Disaster at 7 months pregnant– and then comes baby

Experiences of Foreign Residents on the Coast

How did foreign residents of the coast react when the disaster struck, and what are they feeling now? We asked three people: Misaki Kinno, who took refuge in Morioka from Miyako, Victor Kochaphum, a resident of Tanohata who took refuge in Miyako, and Maria Teresa Hosoya, a resident of Rikuzentakata who volunteered after the disaster.


Disaster at 7 months pregnant– and then comes baby

▶ Misaki and Yuri, at one and a half months old

Misaki Kinno

Misaki arrived in Japan in August 2010, and married Kaname Kinno of Miyako, a self-employed businessman. Before coming to Japan, she studied Japanese for two years while working. Originally from Dalian, China, she is 24 years old.



Misaki Kinno gave birth to a 6lb 11oz (3030 grams) baby girl on June 7th in Morioka. Misaki’s husband Kaname named her Yuri, hoping that his baby girl would grow up to be as kind as her mother.
On the day of the March 11th earthquake and tsunami, Misaki was at the dentist in Miyako with her in-laws. The appointment was for 2:30, and the earthquake struck just as she sat down in the dentist’s chair. The dentist’s office was in a high place, so they waited for the aftershocks to stop. That night, they evacuated to a nearby government building. Her husband Kaname was in Kamaishi for work. She received a cell phone email from him directly after the quake saying, “Run away now!” but she could not contact him after that. It was five days before they reunited.

The Kinno family house was swept away by the tsunami, but the entire family was safe.
Misaki’s parents in China contacted her by email, but phone calls would not go through. It took around 10 days to finally hear their voices. “You’re an only child so you go at your own pace,” said her father. “So I was so worried you wouldn’t evacuate in time. I searched for you on the internet, but there was no way to contact you. I was so afraid you had died.”

Misaki was 7 months pregnant when the disaster struck. She wanted to return temporarily to China as soon as possible, but remained in Japan because she worried about her health and the difficulty of getting to China. After she had moved to three different evacuation centers, she moved to employee housing in Morioka at the beginning of the May holidays. In thefirst few days after the disaster, there were days where she would only receive one rice ball as food rations - not nearly enough nutrition. Her husband asked her everyday if their baby was still moving inside of her. Their neighbors in the refuge center made sure she got enough nutrition.

Even though she had planned on giving birth in a hospital in Miyako, she ended up having to switch to a Morioka hospital. Luckily she had her Mother & Child Handbook with her so there was no problem with the paperwork, and she looked forward to a safe birth. “The staff at the obstetrician’s office prepared everything I needed for the birth and my baby, and I’m so thankful for that,” said Misaki.
In the year since she had arrived in Japan, Misaki experienced pregnancy, an earthquake and tsunami, and the birth of her daughter. She is currently learning the ropes of being a new mother.
Misaki and her daughter Yuri, who will inherit both Chinese and Japanese cultures, want Iwate to remain their home forever.

first few days after the disaster, there were days where she would only receive one rice ball as food rations - not nearly enough nutrition. Her husband asked her everyday if their baby was still moving inside of her. Their neighbors in the refuge center made sure she got enough nutrition.
Even though she had planned on giving birth in a hospital in Miyako, she ended up having to switch to a Morioka hospital. Luckily she had her Mother & Child Handbook with her so there was no problem with the paperwork, and she looked forward to a safe birth. “The staff at the obstetrician’s office prepared everything I needed for the birth and my baby, and I’m so thankful for that,” said Misaki.
In the year since she had arrived in Japan, Misaki experienced pregnancy, an earthquake and tsunami, and the birth of her daughter. She is currently learning the ropes of being a new mother.
Misaki and her daughter Yuri, who will inherit both Chinese and Japanese cultures, want Iwate to remain their home forever.

