11 March 2012

Dear friends,

Thank you fo all of your sympathy, from us Japanese living in Skane and Copenhagen.
One year ago, 14.46 on March 11, 2011, a new wind blew in Japan.
Nearly two thoudsand people have either passed away or been still missing while that the issue of nuclear power plants is still looming is unlikely to cease quickly.

I went back to Japan two times both in summer and winter, and most people's views toward the future were not pessimistic but rather opptimistic. Now, something we've forgotten in return for economic development is trying to be rebuilt here and there.

During the same year, the world has undergone other dramatic events as well. But it's a bit uncertain whether or not Japanese who are given a lot of warm sympathies from all over the world could pay enough attention to these world news, being concerned with onging struggles within their own country. That's why I've more deeply realized how grateful all of you here were, considering your immediate and longlasting responses to 3.11.

A decade later, 3.11 might already be seen as just one of many past events even among Japanese. Yet, we will never forget all the activities we took place last year were supported by you, and I hope that the lost lives and villages are treated as the source for a better future!

Finally, here is deep commemoration to honor people in Tohoku and those who are stepping forward toward rebuilding the beautiful communities.

Sincerely,
Skåne & Copenhagen for Japan

Wishes for Japan from Sweden

Hey,

Time just flies. We Japanese LU students are now back in Lund. And, it has been six months since the earthquake and tsunami. As long as I know, some of us, including me, volunteered in the affected area and saw what had happened there with our eyes.

Time passes anyway, and events easily fade out one another in our memories, no matter how grateful or devastating they would be. That's the reason why we have created a message video. We hope what happened on March 11 in Tohoku and our loved ones who passed away will never be gone, but alive forever.

Deep appreciation for all the messages appearing in the video.
And for those who are now entering the next stage for recovery, we are all together with you.

Warmly, Asuka

The Charity Flea Market - May 21

On 21st of May, we joined a flea market at Södra Esplanaden in Lund, Sweden. It was a small charity market for victims for Japanese earthquake. All the money will be send to Japanese Red Cross through Swedish Red Cross. We sold mainly Japanese stuffs and also some second hand stuffs.

This market is held every Saturday but there are much more people than usual on that day because the weather was so nice. We started to prepare for it from 6:00AM and sell stuffs from 7:00AM.

At first, we felt a bit anxious because people seemed to be interested in practical stuffs such as electricity and second hand clothes. However, Japanese stuffs especially with Japanese motif were gradually coming to be popular. We also tried to give handmade origami cranes for free but some people paid extra money as donation. It may be a good opportunity to show Japanese culture.

We aimed to get 1,000kr before we started but it was much more successful than we had expected. The total money for the sales and donations were about 4,000kr. We really appreciate all the people who visited us!

Teaching how to fold a paper crane :)

Many people were a bit confused with Japanese size system!

５月２１日（土）にスウェーデンルンド市内のSödra Esplanadenでのフリーマーケットに参加してきました。チャリティマーケットとして出店し、売上はすべてスウェーデン支部を通して日本赤十字社に送られます。商品はルンド在住の日本人や留学生から日本風の小物などを中心に募りました。

毎週土曜日に開催されているこのマーケットですが、この日はお天気にも恵まれたくさんの人が古着、食器などのセカンドハンド品を中心に出店していました。私たちも６時頃に集合し準備を始め、７時頃から売り始めました。

初めは電化製品や古着などの実用的な品を手に取る人が多く先行きが心配になりましたが、段々と日本風の小物や雑貨も売れてきました。こちらでは手に入りにくいせいか、和柄の巾着やハンカチが特に人気でした。また、足を止めて下さった方には無料で折り鶴をお渡ししたところ募金して下さる方も多くいらっしゃいました。商品の売り上げだけではなく、日本文化を知ってもらう良い機会にもなったと思います。

目標金額は１，０００ｋｒと設定していましたが、予想以上に好評で売上と募金合わせて約４，０００ｋｒが集まりました。ご協力ありがとうございました。

Written by Akane and Chie

Fund-raising campaign in Lund- March 26th (Sat) （ルンドでの募金活動＠３月２６日（土） ）

This article reports our fund-raising campaign in downtown of Lund (Sweden) on March 26th, which received backup of Swedish red cross (Svenska Röda Korset).

We held the campaign mainly in front of of COOP in centrum of Lund and in the square with the tourist information center. The weather was not bad, but it was such windy that I felt a bit chilly. Around 30 people gathered and called for donation to the sufferers of the earthquakes and Tsunami in east Japan.

I participated in the group in the square with the tourist information center. I describe detail of the activities there.

On the holiday, many events were organized in the square. Open air market of natural food, firefighters' event for children (Children took pictures on fire-fighting vehicle), activities to promote fair trade, live of band, etc… The square seemed so joyous and boisterous that I rather got to worry that people might not notice our activities.

Many people passed through the square, so we further divided the group and asked for the contribution.

As I tell what impressed me in the activities, first thing that I come up with is that children showed very cute reactions to cranes made of paper (Japanese Origami), which we prepared as return to the donation. All children seemed pleased to get the crane and some children even wanted more than two cranes silently directing their eyes to us (That was incredibly cute!!).

Second impressing thing is that I met many people with connection with Japan. A person who became friends with Japanese exchange students to Sweden, one who visited Kyoto on business, one who worked in a company into which Japanese companies invested their capital… A person even knew name of temples that I did not know. I have felt need of studying culture of my home country.

Donation itself went very smoothly and collection boxes got full earlier than expected. Finally, as many as 29605.50kr was donated. The money will be transferred from Swedish red cross to Japanese red cross and then be used for the sufferers of the earthquakes.

We would like to express big appreciation for the people who donated. We all are highly grateful for the heartfelt attitude of people.
I do not know whether Japan has contributed to Sweden, and spatial distance between the countries is quite big. Regardless of this situation, many people donated very kindly. I would like to repay the great kindness with something in the future.

Hontou ni Arigatou Gozaimashita!!


Written by Kiminori


３月２６日（土）に、スウェーデンはルンド市街にて募金活動を行ってきましたので報告させていただきます。この募金活動においては、スウェーデンの赤十字社のご後援をいただきました。

場所は主に、ルンドの中心街の生協の前と旅行者インフォメーションのある広場。天気は悪く無かったのですが、風が強く少し肌寒い印象でした。そんな中、総勢３０名弱で募金活動に臨みました。

自分はトラベルインフォメーションのある広場にいたので、ここではそちらの様子をお話しします。


広場の方では、土曜という事もあってか、いくつかの催しものが開かれていました。自然食品系の青空市場のようなものや、消防の児童用の活動（消防車に乗って写真を撮ったりしていました）、Fair trade推進団体の活動、さらにはバンド活動なども行われていて、非常ににぎやかでした。こちらの存在に気付いてくれるか、少し不安になったぐらいです。

人通りも多かったので、広場の班もさらにいくつかの隊に分かれて募金をお願いしすることに。

募金活動で印象的だったことがいくつかあったのですが、まず前もって用意していただいていた募金のお礼としての折り紙の鶴に、特に子どもが非常にいい反応を示してくれたこと。全てと言ってもいいぐらいの子どもが喜んでくれましたし、無言の目線で２つ目以上をねだる子どももいたりして、非常にかわいかったです。

後は日本とのつながりを持った方が何人かいらっしゃったのも印象的でした。日本からの交換留学生と友達になった方、仕事で京都を訪れた方、日本の資本の入った会社で働いている方などなど。自分が知らないお寺の名前を知っていらっしゃる方もいて、日本の文化も勉強し直さないとダメだなぁ、と思いました。


そんなこともあって募金もすぐ一杯になり、予定されていた時間よりも少し早く切り上げることとなりました。最終的には、29605.50スウェーデンクローナものお金が集まりました。このお金はスウェーデン赤十字から日本の赤十字に送ってもらい、日本の復興に役立つこととなります。

ここでぜひとも、皆様にお礼を申し上げたいと思います。募金して下さった皆様、誠にありがとうございました。
日本とスウェーデンの間には大きな空間的距離がありますし、日本がスウェーデンに何かいいことをしてきたのかと言われると自分にはわかりません。にもかかわらず、本当にたくさんの方が快く募金して下さいました。このご恩はぜひ何かの形でスウェーデンに返したいと思います。

My Parents are Alive（生きていた両親）

A few days later, I received an email from the neighbor of my home in Kamaishi.  She was in another city when the earthquake occurred, and came back to her home.  She wrote, “Your mother and father are safe.   I got words from them, “We are alive and fine.  Don’t worry.” Your mother is managing everything well in the situation with no electricity and water.    Since we lack of gasoline, our neighbors share a car and go to a supermarket to buy foods.  As your mother said, I think helping each other is really important.”

