Networking, community meals, music, and haircuts for displaced people in Miyagi and Iwate prefectures
Life in temporary container housing is obviously especially tough for the elderly. But we have also met many middle-aged people who find it extremely hard to cope. Deprived of family and job, they find it hard to make a new beginning. Conversation within the housing complex always turns around the same topics. Everybody is tired of always talking 'tsunami' and 'radioactive pollution,' and yet, these are the subjects that always come up. Some of these jobless people don't come out of their tiny unit unless absolutely necessary, a phenomenon called 'hikikomori' in Japanese.
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| SWTJ April community event at Zaito temporary housing, with Mr. Toba in the center. In the background, the 'fields' on which the hometown of these people once stood. |
The leader of the temporary housing complex 'Zaito' in Otomo, Rikuzentakata in Iwate Prefecture knows, that despite all the difficulties, they must make some effort to build a new community within the complex, so that people get to know each other, and so that people can be taken care of if necessary. 'Even if not all residents want to take part, it is important to organize events for those who enjoy coming,' he says. SWTJ has already been able to organize several community events at the Zaito complex and at other temporary housing in the vicinity thanks to the great cooperation of Mr. and Mrs Toba as well as thanks to the infatigable efforts of Mr.Kanazawa (SWTJ Rikuzentakata Branch Director) and Mr. and Mrs. Murakami (Rikuzentakata Branch Managers).
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| SWTJ Rikuzentakata Manager Mr. Murakami (center, in the red shirt) is a great mood-maker, and knows how to bring a smile onto every face. Thank you, Yuichiro! |
The April event was also a great opportunity to finally introduce SWTJ Kesennuma Director Tamura (right) and SWTJ Rikuzentakata Director Kanazawa (left) to each other. SWTJ Representative Yoshikawa stands in the middle.
People all over Japan love Karaoke. But for the people living in temporary housing in Tohoku, singing popular songs together has a special meaning: it reminds them of the good times in their former hometowns. Whenever we have a musician with us, SWTJ organizes live music karaoke at temporary housing. Over and over again, we are asked to play the song 'furusato' ('back home').
Community event at the 'Former Saijo Elementary School Temporary Housing Complex' in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture:
SWTJ distributes the lyrics, and everybody enjoys singing along to the nostalgic tunes. Next time we need to enlarge the letters for the not so young eyes!
People at the Saijo temporary housing complex loved trying 'Raclette', a Swiss cheese speciality. This complex with only 40 'households' has not yet often been visited by volunteers, as it is so tiny. People at the complex were very excited to have a chance to welcome spring with a community meal and music event, and to have a chance to get their hair cut by a professional beautician.
Some residents of the Tsukidate temporary housing complex in Yasse, Kesennuma (location of the SWTJ Kesennuma Branch), have become close to SWTJ and love helping during our activity weeks whenever we come. This is also the case with fisherman S. (right), who lost his job as a tuna-fishing boat manager due to the tsunami, and now lives in temporary housing with his wife and son. Here, he meets an old neighbor (of a now swept-away town), while accompanying us to an event in a different housing complex. Happy encounters!
Free haircuts for residents of temporary housing
Mariko Matsunaga from Hiroshima took a week off her busy schedule as a professional beautician with her own salon in Hiroshima to provide free haircuts at temporary housing in the disaster area together with SWTJ. The residents loved the cheerful and skilled hairdresser, and Mariko was super busy!
In fact, some of the elderly women had not had a chance to go to a hairdresser since the tsunami more than a year ago. They had just had too many other worries, and most of them did not have their own vehicle, so they were shy about asking anyone to take them to town for such a trivial matter.
Thanks for your great work, Mariko!
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A junior high school girl is also happy to get a new cut.
Lucky to be able to work under a blue sky!
Text: Beatrix Yoshikawa (SWTJ)
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