Volunteer Work for Earthquake Victims in Yamamoto Town, Miyagi Prefecture (Local Product Fair, Massage)

2012年11月23日更新

（Selling handicrafts at the Yamamoto local product fair）

From November 23 through November 25, I could take part in three days of volunteer work in Yamamoto Town, Miyagi Prefecture, as an activity of the “Living Together in a Global Society” Study Group. On the first day, we helped out with sales at the town’s “local product and friendship fair.” On days two and three, we gave foot, hand, and head massages to residents living in four temporary housing complexes in Yamamoto, built after the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami that destroyed much of the town. A special highlight of this latest trip was the free “Misora Hibari” concert provided by Ochanomizu University International Exchange Team Leader Tomohiko Hikichi to accompany our massages.

At the Yamamoto local products fair, we helped sell handicrafts made by the women from one of the town’s temporary housing complexes. The fair featured stands selling a wide variety of specialty products and foods from the local area as well as other parts of the country, all aimed at boosting town morale and supporting reconstruction. Among these was a booth where these local women were selling their own handcrafted products. They showed us the items we were to sell, and they were so pretty! There were acrylic strawberry scrub brushes, netsuke with freshwater clam shells made from craft kits provided as a reconstruction support, colorful heart-shaped misanga bracelet charms, and more, all beautifully made. One of the women said that she could make 20 of them in one evening, before bedtime. For these earthquake victims, selling the items they worked so hard to create is a meaningful economic activity, and I was thrilled to be allowed to assist with it. Seeing their happy faces as they exclaimed over the number of items we had sold was more than enough to me going.

（Giving massages in the common room
of a temporary housing complex）

Over the next two days, we visited one temporary housing complex in each morning and afternoon, and altogether we gave massages in the common rooms of four complexes. The residents spoke of their younger days or their children and grandchildren, as they received massages in a friendly atmosphere, serenaded by Team Leader Hikichi’s striking impersonation of old-time singer Misora Hibari. We also visited the complex where we had helped out with the craft sale the previous day, but the women had gathered for soap making and other crafts in the common room where ADRA had arranged for us to give massages. As one woman explained it, “It’s fun because everyone’s here, and we can chat while we work.” It struck me as a good example of the way mutual support within a community can help displaced people stay positive and productive. Of course, not all the talk was positive. One of the older residents lamented, “To have all this happen just when my own grandchildren were finally starting college, and I thought my worries were over!” and another complained about what an ordeal it was to shop for groceries. But the fact that so many of the victims manage to stay positive is itself cause for optimism. I thought, If there’s anything I can do to ease their burden even a little, I want to do it.

My thanks go out to everyone at ADRA Japan who did the advance planning for this activity; to the Ochanomizu University Global Collaboration Center, which offered this volunteer opportunity; to the instructor from the day spa who took time out from her busy schedule to teach us massage technique; and to all the residents of Yamamoto Town who made us feel so welcome in their town. As long as there are people living in temporary housing, volunteer work of this sort will continue to be necessary. I came away with a strong determination not to forget the disaster-stricken communities and to keep volunteering until they tell us, “We’re okay now!”

（Akiko Iwata, second-year undergraduate student,
Global Studies for Intercultural Cooperation, Faculty of Letters and Education）