Foreign Volunteers were staying at Morioka's establishment of volunteers ' base, Kawai Camp (Kawai, Miyako), and have now gone in to support the devastated town of Yamada. Dutch company employee, Philip Weyers (51), engaged in work such as clearing debris from the 1st to the 4th. A memory of visiting Dutch Island in Yamada bay is what provoked him to volunteer to support.
Dutch Island (Oshima) is an uninhabited island in Yamada Bay. In 1643, the Dutch ship, Breskens, drifted ashore, and the city of Yamada started a relationship of exchange with the Dutch city of Zeist. Philip had been working at the embassy in Tokyo from 2001 to 2007. Recently, he has visited Yamada twice for motorcycling trips.
"I couldn't just sit there after hearing the news". In January, he and his wife Yumi, and sons, Ryuuta (6) and Kai (3), were to go to his wife's hometown in Osaka for the summer break, but then the earthquake hit.
He decided to come to give his support alone. He left his wife and children who had come with him by plane, and came into Iwate by rail. He donated the money raised by his son's school to a group that supports orphaned children. He had his wife search the internet for Camp Kawai, and he applied.
Afraid of the nuclear power incident, some foreigners are holding back from visiting Japan. But Philip had travelled all around the Tohoku region before, so he didn't worry, saying, "It's alright. It's not as if the whole of Japan has been devastated".
However, he was shocked by the sight he saw in Yamada.
"It was worse than what I saw on TV and the footage I found on the internet. I felt the awesome power of the water and nature". In Holland, there are no earthquakes or volcano eruptions. He says that a big natural disaster would be flooding. During his stay, there were aftershocks, and he said, "I was worried how big the next one would be".
When he visited Yamada for travel, he stopped by the town office. He says, "they were very kind to me. They probably didn't think i worked at the embassy, dressed like a traveller. But now, they are going through a lot. I don't want to trouble them". In Zeist, many are appealing strongly for the support of Yamada.
At the camp, there are volunteers from different hometowns, with different jobs and of different age. Philip naturally socializes with them. "Everyone here is a good team". They are treated with Dutch food.
Philip majored in Economic Geography at Amsterdam University. He was interested in the economic power, Japan. He worked at ANA for 7 years from 1989, then returned to Holland, and came back to Japan again to work at the embassy.
"The Japanese spirit is amazingly strong. It might take 5, 10 years to fully recover, but I want them to try hard. They need more support".
He also says, "Japan is a country that always puts safety first. At work, school, and even how to use a knife at camp - safety comes first. There was an incident with China's high-speed rail, but Japan's Shinkansen has no accidents. Even so, why didn't they place the Fukushima nuclear reactors on higher ground where the tsunami would not reach? It doesn't match the image I have of Japanese people".
Dutch Island (Oshima) is an uninhabited island in Yamada Bay. In 1643, the Dutch ship, Breskens, drifted ashore, and the city of Yamada started a relationship of exchange with the Dutch city of Zeist. Philip had been working at the embassy in Tokyo from 2001 to 2007. Recently, he has visited Yamada twice for motorcycling trips.
"I couldn't just sit there after hearing the news". In January, he and his wife Yumi, and sons, Ryuuta (6) and Kai (3), were to go to his wife's hometown in Osaka for the summer break, but then the earthquake hit.
He decided to come to give his support alone. He left his wife and children who had come with him by plane, and came into Iwate by rail. He donated the money raised by his son's school to a group that supports orphaned children. He had his wife search the internet for Camp Kawai, and he applied.
Afraid of the nuclear power incident, some foreigners are holding back from visiting Japan. But Philip had travelled all around the Tohoku region before, so he didn't worry, saying, "It's alright. It's not as if the whole of Japan has been devastated".
However, he was shocked by the sight he saw in Yamada.
"It was worse than what I saw on TV and the footage I found on the internet. I felt the awesome power of the water and nature". In Holland, there are no earthquakes or volcano eruptions. He says that a big natural disaster would be flooding. During his stay, there were aftershocks, and he said, "I was worried how big the next one would be".
When he visited Yamada for travel, he stopped by the town office. He says, "they were very kind to me. They probably didn't think i worked at the embassy, dressed like a traveller. But now, they are going through a lot. I don't want to trouble them". In Zeist, many are appealing strongly for the support of Yamada.
At the camp, there are volunteers from different hometowns, with different jobs and of different age. Philip naturally socializes with them. "Everyone here is a good team". They are treated with Dutch food.
Philip majored in Economic Geography at Amsterdam University. He was interested in the economic power, Japan. He worked at ANA for 7 years from 1989, then returned to Holland, and came back to Japan again to work at the embassy.
"The Japanese spirit is amazingly strong. It might take 5, 10 years to fully recover, but I want them to try hard. They need more support".
He also says, "Japan is a country that always puts safety first. At work, school, and even how to use a knife at camp - safety comes first. There was an incident with China's high-speed rail, but Japan's Shinkansen has no accidents. Even so, why didn't they place the Fukushima nuclear reactors on higher ground where the tsunami would not reach? It doesn't match the image I have of Japanese people".
