28
Feb 2012
On March 7, President of the Peace Boat Disaster Relief Volunteer Center Yamamoto Takashi will hold a talk event. Now that a year has passed since the disaster, this will reflect upon the activities in Tohoku, Wakayama and Niigata, as well as considering how disaster relief support should be carried out in this second year.
24
Feb 2012
We are nearing the one year anniversary of the March 11 disasters. In this time, over 1,000 international volunteers from over 50 countries have come to Ishinomaki, together with over 10,000 Japanese volunteers, and provided much-needed assistance to survivors of the earthquake and tsunami. The city has made fantastic progress; and while there is still a very long way to go before full recovery, with your continued support, the city can begin to flourish once more.
This report shares some news from Ishinomaki, more information about Peace Boat volunteer work and plans for the one year anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.
15
Feb 2012
A live performance was held by renowned singer Kato Tokiko in Ishinomaki.
“There may be times when you find it hard and bothersome to talk to others. But that’s when you should try to have as much fun as you can, keep warm and overcome the harsh winter by making friends within temporary housing and uniting your powers . Get inspired by people from outside and have them listen to your story.”
12
Feb 2012
Due to an unusual cold wave, a record snowfall has been reported at various locations in Japan. In Ojiya city of Niigata Prefecture, snow shoveling operations have not been able to keep up with snow accumulation. The lives of the elderly and children in the area are in danger and such conditions are casting a burden over their daily lives.
Based on such conditions, the Peace Boat Disaster Relief Volunteer Center (PBV) has started recruiting volunteers to help shovel snow!
07
Feb 2012
We have received the good news that the wakame seaweed grown in the sea of Ishinomaki over the past 3-4 months will be able to be harvested !
So, we would like to invite volunteers to harvest this together with the local community.
The new project, “Volunteer Experience Fishing in Ishinomaki” mainly focuses on “exchange and experience,” rather than the provision of labour for the harvest. This including spending time together with local fishermen, sharing a homemade dinner on the coast, and and experiencing gill nets.
05
Feb 2012
Miyagi Prefecture is proud to cultivate the second largest volume of oysters in Japan. Volunteers are active helping to collect scallop shells to use for the cultivation of oysters. This is especially important as the recovery of the fishing industry is vital for the local community, yet many local residents working on this are elderly people living in temporary housing or partially damaged houses.
04
Feb 2012
Volunteer carpenters work to build a wooden deck for the “Onagawa Container Village Shopping Centre” in Washinokamihama, Onagawa, next to Ishinomaki City. This opened in July 2011, and is greatly supporting the lives and employment of local people. The deck was built in December-January to help deal with the cold winter and with further expansion of shops.
21
Jan 2012
Last year Peace Boat began an experimental project to support the Temporary Housing complexes, which is now officially launched! This project will see our volunteers installing planters at the temporary housing areas in the city. The report below concerns the rebuilding of community through such projects.
17
Jan 2012
It has been 17 years since the day that 6,434 people lost their lives in the Hanshin Awaji Earthquake in Kobe.
Today at 5:46 in the morning at Ishinomaki’s Nakase Ishinomori Manga-kan, the 1.17 Hanshin Awaji Earthquake Memorial Service took place. About one hundred people from Ishinomaki and relief support groups in the area attended the service. Candles were lit as a requiem for the souls of those lost 17 years ago.
16
Jan 2012
Danny Choo, a blogger world-famous for his commentaries on Japanese pop culture, has made a video about Peace Boat’s activities in Ishinomaki. It was aired on “Culture Japan”, a blog following the Japanese Otaku culture and Japanese youth trends, and can now be viewed on YouTube. ●Culture Japan Season 2 Episode 1 – Tohoku and the Tsunami ⇒ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-X0Ovt4YHM Many might question why volunteer activities have been featured on a show about culture. However, there are people from many walks of life who are interested in volunteer activities for the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami relief project. Danny, in his typical style, came to Ishinomaki in an itasha, a […]