The first six months – Peace Boat Center Ishinomaki
The Peace Boat Center Ishinomaki opened on June 2, 2012. In the six months since then, many people have visited every day from near and far, interested in events, using the internet and other facilities there, or visitors coming to Ishinomaki for the first time since the earthquake. In this time, there has been more than 5000 visitors and participants in various events. This report details the events held in this time.
Number of Visitors (June – November 2012)
Total Number of Visitors: 5,021 (2,925 visitors and 2,096 event participants)
- June: 886 people (628 visitors and 258 event participants)
- July: 876 people (559 visitors and 308 event participants)
- August: 1,208 people (503 visitors and 705 event participants)
- September: 579 people (476 visitors and 103 event participants)
- October: 661 people (396 visitors and 265 event participants)
- November: 820 people (363 visitors and 457 event participants)
* Average Number of Visitors: 32 people per day
Active Projects and Volunteers
- Community Support for Residents of Temporary Housing
- Painting ‘Tairyo-ki’ on Containers!
- Information sharing
- ”Kizuna Newsletter” Publication
- ”People need People” – Providing Sustainable Support for Ishinomaki’s Fishing Industry
- “TOMODACHI Summer 2012” (youth exchange) followup after returning home
- Beginners seminars on “Disaster Relief Volunteering”
- Musical “A Common Beat” Miyagi performances (co-sponsored by the Common Beat NPO)
Organised and Co-sponsored Events (partial list)
- English Conversation Events (July)
- Going Out Cooking Class (July, Cosponsored by Eisai Co.)
- Nail Art Class (July)
- Public Viewing of Soccer (July)
- Classic Music Concert (July, Cosponsored by Artem Osaka)
- Chalk Art Classes (July, October)
- 89th Annual Ishinomaki River Festival & Children’s Square (August)
- We Insist its Interesting Science Class (August, cosponsored with Tokyo Institute of Technology Science Techno)
- Science Class – Original Key Holder Making (August & September, Yamagata University SCIT Center)
- Earthquake Disaster Storytellers (August)
- Kids & Baby Massage (September, cosponsored by Baby Smile Ishinomaki)
- Mahjong Health (September – November)
- Brown Bags (November, cosponsored by a Local Florist)
- Earthquake Disasters Photo Exhibition (November, cosponsored by Ishinomaki Council for Disaster Reconstruction Assistance)
- CAMP Cricket Workshop (November, cosponsored with Tohoku Fukushi University & SCSK Co.)
- PBV Supporting Member Meeting – Ishinomaki (December)
The centre has also been used to assist local community functions, as a rental venue, and for many events too numerous to list here. While the first six months in operation had a great deal of trial and error but, there were many great encounters and initiatives made possible because of this center. Peace Boat Ishinomaki will continue to plan more events and programmes, hoping for the centre to be used by many people from the local community and also those supporting Ishinomaki from afar. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any ideas or suggestions for future cooperation!