I was really relieved then.  It was almost a week after the earthquake.   Until then, so many people helped and encouraged me: classmates, my host family in the previous house, friends, and colleagues of my previous workplace…  I really appreciate them for sharing the pain and showing the sympathy.

Some more days later, the cell phone system restarted to work in my hometown, and I finally could reach my parents.  It was 2 weeks after the earthquake.  When the earthquake occurred, my father was in the hospital which is about 12km away from my home.  He drove back home then, and the tsunami came when he reached there.  He said he could see the wave coming to the coast at the balcony of the house.  My mother was in the bank in the downtown, and was waiting for a bus at the bus stop.  Then she heard the warning of tsunami.  When she looked back, she saw the debris with cars and other things were approaching her.  Then she ran away toward the inland and climbed up the hill with other evacuees.  She said the tsunami was still coming even when she was running up the hill.  It was 30 minutes after the earthquake.

Unfortunately, over 700 citizens died and another over 600 citizens are still missing in Kamaishi.  Overall in the north-eastern Japan, more than 12,000 people are confirmed to be dead and over 15,000 people are still missing.  Missing people are probably under the debris and under the sea at this moment.  I think the sadness that their family and friends have are far beyond my imagination.  I do hope people are missing to be found as soon as possible.

それから2，3日後、近所のある方からメールをいただきました。彼女は地震の起きた際、たまたま県内内陸部の他都市にいらっしゃったそうで、数日後ご自宅に戻られたそうです。メールにはこのように書かれていました。「お父さん・お母さんともに無事です。伝言も受けています。「生きてっから、心配すんな」と。お母さんは水や電気のないこの状況でもいろいろとうまく工夫されています。ガソリンが不足しているので、近所の方々で車に相乗りし、街のスーパーに買出しに行っているそうです。お母さんが仰るように、本当に助け合いが大切だなと思います。」

このメールを読んで安心しました。ちょうど地震から一週間がたっていました。それまでに、クラスメート、ホストファミリー、友人、前職の同僚など本当に多くの方々が痛みを共有し、また助けられ、励まされたことに心から感謝しています。

それから数日後、ようやく釜石の自宅のあるエリアでも携帯電話が復旧し、両親と話すことができました。地震から2週間後のことでした。父は、地震の起きた際、自宅から12km離れた病院にいたそうです。その後、車を運転して自宅に戻り、到着してすぐに津波が来たとのことでした。波が海岸に迫るのが、自宅2階のベランダから見えたそうです。母は、市街地の銀行にいました。その後バス停にいたところ、避難サイレンが鳴り、後ろを振り返ったときにはすでに車などを巻き込みながら津波が近づいてきていたとのことでした。母は他の避難者の方々と内陸の方面に逃げ、丘を駆け上がり、助かりました。地震から30分後のことでした。

残念ながら、釜石市では600人以上の方々がお亡くなりになり、また600名以上の方々が今も行方不明です。東北地方では死亡者は1万2000名を超え、行方不明者は1万5,000名にも上っています。行方不明者の方々は、今もがれきの下や、海の中にいらっしゃるのかもしれません。亡くなった方や行方不明者の方々の悲しみは、想像をはるかに超えるものだと思います。どうか、一日も早く行方不明者の方々が見つかることを願ってやみません。

To Find Whether My Family is Safe

On 13 and 14 March, 2011 -.

What people want to know best is whether their family are safe when natural disasters occur.  Phone did not work next day neither, so many people were using Twitter, social networking services, google person finders to get information of their family.  Most of the time, I was checking information on Twitter and share them with my friends and people from my hometown.  I thought information is the most vital.  Even if they are small pieces of information, when many of them are accumulated, they will be useful to capture what happened in my hometown as a whole.

I registered my parents name on Google Person Finder, and sent an email to a local radio station so that they would read aloud the name of my parents.  They were reading aloud all messages from listeners for 24 hours.  I understood how a local radio was important because listeners may have a portable radio though they cannot watch tv, and they tell us very detailed information such as who are looking for whom, which roads are available, and which shelter does not have enough foods, etc...  Besides, the national broadcasting and large private tv stations could not work on these and were not very helpful to grasp the local condition.  I also wrote how my classmates in Lund were worrying about them.  I knew there was no electricity and my parents might not be listening to the radio, but I wanted to do try everything I could do.  So did many people, I guess.

