Q1: How long have you lived by the sea?
A: My ancestors have lived here by the sea for generations.

Q2: What made you want to participate in the “Now, Here Project?”
A: First, I wanted more people to help, and I wanted to interact with various people and hear lots of stories.  I wanted them to see the current condition of Fukkiura too.

Q3: What were some good parts and difficult parts of participating?
A: A good point is that I got to meet a lot of different people, and listen to them speak, and show them the current condition of the seaside.  If you say for work, in truth I wanted them to shuck oysters.  But, because of the earthquake the total number of oysters harvested this year was small.  It was difficult because since their stay was only about a week, all they could do was learn.

Q4: What is the number one lasting impression you got from participating?
A: By chance, my birthday fell during the time when I was being helped. I got a present from the people helping me. I was so delighted.

Q5: In the future, what kind of person do you want to see help?
A: Anyone is fine as long as they are enthusiastic. Look at the current condition of the seashore, feel it, and if they work together and help, that much is fine. I’m looking forward to meeting people who have read this.

As the post-tsunami aid efforts move into assistance for the long-term reconstruction and economic rehabilitation of the afflicted areas, it is vital to take into consideration the character of the region and the difficulties it was facing even prior to the disaster to ensure that the support can be sustainable.

As in many other rural areas in Japan, Ishinomaki is suffering from the effects of an aging population. This is particularly the case on the Oshika peninsula area, which depends entirely on the fishing industry.

The 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake & Tsunami damaged 100% of the 44 fishing ports, as well as 200 fish processing factories in Ishinomaki. Most fishing facilities and fishing gear was lost or damaged, and more than 90% of fishing boats were rendered unusable.

Recovery of the fishing industry is key to the regeneration of the area, but the human resources crisis – exacerbated by the disaster, since approximately 11,000 people were either lost in the tsunami or have since left the area – is crucial.

Peace Boat now aims to contribute to the regeneration of the local economy by finding ways to match the needs of the local people with the enthusiasm and energy of young people from outside of the region. We have launched the “Now, Here Project,” inspired by the worldwide “WWOOF” movement. This aims to act as a liaison between the fishing families who need help with their businesses and people who wish to stay with them and support their farming in return for food and accommodation.

Here is a story of the experiences of a participant, Yuuki, and how he spent his four days in Fukkiura, a fishing village on the Oshika Peninsula.

——————————————————————————————————————-
7:00　　　　 　Wake Up – Breakfast
8:00　　　　 　Begin seeding seaweed
9:00~10:30　 Take a break and stroll on the beach
10:30~12:00    Sorting oysters and mussels
12:00~13:00　Cooking fresh oysters and mussel for lunch
13:00　　　　 Finish Work
13:00~14:00　Fishing basket: caught rockfish, bokke, and greenling!
14:00~16:00　Surf-fishing: caught a bokke!
16:30　　　　 Return to the accommodations at the Fukkiura Hall.
18:00~20:30　Take a bath at the beneficiary fisherman’s home and chat
20:30~23:00　Meet with other participants at the Fukkiura Hall and chat
23:00　　　　 Sleep

——————————————————————————————————————-

Seeding seaweed

Oysters taste great!

The bokke almost bit me!!

After work, we fish.

Yuuki looks back on his days spent experiencing life at the seashore:

“Honestly speaking, I’m glad I participated. The time spent was a lot of fun.  It was certainly because of working with the fishermen, and it’s definitely an experience you can’t normally do, but during those four days, I felt within myself something you might call excitement for Fukkiura, and as I worked together with the fishermen, the feeling that I became a sea person myself grew.
I got the impression when speaking with the fishermen that everyone faces different concerns and hardships in reality – the people still living by the sea, those who live in temporary housing near the sea, and finally those who are now living in temporary housing in the town an hour from the sea. Through living those four days together there, I experienced what it was like to become a member of the fishing community.
In seeing how the earthquake affected them, and knowing the reality of it all, plus catching and eating the rockfish, bokke (winter specialty of Ishinomaki!) and greenling, I had a unique seaside experience.”

