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38|SMILEOFJAPAN|TRAVELVOLUNTEERPROJECTCITIESMIYAGIAT2.46PMON11THMARCH,ABOUTHALFAMINUTEINTOTHEEARTHQUAKE,YOKOMATSUMOTOWASEVACUATEDFROMTHETHIRDFLOOROFHEROFFICEBLOCKANDINTOAPUBLICPARKWITHHUNDREDSOFOTHERPEOPLEINCENTRALSENDAI.THEWORLDSHOOKFORANOTHER90SECONDS,GLASSCRACKING,PAVEMENTSRUPTURING.SOONATSUNAMIWARNINGWOULDRINGOUT.PEOPLELOOKEDTOTHESKY,THEONLYSTABLETHINGAROUNDTHEM,ANDITBEGANTOSNOW.YOKO,NOWOURGUIDE,TOLDUSALLTHISASWELOOKEDOUTACROSSTHECITYFROMTHEOLDCASTLESITE,SITUATEDHIGHONAHILL.ITWASDIFFICULTTOGUESSWHERETHEDAMAGEMIGHTHAVEOCCURRED:HALFAYEARISALONGTIMEINTOHOKU’SBIGGESTCITYANDNOWJUSTAFEWTRACESOFTHEEVENTREMAIN.FROMTHISVANTAGEPOINT,THEONLYTELL-TALESIGNISAFALLENGOLDENKITESTATUEFROMTHETOPOFANEARBYWARMEMORIAL.FOLLOWINGTHEEARTHQUAKEANDTSUNAMI,THEPOWERSTAYEDOFFINSENDAIFORAFEWDAYS,ANDTHEGASWASOUTFORNEARLYAMONTH.TRAINLINESWEREBUCKLED,ROADSRUINED,ANDMOSTTHINGSCLOSETOTHESHOREFLOODED.AHANDFULOFANCIENTBUILDINGSWEREDAMAGED.INNUMERABLEINCONVENIENCESANDDELAYSWERECAUSED,BUT,OVERALL,ITWASN’TACATASTROPHE.ASWEDROVEAROUNDISHINOMAKISIXMONTHSLATER,ITWASCLEARTHATNOTEVERYWHEREGOTOFFSOLIGHTLY.ONLYANHOURAWAY,TONEW-COMERS,WHAT’SLEFTOFTHEMINAMIHAMANEIGHBOURHOODLOOKSLIKEARAMSHACKLECONSTRUCTIONSITE.FORPEOPLEWHO’VEBEENHEREFROMTHESTART,THATISAMAZINGPROGRESS.ASHESHOWEDUSAROUNDTHEAREA,TETSUYAAPOLOGISEDFORBEINGALITTLETIRED,BLAMINGOUR“LATENIGHTBUSINESSMEETING.”REGARDLESS,THEMANFROMKYOTOWASPROUDTOSHOWUSAROUNDTHEFIRSTHOUSEHEHELPEDTOCLEARMONTHSEARLIER.THEPLACEWASBARE,BUTCLEANANDSTRUCTURALLYSOUND.THEOWNERHADSURVIVEDANDWASCONSIDERINGWHETHERORNOTTOMOVEBACK.FROMTHERE,TETSUYADROVEUSTOALITTLEMAKE-SHIFTSHRINEINTHEMIDDLEOFAGREATFLATEXPANSE.THECONCRETEFOUNDATIONWASADORNEDWITHDAY14SEPTEMBER29THSENDAI,MIYAGISIXMONTHSLATER–PARTTWOTHEBELONGINGS,EVERYDAYKNICKNACKSFROMLOSTLIVES. THEINITIALWAVESTORETHROUGHMINAMIHAMAPICKINGUPHOUSESWHOLE,THEIRWALLSSTRONGERTHANTHEIRCONNECTIONTOTHEGROUNDITSELF.THETSUNAMITHENTHREWEVERYTHINGINTOTHESIDEAHILLHALFAMILEORSOBACKFROMTHESHORE,ANDREBOUNDEDBACKOUTTOSEAWHEREITWASMETBYOTHERINCOMINGWAVES.THECOLLISIONSHADADEVASTATINGAFFECTONTHESUNKENNEIGHBOURHOODBELOW;VIRTUALLYEVERYTHINGWASDESTROYEDORDAMAGED,THEGROUNDEXCORIATED.ITWASASTHOUGHATITANHADTAKENASTEELBRUSHTOTHEFLESHOFTHEEARTH.“WHATDIDYOUFEELWHENYOUFIRSTGOTHERE?”ASKEDKATYWITHTEARSINHEREYESASWEAPPROACHEDTHEMEMORIAL.“WELLHOWDOYOUFEEL?”SAIDTETSUYA,INITIALLYLAUGHING,THENBURSTINGINTOSUDDENTEARS:“ITWASHELL...ITHOUGHTITWOULDTAKE100YEARSTOCLEARIT,BUTHEREWEAREAFTERJUSTSIXMONTHS.”INORDERFORTHEONTHEROADTEAMTOBEEFFICIENT,THEIRTASKSAREDIVIDEDACCORDINGTOTHEIREXPERTISE.FORTHEMENIALJOBS,THEYWORKINROTASANDSHIFTS.REGARDLESSOFTHEIRTASK,THEYDOITWITHPOLITENESSANDWITHOUTCOMPLAINT.BEINGABLETOMEETTHEMWASAHUMBLING,ALMOSTAWKWARDEXPERIENCEFORUS.WEARETRAVELLINGAROUNDTHECOUNTRY,STAYINGINCOMFORTABLE,EVENLUXURIOUSACCOMMODATION;THESEGUYSSLEEPINTENTSANDLEAVECAMPAT7AMEVERYDAY.SOONWINTERWILLHITTHISAREAHARD,ANDTHELIKESOFMYFRIENDTETSUYAHAVESPENTTHEIRWHOLELIVESSOFARINTHECOMPARATIVELYWARMSOUTH.IFOUREFFORTSCOUNTFORANYTHINGATALL,THEYWILLSURELYBETOHELPTHEFINALPARTOFJAPAN’SRECOVERY,THEONEINWHICHTOURISTSCOMEBACKTOTHECOUNTRY.BUTTHESEPEOPLE,THEALTRUISTICTHOUSANDSOFVOLUNTEERSFROMAROUNDTHEWORLD,WERE–ANDCONTINUETOBE–THEFIRSTPART,THEMOSTIMPORTANT.
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