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What Tsunami could not wash away [2011年09月05日(Mon)]
Ship & Ocean Newsletter No. 263
June 20, 2011
Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman,
The Nippon Foundation


What Tsunami could not wash away
―In association with the ocean−


The Nippon Foundation lost no time in establishing “Great East Japan Disaster Support Fund” immediately following the calamity and reached out to the victims with emergency support they needed, with a clear objective to assist them to return to the sea as early as possible. The focus of our work after the first phase will be to support the victims rebuild their sea-bound “hometown” with their loving families and long-term members of their community.


Tsunami struck the very foundation of life of the folks whose livelihood depended on the sea



Connectedness with the sea
From ancient times, we Japanese lived with the sea, surrounded by it and depended on it for our livelihood and drew from it our inspiration, comfort and courage to overcome challenges. Especially, the lives of people who made their homes along our northeast coast cannot be separated from the sea. This region prides itself as a leader of the country’s fishing industry, with most of them directly or indirectly earning their livelihood from the sea. They have maintained their lives, negotiating the diverse and complex environment nature created in the Sanriku coast, while maintaining their connectedness with “the beaches” they lovingly call their local coast. Theirs is a life of fishing and shipbuilding, passed on from generation to generation: grandfather to father, father to son and then to his son. They have maintained a division of labor, each supporting the other, over the generations. The local culture and their lives with the sea have known connectedness with their families and communities over the eons.
In a flash the devastating tsunami washed away 300 km of their coastal region, robbing their lives, livelihood and culture. Fisheries and shipbuilding, their sources of livelihood were shattered. Even after four months, no foundation has been rebuilt to start putting their lives together, and for reconstruction with many survivors left to pass time without knowing when they will be able to return to work at sea. In spite of the situation, survivors who have lived all their lives with the sea have been patient and have not been giving up the hope of returning to their sea as soon as possible. They are supported by their pride for having lived with the sea, and the ties they nurtured in association with the sea. In other words, the sea is nothing less than their “hometown” for them.
The reality did not honor their wish, for they had to endure being packed in shelters without privacy, then forced to evacuate to the heights, and they sensed the danger of having their families and communities torn apart, even as they cherished their connectedness with the sea, their “hometown” of their heart. Given this situation, I believe it is important to support their plan of reconstruction and honor the pride they have of the sea. It is important to be mindful of their wishes and engage in helping them put together their lives. This applies to individuals, NPOs, businesses, municipal governments and the national government.


Turning the light of hope to take a step in the right direction
The path to reconstruction is never smooth. And that requires illuminating the path with a light of hope, to gently push their backs so that they would take the step forward. The first step was to provide them with food, shelter and some money to keep their lives going. Support that is required in the next phase, a few months after the disaster will be different. The survivors will need the support to find work to put their lives back together, and to rebuild their hometown with their families and community around the sea. We have developed diverse programs by lighting beacon of hope at every stage supporting men and women to take their next steps forward.



Emergency support activities
The Nippon Foundation established “East Japan Great Earthquake Support Fund”, to provide funds to NPOs and volunteer organizations engaged in emergency support activities. At the same time we also provided condolence and support monetary gifts to surviving members of the family and relatives for each person lost and missing. With generous and goodwill contributions the public donations reached an enormous sum, but they were delayed in reaching the very people it was meant to support as it was bound by the rules of equitable distribution. Moreover, the public donations were not for distribution to organizations undertaking emergency operations, which left a void in covering the urgent support needed. The Nippon Foundation decided that its first step should be to turn on the light of hope by giving out private donations in the form of condolence and empathy monetary gifts.



The author personally handing out empathy money at Ishinomaki City
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