was really happy. It was at that point that I felt that life had at last gained some semblance of normality. He used to live on the second floor of his store, and when the tsunami hit the building, it not only destroyed his business but also his home. Fortunately nobody in the family was killed by the tsunami, but my wife had just been admitted to the hospital when the disaster struck. Because of all the destruction and chaos she could not get the treatment she needed at the hospital, Mr. Endo said. His wife died a few months later. Seven months later, Mr. Endo has Mrs. Maki Sugahara with a pair of old scissors, the only thing that was salvaged from her old hair salon. Photo by Hler Gudjonsson.

10 10 / Mr. Shinkai left behind most of his books when he and his family were forced to leave after the Fukushima nuclear accident. Photo by Masaya Noda. In Fukushima, many displaced families are still waiting to go back home The mountains around Katsurao village stretch into the distance as far as the eye can see, covered with an endless blanket of forest. This idyllic landscape cannot conceal the tragedy that remains from the disaster. Like many of the formerly vibrant communities near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Katsurao has been abandoned since the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami triggered a meltdown that displaced more than 470,000 people. It was the first time that I experienced such a strong earthquake, but I knew immediately that this was very serious, said Mr. Masakazu Shinkai, a social welfare officer who lived in Katsurao. As soon as the house stopped shaking I called my beneficiaries to make sure that they could return to their homes safely. At that point we were only concerned with the damage to houses and infrastructure, but when we realized that there had been an accident at the nuclear power plant, it was clear that all the residents in the village had to evacuate. also had the duty to protect the lives of the people in our community, he said. Mr. Shinkai s home was only 25 kilometres away from the power plant. After the accident, the village became a restricted area and no one was permitted to live there. Today, there remain over 103,000 evacuees from Fukushima prefecture and as of November 2015, 9 municipalities still had areas that Mr. and Mrs. Shinkai sit at their new kitchen table in their temporary home in Fukushima. Photo by Masaya Noda. Mr. Shinkai was also forced to leave his home and send his wife and children away to a safer place. I was worried about my family, but I Many of Mr. and Mrs. Shinkai s old things, such as these slippers, were left behind in their old house. Photo by Masaya Noda.

11 11 / East Asia Newsletter Great East Japan Earthquake and Tstunami Special were restricted due to radiation contamination. The restriction in Katsurao will be lifted in spring 2016, but many villagers still hesitate to return. Most have realized that the community they once lived in no longer exists. They have also become accustomed to living in the temporary housing complexes provided by the government. My wife and I both want to go back to Katsurao, but even if we get the permission, we will not be able to do so, Mr. shinkai said as he looked around his abandoned house. Our children are already teenagers and there is no school for them in the village. We cannot go back until they have graduated from high school. DISASTER TURNS VICTIM INTO RED CROSS VOLUNTEER The experiences of the Shinkai family had a strong impact on his second daughter, Midori. Through the difficult times, she grew to understand how important it was for people to support each other in times of crisis. The Japanese Red Cross Society gave tremendous support to our family. I was very touched by how much they cared about us, she explained. Red Cross blood donation drives also made a strong impression on me and fuelled my desire to become a volunteer. Today, Midori is one of the many dedicated volunteers who have joined the Red Cross, and wants to specialize in disaster relief in the future. When I was studying, I really wanted to be able to work as a volunteer. When I found a university which had a partnership programme with the Japanese Red Cross Society, that strongly influenced my choice, she said. From top, clockwise: Ms. Midori Shinkai, the daughter of this family, is now a Red Cross volunteer. ; Mr. and Mrs. Shinkai stand in front of their current temporary home in Katsurao village; After being abandoned for five years, the Shinkai s home in is in need of repairs. Photos by Masaya Noda.

12 12 / Electric household appliances from Red Cross support recovery Mr. and Mrs. Endo were among the 133,183 households living in temporary accommodation in Japan after the triple disaster in 2011 who were provided with a package of electric appliances by the Japanese Red Cross Society. It made a big difference for us to get this package from the Japanese Red Cross Society, said Mrs Endo who owns a restaurant together with her husband in the small town of Hisanohama in Iwaki, Fukushima. We lost everything when the tsunami hit the town, both our home and our restaurant, we did not even have clothes to wear, she said, recalling how she had searched through the rubble to try to find some of their valuables. The electric household appliances were purchased with funds donated to the Japanese Red Cross Society through Red Cross and Red Crescent societies worldwide and consisted of a microwave oven, rice cooker, hot water dispenser, refrigerator, washing machine and TV set, which form part of the standard Japanese household. Mrs. Endo and her husband were able to get temporary facilities for their restaurant, and soon reopened not far away from its original location. In one or two years we will be able to move the restaurant back to the building where it was before. The town is being renovated and we are hoping that our customers and all the other people will return, she said. Like many other families they will have to wait a bit longer before they can rebuild their house, but everything is moving in the right direction. Eventually the centre of Hisanohama will have been restored, and Mr. and Mrs. Endo s restaurant will again be full of life. From top, clockwise: Mr. Endo s restuarant location before the disaster; Mr. Endo posing for a photograph in front of his restaurant; Mr. Endo s restaurant lays in ruins after the earthquake and subsequent tsunami. Photos provided by Mr. Endo. IFRC Country Cluster Support Team - Beijing Jianguo Men Wai Diplomatic Compound Beijing P.R. China Hler Gudjonsson, Regional Communications Delegate, East Asia hler.gudjonsson@ifrc.org phone: (+86) /3/4 Editors Hler Gudjonsson, Liu Shu Designer Elliot debruyn Contributors Chie Ishihara, Yukiko Izutani, Zulaikha Mudzar, Hler Gudjonsson Follow us: