Ishinomaki Volunteer Weekend

This weekend I ventured out into the north of Japan again. Instead of just visiting this time, I went out to a town called Ishinomaki to do some volunteer work to help with the recovery from the tsunami and earthquake last March. I had a long weekend due to a national holiday so it was really the only time I could get out there and have it be worth my time. It was an EXHAUSTING weekend but it was also super rewarding!

I stayed and worked with an organization called “It’s Not Just Mud”. I was super grateful to them as they were one of the only organizations that didn’t require that I know Japanese or have a background in construction. 

As soon as I was picked up at the station by one of the volunteers, it was evident that this area was pretty hard hit. The house that I stayed at is in the actual disaster zone. It was a house that the government deemed unlivable but the volunteers fixed up. It definitely wasn’t a completed house but it was a roof over our heads with running water, electricity, and some heaters which everyone was very grateful for. 

The house. The girls bedroom/dining room

I dropped my things off at the house, had some toast, and started to gear up. I had bought some materials that the website told us to pack but nothing I had was quite sturdy enough so I had to borrow gloves, goggles, a mask, and overalls from the organization. We piled into a van and headed off to the outskirts of the town closer to the ocean. It was amazing to see some of the devastation that still is there even after a year. We passed piles of garbage and mud, a huge lot of cars just waiting to be claimed, a water tower tossed in between the road that still hadn’t been moved, and even a barge that was still stuck on land. As opposed to the Sendai disaster zone I saw a couple of weeks ago, houses were still standing here. The people who live there had boarded up windows and put tarps over some of the gaping holes just to keep the wind and cold out. 

A water tower still sitting in the middle of a highway divide which has been turned into a kind of memorial.

Piles of trash and debris

We went to what I think used to be a laundry mat. Our main objective was to shovel mud off of the floor so it could be used to store a play set that the owner wanted to build for his grandchildren.  It struck me that even after a year, there was still mud to be shoveled out of homes. Luckily it was dried out so it wasn’t too heavy or messy. We had to be very careful with the mud. The resident nurse pointed out that it is still highly toxic. All the mud from the tsunami contains chemicals from all the houses and cars that sat in it for days. It also contains molds and germs from the bodies of people and fish. Making sure every part of your body was covered was key. It was a difficult task. We made some great progress, though, and nearly finished the whole thing in one day!

After a hard day’s work, we all got to head to the onsen, a public bathhouse. With over 20 volunteers living in the house and only one shower, the public bathhouses are the best option for everyone to get clean and relax. Onsens are pretty much like spas. They are amazing and wonderful! The one that we went to had five indoor ones and one outdoor one. Personally, the outdoor one is my favorite. The heat of the water contrasts with the cold air to allow you really sit and soak in the hot spring. You literally feel like jelly afterwards because it is so hot and relaxing.

Once we got home from the bath, we all had dinner together. Volunteers cooked together and we all sat around three small tables. It was a great time to really get to know and bond with the other volunteers. I met a lot of totally amazing people from all over the world. We all cracked a few beers and chatted for hours after dinner. The food and company was very satisfying and who could ask for more than that?

Me with some of the wonderful ladies that I met.

For days two and three we basically followed the same schedule except the work task changes. On days two and three we went to Ayukawa, a nearby village, to help an adorable old man with his home. He lives close to the river and the tsunami and typhoon that happened in September knocked down the walls he had built to protect his foundation from the water. As a result, the ground under his house and shed were corroding. One corner of the shed was literally hanging over the river.

And this was after we had started to build the wall. None of those rocks used to be there.

 We had to go up stream and collect the large rocks he had used to build the walls in the first place, bring them back down to his house, and help him rebuild the wall. Those stones were so heavy. I can get really competitive since most of my friends are guys so I was trying hard to keep up with the guys in terms of rock size. I for sure got in one incredible upper body workout! 

working as one to move the rocks

We ate lunch in the city in temporary business units, basically temporary housing for restaurants and small shops. It was really nice to feel like we were contributing to the small business owners as well.On one day I even felt particularly adventurous and tried the local specialty: whale. That's right, I ate whale meat. It basically looked like bacon tossed in my curry. I couldn't really taste since it was in curry but now I can say I've eaten whale. Still not sure if that is awesome or not but, hey, had to give it a shot.

That's the whale curry

Temporary business housing

On day two, instead of going with the large group to go to the onsen, myself and a couple others ventured to the seawall to go on a photo excursion.  I cannot describe to you how much destruction there still was there to see. The thing that blew my mind was the actual sea wall barrier. It had literally been shattered by the tsunami. The force was so great that there were chunks of wall and concrete from the road tossed almost a mile away from the force. It was like looking at something out of an apocalyptic science fiction movie.

The remains of a house

The sun setting on the bits of debris

Stairs that used to lead to the beach. These barriers literally exploded from the force of the tsunami. They were probably a couple of yards from where they used to be. Impressive considering it used to be a reinforced concrete barrier.

A destroyed school right next to the sea wall. There is still some standing water from a combination of the tsunami and typhoon.

The people who are living and working here are truly amazing for being able to pick up the pieces and move on. They are so grateful for the help that others are giving them. I hope that I may be able to go back some time and lend a hand again. It was an amazing and humbling experience.