One More Supporter

The week of volunteering has come to an end and I am now back in Tokyo, back to my everyday life.

Although it is only my second time volunteering up North, there is always a difficult transition period back to my life here.

Of course, I'm always excited to see my family again, to sleep in my own futon and to come home to my mom's homemade meal. But there is always a moment of hesitation before opening the door to my house.

Because it makes me appreciate the fact that I have a place to go home. It makes me thankful that our house is standing, thankful that when I open the door, my family will be there, waiting for me.

And like last time, I felt a strong desire to turn back and go back up North...

It's not easy to communicate everything that I saw and felt during my time in Tohoku. Each place has it's own story. Each household, each individual has a different story to tell about the tsunami and about the steps taken towards recovery.

So in the next few days, I hope I can share some of my experiences at each place, one by one.

It has been two months since the East Japan Earthquake. Although there was a rush of volunteers up North during Golden Week, sadly and inevitably, there is now a sudden drop in numbers.

The recovery process is taking longer than expected. Unlike the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake, the damage of the East Japan Earthquake is unique in that much of the damage is from the tsunami. In addition, the extent of the affected areas is so expansive, and much of the regions are difficult to reach due to their remote location in the country.

I know that in my previous post, I stated there are various ways to support Tohoku. However, just like the people up North, I'm worried about the declining number of volunteers.

So, even if it may be for a few days, if you have some time on your hands, please, please, head to Tohoku!!! Even one more supporter can make a difference!




Don't give up Tohoku, You are not a lone!



For those who are interested in volunteering:
This is a great site, posting information on volunteering: http://www.tvac.or.jp/di/20960.html
The Tokyo Volunteer Action Center is also recruiting volunteers online on May 15th (Sunday) from 2:00 p.m.