Even learning about the current condition of the seashore and working with the fishermen helps a little.
The “Now, Here Project” is in full effect!!!

Paul first came to Ishinomaki all the way from Australia in April last year soon after the disaster struck. A veteran international volunteer, Paul he has now joined Peace Boat’s disaster relief efforts four times, playing an important role in the reconstruction process of Ishinomaki and support of survivors.

Sharing souvenir kangaroos and koalas with local friends

Paul was first involved in disaster relief work following the Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake, visiting Thailand in 2005 with Australian police and specialised organisations.

Learning that so many people had been affected by the 11 March disaster, he gave a lot of consideration as to what contribution could be made, and decided to come to Japan in April. The first three trips to Japan were funded by Paul himself, but the most recent trip was sponsored by an initiative of the Japan Australia Friendship Association (JAFA) in Adelaide, Australia.

On this most recent visit, Paul was accompanied by his partner Fiona, Kelly Morelli, James Lawler and Richard Jones.

Their activities reached the ears of the Australian Ambassador to Japan Bruce Miller, and the group was invited to the Ambassador's Residence prior to Paul's fourth volunteer visit.

Paul has noticed a great deal of change in the tasks assigned to volunteers over his four trips, as well as in Ishinomaki itself. Last year was almost all about cleaning up – filling countless numbers of bags with mud and debris, cleaning out homes, shops, streets and drains. This year was more about working with the locals on community-based projects such as the building of community gardens and helping  fishermen restore their fishing infrastructure.

Paul and colleagues cleaning the Ishinomaki streets in April, 2011

Creating gardens as support for residents of temporary housing in January 2012

Paul gives a koala to a local friend and fisherman

Paul and the team worked closely with local fishermen at various locations on the Oshika Peninsula. Sorting oyster shells, drilling holes in them and stringing them onto nylon ropes was an unusual experience for the group but it was essential to get the hoya (sea squirt) farming up and running again. The work was particularly satisfying, in that the team was able to work side by side with the fishermen and had time to talk with them about what happened and their plans for the future. Paul told us that it was remarkable how positive everyone seemed to be about the future, even though the recovery will clearly take a long time. Even more remarkable was their generosity. It seemed as if every time the group took a break a bag of something would come out  – cold drinks, ice creams, fresh fruit or a local delicacy. Paul says it was very moving and humbling for all the volunteers to be offered these things from the local people.

The group’s activities on the Oshika Peninsula have been introduced in this video by “Ganbatte 365″ – watch the English version embedded at the bottom of this article.

Paul has been very busy presenting about Tohoku in Australia, giving over 16 presentation to more than 1,000 people in businesses, schools, universities and service clubs. Paul says that the media do not report much if anything at all now about the situation in Tohoku nor the recovery efforts. Therefore, most people think that everything is now recovered, and things are “back to normal”. “I will make sure that the people of Tohoku are not forgotten,” Paul said. He is currently planning a 5th trip with more volunteers later this year.

Gambatte 365 video of Hoya Farming in Ishinomaki:

The northeastern coast, where the tsunami scooped out the face of the mountains and destroyed the embankment, is even now in a state with only temporary measures in place. It is said to take another 5 to 10 years before construction is completed in the areas where the ground needs to be raised.

Constructing full-scale buildings for settling down again for the long-term decades cannot happen until this ground work is completed. Meanwhile, in order to continue living by the shore despite the damage, fishing is the residents’ only way to survive.

Of course some choose to relocate and find a new job: this decision is just as difficult as those who decide to start their fishing and farming from scratch all over again. The Peace Boat fishery and coastal support team has conducted activities to support those who chose to be committed to the coastal recovery in this ordeal.

A member of the sea squirt farming association.

Yagawa on the Oshika Peninsula is known for having the top market share in shipping sea squirts, sending them throughout the whole of Japan. Probably many of the sea squirts eaten by people all over the country until now have been from this part of the coast.

Longline farming is in place to grow many sea squirts – this is a photo of a farming raft.