Miyako’s Yamaguchi Elementary School, one of the refuge centers. 
Yuri is still inside her mother’s belly.




http://iwate-ia.or.jp/cms/media/kikanshi/2011/2011autumn-kikanshi-E.pdf

（Iwate International Association　September 30, 2011）

Our Experiences on March 11 ～As Iwateans～

The Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami struck on March 11, 2011. Foreigners often need support and information in their own languages, and are seen as a group particularly vulnerable to natural disasters. On the other hand, by observing foreigners support and be supported by their families and friends, we can catch a glimpse of a multicultural society in action. In this special edition, we have gathered the earthquake and tsunami experiences of foreign residents of Iwate who have forged deep bonds to their community and to residents in their region. 




Discussion Session– Natural Disasters and Foreigners in Iwate

We asked about the experiences of the foreigners who helped distribute information in their native language on the internet and radio, and who took questions directed at the International Center from Japan and internationally.

-Please tell us some of the questions you received from other foreigners and the information you distributed on the radio.

Smith: There were some people who wanted to return to their own countries but couldn’t speak Japanese well, so they wanted me to help with those procedures. Seeing everyone leaving for their own countries made me lonely and progressively more anxious.
Zheng: I broadcast information on the radio about the status of the tsunami and aftershocks. I also gave information on public transportation and necessary public utilities and lifelines. Calls asking about the safety of loved ones came to the International Center from both within Japan and from China.
Smith: I’m glad there was information on the radio regarding necessary supplies for the refuge shelters.
Zhou: I had a phone call from someone who told me they couldn’t return a book they had borrowed, but I figured they were just lonely and needed someone to talk to.
Xi: There were a lot of things people could rely on, and the Iwate International Association homepage was one of those lifelines. Also there were sites like individual embassy homepages.


-There seems to be foreigners that do not know about the existence of the Iwate International Association. What are some ideas for solving that?

Hall: You should cooperate with companies who hire foreigners, and hand out pamphlets about the Association. Maybe at orientations, companies can talk about how there is this association in Iwate to help…
Smith: They may know there is an International Association, but they may not know what it is for or what they do.
Hall: They help out with so many things. People who can’t speak Japanese very well, people in trouble – they should all contact the Association more often. However, those people usually have a small network, so they just aren’t aware of it. For example, how about locating foreign brides who come to Japan with low Japanese ability and sending them some information?


-Are there countermeasures against natural disasters or evacuation shelters in your country?

Xi: There aren’t any shelters. Most of the time we gather in town squares.
Hall: For places that get tornadoes, some houses will have a basement where you can take shelter. When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, people took refuge in an arena. I think there is a system in place for evacuating from dangerous areas.
Smith: There are many wildfires in the south of Australia, so we have many systems in place. You can receive information by cell phone, and information is broadcast from neighborhood speakers. The Fire Department will publish magazines and the like every year and give them to everyone.


-What did you do after the earthquake? Did you learn anything from the experience?

Zhou: I listened to the hand-powered radio I finally got my husband to buy after bugging him about it so many times.
Hall: I took refuge in the gymnasium of Morioka’s Third High School for about 2 days. Everyone brought things like kerosene and food to share, so I had no trouble.
Zheng: I live in government housing, so I stayed with another CIR. The Prefectural Office has its own source of power, so we stayed in the office until midnight, and the next day we broadcast tsunami and earthquake information on the radio.
Xi: I had previously translated a prefectural disaster pamphlet into Chinese which outlined what to do in an earthquake. Even though I translated it myself, I didn’t pay too much attention to it, so I didn’t prepare things necessary for evacuation. I definitely need to prepare the minimum just in case another disaster occurs.
Hall: Before, when I looked at the signs for evacuation sites, I wondered why we needed such places. But after the earthquake I realized that it was for times like this. We are pretty lucky. We have a network with fellow residents, and a lot of friends who will help us out. But I wonder what some foreigners who have just arrived in Japan, or cannot speak Japanese, or who have few friends did during the quake.
Smith:  Before the disaster, there were some other people who lived in my apartment complex who I would say hello to, but they would never respond. After the quake, I bought a ton of rice so I asked them if they needed any. They said thank you, and ever since then, when they buy things like milk, they’ll bring it to me, and they’ve started to say hello to me. They probably didn’t know I could speak Japanese, and were too nervous to say hello before.


