Archives
December 12, 2012
Peace Boat is active in post Hurricane Sandy relief efforts, reciprocating the support extended to Japan from US citizens following the March 11 disaster.
September 1, 2012
Interview with Mizuno Masaya, head of the local Social Welfare Council, regarding cooperation with Peace Boat in relief activity for the flooding in northern Kyushu in July-Aug 2012.
February 5, 2012
Volunteers are active helping to collect scallop shells to use for the cultivation of oysters to help the local fishing industry recover.
December 29, 2011
Located in the Pacific Ocean, the entire island of Kinkasan is considered to be sacred areas of Koganeyama Shrine. To once again enable people to visit the island comfortably, organizations belonging to the Ishinomaki Disaster Recovery Assistance Council gathered to implement the “Kinkasan Support Project” between December 19 and 23.
December 26, 2011
The 24 minute documentary, "One Step Towards Recovery - Ties Between Survivors and Volunteers" is now available on line!
December 8, 2011
Pal System Consumers Cooperative Union has been carrying out relief activities since soon after the disaster.
November 28, 2011
Peace Boat has just finished two months of emergency relief work in Wakayama Prefecture.
November 24, 2011
Many factories and industries affiliated with fisheries suffered serious damage in the tsunami, and relief to support the recovery of the fishing industry is now going on.
November 18, 2011
The Ganbatte365 project has continued to produce videos showing disaster relief efforts such as the two videos shown on this page.
November 17, 2011
The fishing industry assistance volunteers are now also helping to build vegetable plots on land.
October 26, 2011
As of October 11, all evacuation centres of Ishinomaki have been closed. Peace Boat plans to continue supporting the local community such as through provision of newspapers to temporary housing.
October 14, 2011
October 10, 2011
On October 1, the Takahashi Tokuji Store, established in 1905, recommenced business operations. This report is about the “fire-lighting ceremony” which was held to celebrate this occasion.
October 8, 2011
Report following the activities of Cleaning Assistant Director Ichijo Kenji (Part 2).
October 6, 2011
This report follows Cleaning Team Assistant Director Ichijo Kenji, who has been in Ishinomaki since March 21 and is responsible for debris clearance and home cleaning activities.
September 20, 2011
On September 11, 6 months after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, 10 high school students from Tochigi Prefecture came to help with Peace Boat's debris removing volunteer activities.
Second in a series of photographs of scenery in Ishinomaki, this time by photographer Kataoka Kazushi.
September 17, 2011
Taylor Anderson was an assistant English teacher from the US who lost her life in the tsunami. 4 members of her family volunteered with Peace Boat in her beloved Ishinomaki on September 8.
September 16, 2011
On September 9 approximately 30 volunteers participated in the Festival at Hayamahime Temple Festival Temple, which is located in the Oginohama area of the Oshika Peninsula.
September 14, 2011
September 11, 2011
Peace Boat has completed cleaning of over 1,200 locations in Ishinomaki, including homes, shops, schools, drains and cemeteries. These photos show scenes before and after volunteer efforts.
September 9, 2011
Peace Boat first met Mr Nakazato on July 2 at the Ogatsu Recovery Market. He is a fisherman in Funakoshi, a small village of 320 people before the disaster where the tsunami destroyed most homes.
September 7, 2011
Recently volunteers have become busy with cleaning graves and the surrounding areas, as local residents have requested help to have the graves cleaned by the time of the coming equinox.
September 2, 2011
The "Dani-buster" team been working since June, and is in charge of cleaning bedding, pest control and in particular removing bed bugs in the more than 60 evacuation centers in Ishinomaki area.
August 23, 2011
On August 7, the closing ceremony of the Dougenin Temple evacuation center was held. Established soon after the earthquake and tsunami, this centre has helped to protect the residents of Ishinomaki.
August 19, 2011
August 17, 2011
The collection of the Kinoya store “Cans of Hope” has been completed! Peace Boat volunteers worked with factory employees to collect and sort the 80,000 cans of local seafood since June 28, 2011.
August 15, 2011
Peace Boat staff Kobayashi Shingo entered Ishinomaki on March 17, and for the past 5 months has been working daily to link governmental and civilian agencies and groups there.
August 5, 2011
On the 2nd day of the Kawabiraki Festival, many high-spirited voices flew about the Ishinomaki shopping arcade, an area previously full of rubble now significantly recovered.
August 4, 2011
The Ishinomaki Kawabiraki (“River Opening”) Festival was held in Ishinomaki on July 31 - August 1, with volunteers working with the local community to create an event of memorial and fun.
July 27, 2011
UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office Minister of State Jeremy Browne and British Ambassador David Warren visited Peace Boat's Central Kitchen.
July 25, 2011
Peace Boat volunteers are assisting to salvage fishing items such as ropes and buoys, and to support the revival of the local oyster farming industry.
July 12, 2011
Volunteers, including many only staying in Ishinomaki for just a weekend, have completely cleaned a community swimming pool of mud in just 2 days, providing an important place for local kids to play.
July 11, 2011
Volunteers are clearing mud from the local swimming pool together with children and their parents who frequented the pool before the disaster and are looking forward to its reopening this summer.
July 10, 2011
Upon request of local fishermen, Peace Boat is now supporting the rebuilding of livelihoods through gathering fishing equipment that was dispersed and damaged by the tsunami.
July 9, 2011
Photographs by Ueno Yoshinori of the situation and clean up activities at the fishing port of Koami Kurahama on the Oshika Peninsula, Miyagi Prefecture (1 hour from Ishinomaki).
July 7, 2011
Infrastructural reconstruction is progressing, yet as roadside drains are still filled with sludge water cannot yet be used. Volunteers are now working to clear these drains and restore running water.
June 4, 2011
The Moriya Fruit and Vegetable Store was the first shops in Ishinomaki's central street to reopen, on April 13 - just 1 month after the disaster. Such openings provide an important hope for recovery.
June 1, 2011
"I really wanted to protect even just this one tree." Nine cars were piled up in this large persimmon tree during the tsunami, and this tree protected a local family's house from being swept away.
May 31, 2011
These photos represent the city at its current state, 2 wo months since the tsunami. Shops have slowly begun to open their doors for business, yet full recovery is still a long way away.
May 30, 2011
"Every bit helps. All you need is empathy, to put yourself in the shoes of the survivors," says Peace Boat staff Ueshima Yasuhiro. “Alone, people become despondent....but together, they gain courage."
In 2004, Sri Lanka experienced a tsunami, and now 15 Sri Lankans are volunteering in Ishinomaki. “We experienced the same tragedy, so we understand the needs of the survivors.”