Volume 119 - December 15, 2016

In the very last weeks of the year, Iwate is busy preparing for Christmas and New Year.

Iwate Sanriku Reconstruction Forum Held in Nagano

On December 3rd, 2016 （Sat）, Iwate and Nagano’s Prefectural Governments co-hosted the Iwate Sanriku Reconstruction Forum in Nagano City. The forum was first held in 2012, making this its fifth year. Its aim is to communicate news of Iwate’s reconstruction to the rest of the country.

After an opening greeting, Nagano’s Governor Abe presented Iwate’s Governor Tasso with a donation to be put towards recovery from typhoon #10. The event continued with a greeting from Mr. Mutai, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for the Cabinet Office and Reconstruction Agency. Next came a discussion between Governor Tasso, Governor Abe and Mr. Kikuchi, Head of the Shinshu University Disaster Mitigation and Prevention Center, on the theme of “Disaster Recovery in Local Communities”. Governor Tasso thanked Governor Abe for the many workers dispatched from Nagano to assist Iwate. He also commented on the reconstruction’s progress. “It’s progressing, but labor shortage is a constant problem,” he said.

Next, there was a 4-person panel discussion with the theme, “Reconstructive Power in Local Communities”. The panelists used their different experiences to come to several valuable conclusions. They recommended taking lessons from the disaster to shape regional policy, and suggested carrying out evacuation drills. They also spoke about how important it is to pass on information about the disaster by word of mouth in local communities.

An exhibit within the venue displayed information about the damage Iwate suffered, and the current state of the reconstruction. There was also a sale of Iwate’s local products, which proved to be extremely popular.

The forum was a way of thanking the rest of Japan for the assistance it has given Iwate. It also generated some significant ideas with regard to the future of the reconstruction.

New Drama to Spread Memories of Iwate’s Reconstruction （Morioka）

Iwate Prefecture has commissioned documentary-style “Iwate Reconstruction Dramas”, depicting the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, to keep memories of the disaster from fading.
The project was funded by aid money from the Reconstruction Agency. It invited the public to submit their stories, or to apply as actors, with the aim of involving as many people as possible. In the end, 75 stories were submitted, and 202 people applied to perform.

On November 17th, 2016 （Thu）, a press conference was held at the Iwate Prefectural Government building to officially announce the dramas. The attendees included the author Katsuhiko Takahashi, who is the project’s supervising editor. Miyako native Izuho Ohta and Morioka resident Mayu Kariya, who play lead roles, were also there.

Two dramas will be created, based on stories submitted by the public: “The Smallest Bookshop in Japan” and “Winter Firefly”. They feature actors like Hiroaki Murakami, Yumiko Fujita, Hatsunori Hasegawa and Bin Furuya.

The dramas are scheduled to air in March 2017. Besides appearing on 2 commercial TV stations, there will be 6 public screenings within the prefecture. The dramas will also be uploaded to Iwate’s official online video channel, so people both inside and outside the prefecture can view them.

• Official website （JPN）（外部リンク）

e! Iwate mobile app

“e! Iwate” is a mobile app that sends you news and information about Iwate’s Reconstruction （in Japanese）. You can then re-post this information on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

Downloads available for the following smart phone models:
Android OS4.0 and newer, iOS6.0 and newer

“World Tsunami Awareness Day” Kuroshio High School Student Summit （Kochi Prefecture）

On November 25th, 2016 （Fri）, the “World Tsunami Awareness Day” High School Student Summit was held in Kuroshio, Kōchi. Students from 30 countries exchanged opinions about tsunami disaster prevention.

The summit was held to celebrate World Tsunami Awareness Day, which was recently created by the UN General Assembly. Its aim was to educate young people who may one day take a leading role in disaster prevention and reduction. 360 high school students from 30 countries attended, including students from Morioka Daiichi, Mizusawa and Miyako Technical High School in Iwate. The three students from Miyako Technical High School introduced a tsunami simulation model, which has been used in 148 disaster prevention education lessons since its creation in 2005.

The summit closed with the “Kuroshio Declaration”, a commitment to protecting precious human life by acknowledging the risk posed by tsunamis, and by passing on knowledge about them down to future generations.

An Exhibition of Rikuzentakata’s Restored Cultural Assets

From November 26th （Sat） to December 5th （Mon）, 2016, an exhibition called “Rikuzentakata, Our Hometown Forever – The Treasure in our Hearts” was held at the Community Hall in Takata. It showcased the continuing restoration of Rikuzentakata’s cultural assets, following the damage suffered in the Great East Japan Earthquake & Tsunami.

Around 560,000 artifacts, in collections and exhibitions across 4 cultural properties in Rikuzentakata, were engulfed by the tsunami. However, roughly 460,000 were recovered. With help from institutions across the country, such as the Iwate Prefectural Museum and the Tokyo National Museum, the city began removing mud, salt and bacteria from these artifacts. Around 170,000 items have been restored.

The exhibition displayed around 100 items, including fishing tools （registered as national cultural properties） and the Yoshida Family Document （a prefectural cultural asset）.

This was the first exhibition of its kind to be held in Rikuzentakata since the disaster. The attendees were moved by the sight of the artifacts, which had arrived back home after 6 years away.

Feature

Many young people are diligently helping the affected area of Sanriku move toward a full reconstruction. The section “People for Sanriku’s Future” introduces these young people and their powerful feelings.

Click the link to read about Shunichi Yanashita and his work driving trains for Iwate Kaihatsu Railway.

• Shunichi Yanashita of Iwate Kaihatsu Railway

Casualties and Damage in Iwate （as of November 30, 2016）

• Deaths: 4,672; Missing: 1,123
• Buildings destroyed （residences only, total/partial）: 26,075

Thank you for all of your support! （as of November 30, 2016）

Donations for survivors: Around 18.51705 billion yen （94,056 donations）
Donations for reconstruction projects: Around 19.79621 billion yen （7,953 donations）
Iwate Learning Hope Fund donations: Around 8.62724 billion yen （18,613 donations）
※ This fund is to assist in the study and daily life of affected
children by encouraging sport and study activities.

• To make a donation to aid in Iwate's reconstruction, click here.

Contact

News from Iwate’s Reconstruction, Volume 119. December 15, 2016.
Published by the General Affairs Division, Bureau of Reconstruction, Iwate Prefecture.
Phone: 019-629-6925
Editing & Printing: SYNAPSE

*News from Iwate's Reconstruction Volume 120 will be published on January 15th.