-There are times when people won’t say hello even if we are both Japanese, so it’s nice that you had this opportunity to talk with them. What other things do you think are necessary?

Hall: Information about when utilities would return, when food will be distributed again. They told us on the TV not to purchase things in bulk – no panic buying – but if you don’t know Japanese you’ll have no idea when things will return to normal.
Smith: People wanted to volunteer - stuff like sending rescue supplies and helping with the cleanup. But you need Japanese for volunteering, so those who can’t speak Japanese just get in the way. People who didn’t have cars or a large social network didn’t know what to do. It would be nice to have some information for foreigners living in Morioka on how they can help.



Wrapping Up

Regardless of nationality, regardless of race – what is most important during a time of crisis? During a time of trouble? When you want to start something? It seems there are some clues within this discussion. Readers: what have you been thinking since the disaster, and what sort of things did you do?




<Profile>①Birthplace ②Years in Iwate ③Job Description ④During the Earthquake…

Shiyi Xi
① Shanghai, China
② 20 years
③ Chinese Language Teacher at Kozukata High School
④ I calmly checked my house, and went to buy candles and batteries.

James Hall　
① Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
② 13 years
③ Associate Professor within Iwate University’s Education Department
④ I tried to call my wife but the call wouldn’t go through, so I went to search for my children by bike.

Hamish Smith
① Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
② 1 year and a half
③ ALT at Morioka Kita High School
④ A nearby old lady that I didn’t know grabbed onto my arm.

Lina Zhou
① Longyou, Zhejiang Province, China
② 4 years
③ School helper at Shiwa Elementary School
④ I wanted to cry because it was the first big earthquake I ever experienced, but I put on a strong face for the children.

Xiaomei Zheng
① Dalian, Liaoning Province, China
② 1 and a half years
③ CIR (Coordinator of International Relations) for Iwate Prefecture
④ I was at work at the Prefectural Office when the earthquake struck. I started distributing information in Chinese on the radio from the very next day.



http://iwate-ia.or.jp/cms/media/kikanshi/2011/2011autumn-kikanshi-E.pdf

（Iwate International Association　September 30, 2011） 

1000 hand-knitted scarves arrive from America, in time for winter.

Approximately 1000 scarves and other items from knitting enthusiasts in America have arrived at Morioka’s Recovery Support Center in Uchimaru, Morioka.

Along with a message reading “We hope you will have warm hearts and warm bodies this winter. We will continue to give our support. With love and prayers”, each item was knitted with the love and consideration of the sender, who wishes the disaster victims stay warm this winter.

The scarves were designed by Yumiko Alexander, a knit-designer born in Yamanashi Prefecture but now living in Phoenix, Arizona. Alexander became unwell from the shock of hearing of the disaster, but feeling that there was something she could do, she thought of a design with Japanese tastes in mind, and called for help with the knitting. News of her idea spread widely when yarn companies and shops tried to gather customers to knit the items that Alexander had been recruiting help for through earthquake blogs and handicraft publication companies since the middle of April. Nearly 90% of the scarves that arrived were made by Americans. The scarves came from all over America, including New York and Hawaii.

“America is a country with charity deeply rooted in their lives”. Even around Alexander, there were many people who did what they could through their hobbies, such as a yoga teacher who organized an outdoor yoga event to collect money, she explains.

Knitting can’t be finished straight away. It takes time to knit a complete piece. “As the days and weeks passed, different news was being shown on the TV. But even though the world goes on, we wanted to say that we still remember what happened”. Their memory of the disaster doesn’t fade with time, and the feeling that thoughts from abroad will continue have been knitted into the scarves.

While the scarves will be distributed through the "Save Iwate" Support Team at the Disaster Victim Support Center (2F), they will also be offered at the free market for those in shelters and temporary housing along the coast.

