07
Mar 2012
A total of 150 people joined volunteer activities to shovel snow in 30 locations throughout Ojiya City, Niigata Prefecture. This report outlines their achievements and interviews a volunteer and a coordinating staff about their experiences and the system now in place for coordination of disaster relief volunteers through Peace Boat.
Thank you once again to all those who took part and supported this project.
04
Mar 2012
After going to Ishinomaki as a member of Peace Boat’s advance team in March 2011, then working as a volunteer coordinator in Tokyo, Takeda Nobuhiro is now working to coordinate support for Fukushima. He himself is also from Fukushima – from Koriyama City, also deeply affected by the 3.11 disaster. This interview tells of his activities in Ishinomaki, coordinating in Tokyo, and planning ongoing support for Fukushima including youth temporary evacuation projects and opportunities for dialogue amongst citizens.
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.
29
Dec 2011
Kinkasan around 20 minutes by boat from Ayukawa on the Oshika Peninsula, Ishinomaki. Located in the Pacific Ocean, the entire island of Kinkasan is considered to be sacred areas of Koganeyama Shrine. Because it is said that if you visit this shrine for three consecutive years, you will never be in financial difficulties for the rest of your life, the shrine attracts many visitors from throughout Miyagi and other prefectures every year around the new year.
The road connected to the approach, however, was collapsed after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami and subsequent typhoons. The island’s only souvenir shop was inundated with dirt and sludge, as was the water tank that holds the water required for daily life. Thus, the island was not in the condition to host visitors. To once again enable people to visit the island comfortably, organizations belonging to the Ishinomaki Disaster Recovery Assistance Council (IDRAC) gathered and implemented the “Kinkasan Support Project” between December 19 and 23.
27
Dec 2011
Peace Boat activities to support the local fishing industry in the Ishinomaki area were carried out in 16 coastal locations in Ogatsu and the Oshika Peninsula, on 160 days in 2011. Throughout 2011, a total of 10,300 volunteers (7,757 Peace Boat regular and short-term volunteers (including international volunteers) and 2,543 corporate volunteers) took part in this operation.
While providing assistance for aqua-farming season may be restarted in 2012, Peace Boat would first like to extend our appreciation to all those who participated in activities this year, and report on the results of 2011.
26
Dec 2011
The documentary, “One Step Towards Recovery – Ties Between Survivors and Volunteers” is now available on line! It is a 24-minute-long film featuring the Kawabiraki festival held in Ishinomaki this summer, interviews with local survivors, and footage of relief activities such as provision of meals, mud clearance and fishing industry support.