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CITIESTHELOSSANDIMMEDIATEAFTERMATHAREHARDTOFULLYCOMPREHEND.WHAT’SEASIERTOGRASPISTHEOUTPOURINGOFEMOTIONANDRESULTANTGENEROSITYOFTHEARMIESOFVOLUNTEERS(THEREWERESAIDTOBEOVER50,000ATONEPOINT)THATARRIVEDTOHELPINAREASLIKETHISUPANDDOWNTHESTRICKENCOASTLINE.UNTILTHEGREATEARTHQUAKEOF2011,THEONTHEROADCHARITYHADBEENDOINGTHEIRWORK OVERSEAS,PRIMARILYBUILDINGSCHOOLSINIMPOVERISHEDJAMAICANANDINDIANVILLAGES.THEYDIDN’THAVEEXPERIENCEINDISASTERRECOVERY,BUTTHEYSOONLEARNED.MONTHSOFLABOURING,MAKINGHEARTBREAKINGDISCOVERIESINRUINEDHOUSES,ANDENDLESSCLEANINGCHORESLATER,THETEAMHAVEEXPERTISETHEY’DPROBABLYPREFERNOTTOHAVE.YET,THEREGRET,IFTHEREISANY,ISWELLHIDDENATTHEIRBASECAMPOF100VOLUNTEERSNEAROSAKICITY.AMONGTHEIRNUMBERISTETSUYAHORINOUCHI,A32-YEAR-OLDCALLIGRAPHERFROMKYOTO.HEARRIVEDHEREON26THMARCHWITHOUTREALLYKNOWINGWHATTOEXPECT.DESPITEEVERYTHINGHE’SSEENANDHADTODO,HE’SBEENHERESIXMONTHSANDPLANSTOSTAYPERMANENTLY.HISYOUNGFAMILYWILLJOINHIMWHENTHEYCAN;THEY’VEALREADYBEENHEREONCE,WIFEANDTHREEDAUGHTERS,TOSEEWHATDADDYISDOINGAWAYFROMHOME.HISTWO-YEAR-OLDCHIPPED-INANDGAVEOUTBOTTLESOFWATERTOTHERELIEFWORKERS.ONEOFTETSUYA’SREACTIONSTOTHEMASSIVELOSSOFLIFEONTHATDAYWASTOCREATEMORE–HISWIFEWILLHAVETHEIRFOURTHCHILDINJANUARY,THEIRFIRSTBOY.THOUGHITWILLTAKEHIMAFEWYEARSTOGRASPTHECONCEPT,HEWILLONEDAYBEVERYPROUDOFHISFATHER,PERHAPSTHEMOSTLIKEABLE,HONESTANDSELFLESSPERSONWE’VEMETSINCEARRIVINGINJAPAN.ALLDAYTETSUYATOLDUSEVERYTHINGHEKNEWABOUTTHETSUNAMIANDITSAFTERMATH,ALWAYSMEETINGOUREYESWHENHESPOKE,NEVERPLAYINGUPHISOWNPARTINTHERECOVERY.NOTTHATHEWASPO-FACED.WHENIPROUDLYTOLDHIMI’DMANAGED36BOWLSOFNOODLESINAGLUTTONOUSDISPLAYOFWANKOSOBA,HELAUGHEDATMYCHILDISHEFFORT,PUTHISHANDONMYSHOULDER,ANDTOLDMEHISRECORDSTANDSAT100.WELIKEDHIMINSTANTLY.BUTIFINDTHEFACTTHATHEHADTOGIVEUPSOMUCHTOHELPALITTLEHARDTOSTOMACH.WHILEWORKINGINDUBAI,ISAWMONSTROUSLYLAVISHBUILDINGSTHROWNUPINTOTHESKYINJUSTAFEWSHORTMONTHS,BUILTWITHOILMONEY,SPECULATIVEMILLIONSANDTHESUFFERINGOFBATTALIONSOFDOWNTRODDENINDIANLABOURERS.ITWASDONEFORPROFITANDSHOWMANSHIP,YETITWASDONEQUICKLYANDWELL.THERE’SNONEOFTHATHEREINMIYAGI,NORINIWATE,NORANYOTHERPARTOFTHEAFFECTEDTOHOKUREGION.THANKFULLY,THEREISTETSUYA,ANDAFEWTHOUSANDPEOPLELIKEHIM,FOLKWHOSEGENEROSITYANDMASOCHISTICWORKETHICHAVEHELPEDRECOVERTHELANDFROMHOPELESSNESS.FOLKLIKEHISSIMILARLY-NAMEDFRIENDTATSUYA,ALSOFROMTHESOUTHOFHONSHU,WHOSHELVEDPLANSTOPURSUEASURFINGCAREERINAUSTRALIATODRIVE22HOURSACROSSJAPAN’SLARGESTISLANDTOTHEAIDOFHISCOUNTRYMEN.INITIALLYHEPLANNEDTOSTAYAMONTH,NOWHEISCOMMITTINGHIMSELFFORTWOYEARS.HETOLDMETHISWITHABEERINHISHANDASWESHIVEREDGENTLYNEARABARBEQUEATTHEVOLUNTEER’SVILLAGE.WETOASTEDHISDEDICATIONUNDERANOPENSKY,ANDBOTHSILENTLYWISHEDTHATNONEOFITHADHAPPENED,ANDTHATHE’DNEVERHADTOCOMEHEREINTHEFIRSTPLACE.DAY14SEPTEMBER28THONAGAWA,MIYAGI
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