Rotary International 2530district community service committee
The Earthquake, NuclearAccident, and the Women of Fukushima
Return to Menu| Time for the Heart to Heal Kahoko Iima (Iwaki City) | |
Friday, March 11th, 2011 is the day for graduation ceremonies in Iwaki City. On that day, I attended the special graduation ceremony for truant students in the afternoon. I was the family counselor of one student who had begged me to attend. After delivering the congratulatory address, I returned home at 2:40pm. And suddenly- 2:46pm! At a magnitude of 9, one of the largest earthquakes on record in Japan occurred. At its most intense, it was recorded as a 7 on the Japan Scale in Miyagi Prefecture, and in Iwaki City, it was recorded as a 6. On top of that, a huge tsunami hit the Pacific coast of the Tohoku and Kanto regions. The final blow was the TEPCO nuclear plant accident. The situation had become an unprecedented catastrophe. Since then, as the staff director of the Japanese Red Cross Society Support Services, with the cooperation of our members, I collected donations and presented them to four elementary and junior high schools which had been damaged by the tsunami (Toyoma and Nagasaki elementary schools, and Toyoma and Nagasaki junior high schools). Our volunteer group also did activities with students and teachers such as filling flowerbeds with sage, begonias, and marigolds, at the temporary school buildings for Naraha-Kita Elementary and Junior High School, and Hirono Elementary School (which had been evacuated from Futaba-gun). As an instructor for the Japanese Red Cross Society, I also make speeches in the city and in different areas around the prefecture. The titles of these speeches vary, but the main theme is "After the earthquake... How do we keep our minds and bodies healthy, and deal with the day-to-day challenges of restoration and revival?" I suggest making time for the heart to heal. Even after four years and several months, we cannot deny that our hearts are always at the defensive. I have heard the stories of many people. Stories such as the one about a rescue dog who had become a nervous wreck after searching for dead bodies. One about a fireman who had searched for and disposed of dead bodies for months, who had insomnia and had slowly become an alcoholic. A story of an undertaker who held more than 100 funerals in a short amount of time without sleep or rest. Since the Great Tohoku Earthquake, time has passed steadily, but the path to actual restoration is still endless and uncertain, and new problems occur. As a member of the family court mediation committee, I am witness to the increase and nature of these problems, including inheritance of real estate, marital issues, raising children, and so on. Lately, both the people who are working towards the revival as support and the evacuees who are being supported are exhausted. During such a time, I think it is necessary for people to make time for the heart to heal. Since the beginning of last autumn, I have intentionally put into practice "excursions for the heart to heal", calling out to members of the local Women's Society, members from my tai-chi group, and personal friends and acquaintances. We have walked through Nasu-Heisei forest, visited the hikari-no-pageant (outdoor light event) in Sendai City, visited the Tsukiji and Shibamatta shrines in Tokyo for New Year's, enjoyed delicious food in Odaiba, and more. Together, we heal. |