The following notes are from Mitsuko Sobata, World Vision Japan communications and advocacy officer, on the ground with World Vision relief and assessment teams.
March 16, 2011
I was at Minami Sanriku, a town severely hit by the tsunami next to Tome. Everything was washed away and I cannot even begin to describe my feelings. I am overwhelmed by what I saw.
Here, I met with a 60-year old man who told his story of loss to me. In his town of 20,000 in population, the tsunami left half of the population dead, with more than 8,000 people displaced. “The tsunami came 25minutes after the earthquake but here, we are all used to earthquakes and tsunamis and we received trainings on what to do when something like that happens. So I ran to the evacuation place but this time, the waves were much higher than usual. I had to run further up into the hills and I remember vividly that 30 others were running with me,” said the man. He continued, “The night was cold and only 2 houses remained unwashed by the tsunami, we put up two nights there. There was no electricity, it was dark. We started a small fire and I used snow water to boil rice. It was just a small amount but 30 of us shared that meal together. There were some children too.” I find it hard to believe it happened to the old man when I listened to him sharing his story. He told me he lost six relatives that night. It is unimaginable what he has gone through. I don’t think we have enough to eat or rest in times like these but surprisingly, I am not tired. I believe The Lord is guiding us and kept us going from all the prayers from my colleagues, family and friends.
Tomorrow local time, Mitsuko and her team depart to Tome early morning for a relief distribution to benefit 6,000 people.
March 15, 2011
Yesterday morning, we awoke early after reaching Sendai late the evening before. We started in Sendai city, which looked like it usually does. Then, only 20 minutes away, everything changed. We go to where the tsunami had hit and the difference was so shocking – trees were down, cars were covered in mud and thrown around from where they had originally been. We saw so many that had been washed right into town by the tsunami. We tried to reach Arahama, one of the worst-hit areas, where more than 300 people are thought to have died, but the road was completely cut off. It was so shocking realizing that we weren’t in the worst part, and yet it was still so devastated. We’d seen the pictures before we left Tokyo, of course, but standing there, the scale of the disaster really hit me. To think; so many communities washed away, so many thousands of people, from right where we were standing. It was so much to take in. And the worst thing was that it was so quiet. Too quiet. Part of the process of World Vision being able to reach people is seeking permission from the local authorities, under whom we will co-ordinate. When we went to the building to get this permission yesterday, there were so many people, all looking so tired, sleeping there on a piece of cardboard, with nothing in their possessions but the clothes they were wearing. On the walls, there was note after note from people who’ve lost families. One mother was on the phone, so distressed, as she tried to find her children, but she couldn’t get through to anyone. It just reminded me why it’s so important that we do everything we can to help people. Through it all, I have been so encouraged by the strength of people. They are pulling together, staying calm, helping each other, sharing what they have. They are all shocked, but at the same time they are working together. It makes me so proud to be Japanese and to see the people of Japan come together. This is the biggest disaster our country has faced, and we have such a big challenge ahead of us but it is a time for us to be united as a nation.
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