Ishinomaki - 7th to 10th October

The trip up to Ishinonaki was certainly a success. Our group (Team Tsukuba) arrived in Ishinomaki late in the evening of the 7th with the aim of starting work promptly on Saturday morning. Saturday saw us prepare lunch for locals living in the area where we were residing. On both Sunday and Monday, our time was spent clearing debris and unblocking drainage channels.

It is fair to say that I was not actually looking forward to the lunch event on Saturday. I wasn't really sure what to expect from the survivors and was concerned I would somehow be a hindrance to them. However, the event was a resounding success. In all, we served over 100 lunches to mostly elderly people. It seems that many of those who turned up have nothing left - no money, no clothing, and perhaps no more family. They are really living on a knife edge as the world slowly forgets them and the Japanese Government provides feeble assistance. It was sad to see such a proud group of people relying on charity to survive.

Memories of Saturday:

• People keenly collecting their lunches which really illustrated the dire position they are in.
• An elderly lady who despite all the travails was friendly and extremely jovial. When I helped carry her box of food, she jokingly asked if I was interested in marrying her.
• Watching the locals talk amongst themselves - the weekly lunch provides perhaps the only opportunity for the remaining community to meet.
• An elderly lady with a baby on her back - made me wonder where the mother was.

It was getting late by the time we had tidied away the marquee, tables etc. We drove to an onsen to wash the dust and grime off us before driving into Ishinomaki center for pizza. Business is recovering in some parts of town, and we were happy our money was helping make a difference. The pre-dinner onsen was lovely with the outside bath (called rotenburo) having a fantastic view of the waterfront. It was hard to believe that such awful events occurred there only 6 months previously. In the pictured neighbourhood below, the tsunami waters reached all the way to the roofs of the houses. Some houses were flattened whilst other stood firm. There appeared to be no rhyme or reason to the destruction - completely indiscriminate.

As mentioned above, both Sunday and Monday were spent doing manual work, mainly trying to clear drainage channels of accumulated sludge and debris. Perhaps the hardest part of this work was lifting off the heavy concrete covers to gain access to these channels.

We were extremely lucky with the weather all weekend - lovely blue sky and not too chilly at night. I did however get a bit of sunburn on my arms and neck, but that is a small price to pay. It was heartening to see other volunteer groups assist in the clean up and nice to see people of different nationalities lending a hand. Over the duration of the weekend, I met fellow Brits, Americans, a German, a Canadian, a Chinese, and a Dutch woman.

We also paid a visit to the immediate waterfront where the tsunami was at its highest and most destructive.

This building (a police station) was knocked over by the force of the water and remains where it fell. Some buildings will be left untouched for posterity and will perhaps serve as a useful warning to future generations not to ignore the threat of further tsunamis.

The following picture shows a building that somehow remained standing.

The tsunami reached the very top floor of the building as can be seen by the absence of windows and the twisted railings. I doubt anyone survived in either of the buildings pictured above.

The strongest memories of the 3 days in Ishinomaki are the sad stories told by survivors and the sight of personal possessions strewn around wherever you look. ID cards, broken crockery, kids chairs, CDs, vinyl records, golf clubs, toys.

One man who worked in our group was stranded on the roof of his home for 4 days before he was rescued. During that time, he could see the body of his mother floating nearby. The junior high school near our lodgings lost 200 students, in part due to confusion and delay immediately after the earthquake struck. This confusion meant they did not evacuate in time to avoid being swept away by the tsunami. I think it is best not to dwell too long on the fate of those who died.

So, I will probably be making another visit there in the near future. The immediate concerns are now the onset of winter and the mental health of survivors. In the street where we stayed, 4 people have committed suicide since the disaster.

May I also take the chance to thank those who generously contributed to my fundraising page. At the time of writing the amount collected is £560 (against the original target of

£250). The money will be used to buy tools and other essential supplies.

Let us all hope those that survived will one day regain some semblance of normality.