Volume 91 - September 1, 2015

Temperatures have been dropping rapidly, marking the beginning of autumn and the end of this fierce summer.

The Summer Coming of Age Ceremony （Tanohata）

On August 15th, 2015 （Sat）, Tanohata's Coming-of-Age ceremony was held at Asby Hall in Wano, Tanohata. The event coincided with Obon, a Japanese holiday where many people return to their hometowns. Among the 42 residents reaching age 20 this year, 36 attended the ceremony.

At the ceremony, the mayor of Tanohata, Hiroshi Ishihara, told the new adults, "I hope you contribute your youthful energy towards the village's reconstruction and growth." Yukiya Sato, a representative for the group, promised, “In a few years, when I'll be involved in the area's reconstruction and development, I'll strive to become a person who has the competence and sense of responsibility of looking after Tanohata's future.”

After the ceremony, the new adults boarded a sightseeing boat called the Hatachi no Fune* and set off on
a cruise to the widely-admired Kitayamazaki Cliffs. While catching up with old friends and taking photographs, they gazed out at the spectacular scenery and made new memories about their hometown.

Hatachi no Fune had to be taken out of service after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, but in 2012 and 2013, coming-of-age ceremonies were held on small Sappa fishing boats. Hatachi no Fune has been back on the waters since last year, operating the "Kitayamazaki Cliffs Sightseeing Cruise" service.
On the same day, 10 coming-of-age ceremonies took place all around Iwate, celebrating the transition to adulthood of roughly 1,100 people.

* Hatachi no Fune literally translated is 20-Years-Old Boat.

Opening a Time Capsule Containing Dreams for the Future （Miyako）

On August 15th, 2015 （Sat）, a time capsule commemorating the merger of the town of Taro into Miyako City was opened in front of the former town hall.

The time capsule was buried in June 2005 to mark the merger of Miyako, Taro, and Niisato. 413 students who lived in Taro at that time contributed words and pictures on the theme of "What Taro Means to Me." The ceremony was planned and carried out by people who were among this group of students. Around 120 people attended.

After observing a minute's silence for those who died in the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, the head of the executive committee, Noriki Shimizu （who was a third-year junior high school student in 2005）, gave a few words. "A lot of people lost invaluable things in the disaster. I hope this time capsule becomes a local treasure. I want people to use it as a chance to look back at their past selves."

The committee members then dug up the 60cm capsule and displayed its contents. The audience gave a huge round of applause, and spent the rest of the day enjoying memories of the past.

Memorial Fireworks Launched Along the Coast

The fireworks event "LIGHT UP NIPPON 2015" was held on August 11th, 2015 （Tue）.

The event represents both a memorial for the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami and a prayer for the reconstruction. It was held simultaneously in three prefectures that suffered damage - Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima. In Iwate, it was held in Noda, Tanohata, Miyako, Otsuchi, Kamaishi and Ofunato.
The event began in 2011 with the slogan, "Energizing Tohoku and Japan with fireworks." This is its fifth year.

From 7pm that evening, approximately 15,000 fireworks were launched into the sky to the sound of the official theme song "Red Dragonfly," which was composed by Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Kamaishi Port Handles a Record-Setting Number of Shipping Containers

As of August 10th, Kamaishi Port has handled over 3,364 TEU's worth of shipping containers （1 TEU = 1 20-foot container） in 2015. This is a new record in Iwate, breaking Miyako Port's 2013 record of 3,315 TEU.
In July 2011, Kamaishi Port, which began handling shipping containers in 2002, was designated as a container yard for Orient Overseas Container Line （OOCL）, a large shipping company based in Hong Kong.

An international feeder container course was set up between Kamaishi Port and Keihin Port in Yokohama, where shipment transactions occur once a week. Besides handling international cargo sent from inland regions, Kamaishi Port handles marine goods from the Sanriku Coast, and, from March to July of this year, the city also transported containers of soil from the temporary debris storage sites in Katagishi district, which explains the increase in this year’s load.

By utilizing continually-developing roads like the Tohoku Expressway's Kamaishi-Akita Line and the Sanriku Coastal Road, Kamaishi is aiming to exceed 5,000 TEU this year, spurring the development of shipping industries and turning the city into a distribution base for the prefecture.

"e! Iwate" information service 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.
You can use the app with the following smart phone models:
Android OS4.0 and newer, iOS6.0 and newer
*Sorry, information in Japanese only.

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 Yuichi Kuwano and his experiences in his newly adopted "hometown" of Ofunato.

• Yuichi Kuwano of Sea Front Ltd.

Casualties and Damage in Iwate （as of July 31, 2015）

• Human casualties/deaths: 4,672; Missing: 1,129
• Buildings destroyed （residences only, total/partial）: 26,164

Thank you for all of your support! （as of July 31, 2015）

Donations for survivors: Around 18.39363 billion yen （91,786 donations）
Donations for reconstruction projects: Around 19.68701 billion yen （7,409 donations）
Iwate Learning Hope Fund donations: Around 7.63778 billion yen （15,924 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 91. September 1, 2015.
Published by the General Affairs Division, Bureau of Reconstruction, Iwate Prefecture.
Phone: 019-629-6925
Editing & Printing: SYNAPSE

*News from Iwate's Reconstruction Volume 92 will be published on September 15.