Oyster shells are tied in a raw, so-called “Karakko-zashi” to sink in the sea.

Here are the sea squirt seeds that were put underwater 6 months ago. The crop last year was zero due to the tsunami, and this year estimates are for 1/5th of an average crop, due to resource constraints. Simply shipping sea squirt seeds is not enough to help the future business recovery – parent sea squirts must also be grown.

The sea squirts stuck on oyster shells are shipped to manufacturers once they grow big enough to be confirmed by sight. The oyster shells are then hung down from farming rafts for 2-3 years, until they become adult enough to be harvested.

Since May this year, a total of 673 volunteer working days have been contributed for the Karakko-zashi work for the Yagawa sea squirt farming. We have just reached the target goal of 45,000 oyster shells.

Baby sea squirts growing slowly but strongly give us hope and energy for the future. Fishermen and volunteers continue to work moving forward, keeping in mind the future fully grown squirts!

Photos: Suzuki Shoichi

Each fisherman had their own storage room for fishing tools like ropes and nets before the earthquake. Since the tsunami swept them away, individual fishermen and groups purchased these containers to store their tools, with financial support from the prefectural government.

As the containers are plain brown, they are not a very appealing sight on the landscape, sitting on bare soil. So, in response to a request from fishermen from Koami-Kurahama, Peace Boat agreed to help make these containers instead into a symbol of recovery.

We collaborated with the ‘Onagawa Art Guild’, a group of designers and painters born and raised in Onagawa. Local paint dealers Kyoritsu Toryo and Komatsu Toryo provided paints and other tools. Peace Boat volunteers first prepared the case with anticorrosion and white paint, then began to draw the flags.
The first project was the container owned by Mr Okabe Kinya, a fisherman from Koami-Kurahama on the Oshika Peninsula. Its dimension was 2.4m x 2.6m x 12m, with a very bumpy surface. The volunteers first began by rinsing the container and removing the rust, and continued to consult with Mr Okabe about the final image.

The work was somewhat delayed by rain, and the paint also takes some time to dry. Thus, the work was planned in an efficient way, carrying out work on different stages of different containers at the same time – washing one container while painting another white, while the flag was being drawn on the next container, and so on.

It took eight days to complete the painting painting of the first container. The beautiful flag gives hope and motivation to whoever see sit. Mr Okabe is also happy, sharing that “people stop their cars and take photos of the flag. It is now my treasure.”

Peace Boat plans to continue this project, painting flags on 40 containers here and in and various fishing villages nearby.

This article features an interview with Komori Shizu, a participant in the 2nd program held in Oginohama, and local fisherman Fushimi Kaoru who hosted her.

Ms Komori Shizu (21 yrs old, Tokyo)

Q: Had you been involved in any emergency relief volunteer activities before?
A: I participated in a Peace Boat volunteer project held for a short period of  time (a weekend) and helped cleaning up, moving houses, and fishery work. Also I was involved in an activity organized by university volunteers in Kesennuma.

Q: Could you tell me why you decided to participate in “Oraho no hama taiken (My fishing village experience)?
A: My friend introduced me to it, but actually I had been wanting to return to Ishinomaki; my last volunteer experience there left a strong impression on me. Also, I wanted to have a little break from job hunting (laugh).

Q: How was the programme?
A: I expected more work based on my previous experience of helping the fishing industry, but this time it was more like a school excursion, put simply. I listened to fishermen’s stories about the disaster and their current situation. I felt and thought a lot… We also cooked seaweed and oysters together and talked a lot with them. It was a lot of fun. If I didn’t join this programme, I don’t think I would be able to imagine what kind of people live in the Oginohama area, what challenges they face, what the good things about the area are… After joining the programme, I have more ideas about what I can do and how I can get involved.
Anyhow, I would like everybody to try this program. I had never been involved in fishing or beaches before, but I was overwhelmed by their warm hospitality. I am really glad that I participated in it. I would definitely like to develop our relationship that I have built this time even more in the future.

=== Next, a fisherman from Oginohama.