One of the most important information were satellite and aerial photos of my hometown.  You can see which areas were devastated by the tsunami from the photos.  The coastal areas were mostly destroyed as you can see in the aerial photos.

Centre of Kamaishi

North of Kamaishi

Rikuzen Takata

I got to know the houses near by the coast in my home area were washed out.  The tsunami came to the train station, but it seemed it did not go further.  The tsunami did not reach my home because its altitude is a little high though it is just about 1.2 km away from the coast.  I got to know my home seemed safe.  But I could not know where were my parents when the earthquake occurred.  If they were in the downtown...such a negative imagination comes out many times.

According to the news and information on Twitter, there were many people evacuated from the tsunami and they were in a public shelter, but they really lacked of foods and water.  It was very cold for them because the temperature was below 0 and it was snowing.  What made it worse was there was no electricity and oil, so the condition in the shelters.  Each public shelter made lists of evacuees, and the prefecture police office collects them and showed them online.  These are quite important information source for us.

Later, I found there was my mother's name on the list.  She seemed to be in the city court in the downtown of Kamaishi.  But I was wondering where my father was.  Why they are not together...?

(Written by Take, Lund University)

My Hometown Was Devastated

11th March, 2011-.

Japan is a country which often experiences earthquakes.  Perhaps most of us are quite used to small shakes.  There was a news about a big earthquake occurred in north-eastern Japan on 9th March and a little height tsunamis came to the coastal cities.  I did not worry about it at all because the damage was quite small.

I went to the lecture around at 9:00 AM and met my teacher when I opened the door.  This day was one of the most important day for me since our group was going to give a presentation of a project.    I said him "good morning" and he responded me,

"Did you hear the news about the earthquake?"

I thought it was about the earthquake occurred 2 days ago, but it was not.  He said, "today" and "400 km northern from Tokyo."  I immediately opened the news web page and found the name of my hometown "Kamaishi" and "4.2 m tsunami (later I got to know it was over 10m)."  Another article said, "magnitude 8.9."  I was really shocked because I knew how tsunami at this height was powerful and destructive, and thought of safety of my parents soon.  I made a phone call to my father, but it did not work.  "The phone lines are full", I thought.  All of my classmates became quiet when they heard the conversation between the teacher and me, and someone said, "Japan is prepared for this kind of natural disasters, so they will manage well."  But I knew this was the different.  I could not be optimistic at all and got a little panic , and went to another room to be alone and calm down.

I called and sent emails to my parents many times, but I could not make it.  The more I reloaded the web page, the more bad news came.  It was easy to guess so many people were already washed out.  Later, the international news was showing the video of my hometown.  The massive tsunami was washingout ships and cars, and roads were disappeared.  On another video, the buildings in the downtown of Kamaishi was being destroyed by tsunami, and collapsed houses were spreading out dust into the sky.  The sky was becoming gray and gray with the dust.  I could not believe it.  Is this my hometown where I grew up for 18 years?  Is this the city I walked just 2 months ago?  Yes, my hometown was being devastated.

After going back home, I checked different types of news to know what happened in my home region Tohoku (North East) Region, and tried to contact with my family.  The media broad-casted overall information such as height of tsunami, which cities got damaged, how many people were missing...  But there was no detailed information about my hometown such as which areas were destroyed, where did people evacuated, etc...  Later, I got to know the reasons were simple: the cell phone tower was collapsed, fixed phones were not available, the internet in local areas was not available.  From the news, I got to know many coastal cities in north-eastern Japan had severely damaged by the tsunamis.  Kesennuma in Miyagi Prefecture had oil spilled, which made huge fires in the downtown.  Minami Soma had the large crop fields were covered with dark colored sea water and huge debris.  Many coastal cities experienced over 10 m tsunami, and a lot of lives were immediately taken.  It was too early that tsunami came after the earthquake, only 30-60 mins after the earthquake.  Many people tried to run away from the tsunamis, but the time was not enough.

I really worried about my parents, relatives, and friends.  Eventually I had been watching news until 6 a.m. on the next day.  But there was little useful information.

(Written by Take, Lund University)