Alexander says "Because they are hand-made, just like wrapping themselves with our warm wishes, we all made the scarves hoping that the wearer's hearts will be warmed. I'm very glad that there are so many people who are worried for Japan.
It's my job to tell everyone about the situation in the devistated area.
I have to tell them that their scarves have arrived.


Morioka Times　29th Septmeber 2011 (Thu)

CALL FOR SUPPORT : “IWATE Learning Hope Fund”forthe financial aid of the March 11 Earthquake and Tsunami orphans

In Iwate Prefecture, one of the three prefectures devastated most by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 11 March 2011, a lot of children lost their parents. In order to help raise and give a loving and stable home life to these children in their hometowns,the “Iwate Learning Hope Fund” has recently been established. We would like to support these children until the time they reach adulthood and become independent.


→　CALL FOR SUPPORT : “IWATE Learning Hope Fund”forthe financial aid of the March 11 Earthquake and Tsunami orphans

Construction of temporary shops finally begins in Ofunato and Rikuzen Takata

According to the Organisation for Small and Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation Japan (SME Supoort, Japan), work on temporary shops and factory maintenance for businesses that recieved damage in the earthquake started in Ofunato and Rikuzen Takata this week. Since the information session in April, many businesses have shown interest in the free assistance and are looking forward to construction. It is expected that construction in each area will be formalized soon, but even 5 and a half months since the earthquake many businesses have not been able to setup a business base, and many are demanding the speed up of maintenance.

The free loan system is a part of the support measures for the east Japan earthquake from SME Support, Japan. Factories on a construction area of 650m2, and two-story shops and offices on a construction area of
350m2 can be built on municipal holdings, or on land that the municipality can offer.

The shops, offices and factories can be used for up to a year, but after that, their management will be entrusted to the municipality. In Ofunato,  since April, the Ofunato Commerce and Industry has been putting together requests and coordinating sites and shops. From there, the city of Ofunato put forward an application to SME Support, Japan.

Misaki-cho was the first place for construction to begin, starting on the 23rd. Set up in Kobosoura, along the prefectural road, is a building with an overall floor space of 430m2. The building is a two-story building with a lightweight steel frame. It contains 12 blocks and is being used for shops and offices. Small shops that operated in the town before the disaster will move into the building.

At first, construction was scheduled to begin at the beginning of this month. But the city of Ofunato and those related to the construction work explain that they "needed time to adjust plans of the internal structure". They said it would take about two months, and that it was expected to be completed around late October. In Ofunato the application for 17 areas, including Misaki, and 158 businesses has been completed.
Construction in Ryori and Ofunato-cho is expected to begin soon, but SME Support has put a condition on the construction asking that debris and building foundations be removed from 7 areas, and that the waterworks in one area be repaired before construction begins.

The number of applications has reached more than 240 businesses, and the city of Ofunato continues site selection. Ofunato's Commerce and Tourism Department says they "particularly hope to speed up the works in Akasaki and Ryori, where the shops are few".

For businesses reopening, the burden of a 'double loan', new capital investment on top of existing loans, is seen as a problem. According to SME Support, whilst the free support is economically a great help to businesses, in areas other than Misaki, completion seems far away and people are showing their impatience.

The delay for starting construction has become topic of conversation even amongst the city's Disaster Recovery Planning Committee, where one member says that "everybody is impatient. We want them to speed things up, as soon as possible". Even those businesses who were interested in the free support have given up, and there are also cases of some starting work on their facilities themselves.

In Rikuzen Takata, at the beginning of May, an information session about the temporary facilities for businesses was held. As of the 24th of this month, applications from  businesses has risen to 77 places and 190 businesses, and of those, a portion have gone on to construction confirmation application.

In Rikuzen Takata, where they received catastrophic damage from the tsunami, most of the flat ground that would be used for construction was submerged under water. Construction of temporary housing is given priority on official land, so businesses are looking and applying for possible construction sites.

