Background Following the 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami and the subsequent Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant meltdown, CREST in partnership with Fukushima Inochino Mizu and under the leadership of Tsuboi Sensei, has distributed drinking water to families in Koriyama until 2014. Last year, CREST sponsored the Children’s Christmas Party. This year, CREST sponsored the supply of utensils, appliances, furniture and equipment for the Grandma and Child Cafetaria (おばあちゃんと子ども食堂) that is scheduled to begin operating in June.
Objectives of the Trip
Project evaluation and preparation for closure.
Team Members
Leader: Olivia Chan from CREST
Treasurer, Interpreter and Guide: Wong Lee Sin (OM missionary in Tome 2014-2016)
Travel Events 10/04/17, 1505 hrsArrive Narita Airport. Immigration and customs; collect Japan Railway East Pass; collect Pupuru mobile wifi.
Activities
Santa House, FukushimaInochinoMizu in Koriyama. Safe drinking water for families with expecting mothers and young children. The water is donated by wholesalers in Japan.
Santa House, FukushimaInochinoMizu in Koriyama. A cozy corner for mothers to meet and exchange info and ideas. Used clothes for fund-raising. Kitchen to be renovated for use in the Grandma & Children’s Cafetaria project.
Koriyama: Dosimeter readings differ at different distance from the ground. Resident groups and NGOs create maps of radioactive hotspots in their neighbourhood. They also do research on ways to reduce contamination in water, e.g. by using photosynthetic bacteria.
Koriyama: We interviewed a group of mothers who are receiving water from Santa’s House. They did not wish to be photographed or videotaped.
Tomioka, 13km from Daiichi nuclear plant: Contaminated topsoil being removed. The famous cherry trees are trimmed and wrapped in protective sheets. The government wants the evacuees to move back to their homes starting 01 April. More info at http://www.japantimes.co.jp/
Minami Sanriku: There are only a handful of families still living in the 2 temporary housing projects we visited. New housing provide by the government. Rev. Nakazawa (5th from left) from Tohoku Help has been working among the displaced families since the onset of the disaster. More info at http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/