According to SME Support, facility construction of 3 places started on the 22nd. Yonesaki-cho in Matusmine, Takekoma-cho in Tokaichiba and Takuta-cho in Nishiwano.

Seven shops will move into the temporary facility being built in Yonesaki-cho.They will include a food manufacturing business (catering), cram school, barber's shop, sports store, Chinese restaurant, coin laundry and convenience store.
The facility will consist of 2 lightweight steel-framed single story buildings, and 1 two story building, making a total of three, and a total floor space of 1041m2.
Completion is expected in the middle of October.

Four shops (100yen Shop, a farmer's produce shop, an insurance agency and ramen restaurant) will move into the establishment at Takekoma-cho.
The building will be a 2 story lightweight steel-framed building with a total floor space of 428m2, scheduled to finish in the middle of October.

The facility in Takata-cho will house two shops - a cram school and a painting school.
It is also a  2 story lighweight steel-framed building, with a floor space of 213m2.
It is scheduled to be finished somewhere between the end of September and the beginning of October.

Counselor Yoshiyuki Odashima from the Compliance and Coordination Office in the same building says "it has taken some time to start construction, but things are slowly picking up. Construction work will increase between September and October. I hope that the facilities can be finished as soon as possible."


（Tokai Shinpo　7/21/2011）

Weyers rushes from Holland to do volunteer work in Yamada

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".

（Morioka Times　8/8/2011）

Ground Self-Defense Force form good relations with the citizens and build foundations for recovery. Now, more than 4 months since the disaster, they finish their duties.

The Ground Self-Defense Force have finished their duties, supporting the townspeople of Rikuzen Takata and Ofunato for recovery after the earthquake in east Japan.

 Working throughout the four and a bit months since the disaster, they provided support to the devastated areas, supplying water, food and bathing facilities, continuing with their search for lost victims, and restoring the road of "hope".  They strengthened relations with the victims of the earthquake, whilst building a foundation for recovery.

 A ceremony was held in Rikuzen Takata for the withdrawing troops, whose help was deeply appreciated. In Ofunato, also, feelings of gratitude were expressed in a ceremony for the troops.

 The ceremony held in Rikuzen Takata was held in front of the Takata town hall's temporary government office building. The townspeople conveyed their appreciation and gratitude towards the troops' 130 days of assistance following the disaster, and saw them off.

 In the same town, a total of 55,532 troops from 18 infantry units, including the JGSDF 5th Infantry Regiment (Regimental Commander, Teruo Nishiobino), have been working 'Operation Takatamatsubara Hope', since March 12th, clearing rubble and debris, providing life support and performing rescue operations in the area.

 In their rescue operations, they saved 37 people and found 488 missing persons. Relief came in 2931 trucks, 573 times, and a total of 170,000 people made use of the support bathing facilities.

 Approximately 300 townspeople and 33 representatives from the 5th Infantry Regiment and 9th Logistic Support Regiment participated in the ceremony.

 Mayor Futoshi Toba said that he wanted to "thank everyone with all (his) heart for the assistance they have given to the victims. (He) hopes that everyone can work together to show those who will one day come to Rikuzen Takata how much of a wonderful town it has become".

 Takata Shelter's chief, Yukichi Yokota, gave his words of gratitude, saying that he "sensed reliability and strength in everyone from the force, and can now see hope. (He) would like to thank the troops from the bottom of his heart for helping to support the lives of the townspeople.

 Regimental Commander, Nishiobino, also commented, saying, "to everyone affected by the earthquake, everyone has tried hard to give their hearts to the hope for tomorrow. I pray for an early recovery, and that everyone's smiling faces will return". He presented the city with a memento and the money collected by the troops. The city then also presented a memento.

25 Takata Preschool children rushed in and Shuhei Otomo and (Ayaka/Reika)  Ito handed a bouquet of flowers, and Sayaka Murakami, a thank you card, to a representative of the infantry. After the ceremony the townspeople saw the troops off as they left Rikuzen Takata behind.


（Tokai Shinpo　7/21/2011）