Mr Fushimi Kaoru (47, fisherman, Oginohama)

Oginohama is believed to be a place where oyster farming  originated, and it  seems to be one of the origins of Tanekaki (Oyster baby) farming. The whole area of the Oshika Peninsula went on to introduce the Oginohama farming technique in the region. The oysters cultivated around the Sanriku coast contain rich minerals and are very delicious!

Oshika peninsula is famous for oyster farming.

Q: How was your interaction with participants of the “Oraho no hama taiken” (My fishing village experience)?
A: It is good that  people are interested in the fishing village. I was happy to get a chance to hear the real voice of people from outside. Not many people have actually visited the area before. Having people from outside can influence the attitudes and opinion of the local people. Eating caught fish together was also good in that we could see the faces of the consumers together.

Q: Do you have a message for people who would like to visit the area?
A: I would like people who don’t know anything about the bay area to understand that we live within nature. It will take a lot of time to recover our harvest. The issue of radiation is a concern, however we hope that many people will be able to enjoy eating our fish and visiting the beach.

※ Oginohama’s cooperative oyster farm, which had been built and supported by the community, was hugely damaged by the disaster. Because their oyster shipping factory was destroyed, the community decided to take on wakame seaweed farming as a new industry. Funds collected by participants in this programme will be donated to support the recovery of the farming industry in Oginohama, including reconstruction of the destroyed oyster shipping factory.

The ‘Funakoshi Ladies’ now famously make and sell necklaces and cellphone straps made from Ogatsu Stone, as well as “Kai-no-Netsuke (shell charms)”, a popular charm for happiness in marriage.

The Funakoshi Ladies started their handicraft business after giving Kai-no-Netsuke to disaster relief volunteers as a token of their appreciation. The ladies hoped that these little Japanese handcrafts would be popular particularly with international volunteers; in response, a group of international volunteers asked the ladies to make more, promising to take care of selling the items.

In Funakoshi today, there is only one legally habitable house left, and no space feasible for building temporary housing. Most of the locals of Funakoshi are living in temporary housing in central Ishinomaki since the tsunami. Mr Nakasato Koichi, the leader of Funakoshi fishermen, realized that the village of Funakoshi would have be abandoned, as outside support is only provided to areas with human activities. To keep Funakoshi alive, Mr Nakasato cleaned up the school building and convinced the local education council that Funakoshi locals could use the school to carry out various work and projects. Thus, in the school building, fishermen are now their maintaining fishing equipment and processing their harvest, while local women are working on handicrafts.

The audio-visual room on the 2nd floor of the school is left untouched in remembrance of the tsunami.

The handmade Ogatsu Stone accessories, for which orders come from both within and outside of Japan, were introduced to the Funakoshi group by Peace Boat.

Ogatsu Stone is a type of hard black slate that was formed 250 millionyears ago. It is a specialty product of the town of Ogatsu and famously made into stones used for ink in traditional calligraphy. The beautiful black slates have also been used as roofing tiles in Tokyo Station. Houses in Funakoshi traditionally used Ogatsu Stone for their roofing tiles as well. However, the tiles were found scattered throughout rubble and sludge after the tsunami.

Initially, Peace Boat volunteers collected the tiles and made them into necklaces and key chains for the Kawabiraki-Matsuri, a local summer festival. The necklaces were very popular, and so in September, Peace Boat volunteers visited Funakoshi to conduct necklace-making workshops.

First, smooth down the edges with a file and polish with a grinding stone,

drill a hole,

braid the string,

and it’s done!!

The below entry is written by one of the participants of the programme.

5:20am Getting Up
Rubbing our sleepy eyes and withholding our eagerness, we prepared ourselves for onboard works and rushed to the port.

6:10am Off to harvest the Wakame seaweed
Blowing away the nipping air, high-spirited voices of fishermen were echoing through the port. Leaping onboard and sailing offshore against the icy wind for 10 minutes, we arrived at the Wakame seaweed farming site where buoys with printed trade names were neatly arranged.
In contrast to the gill net fishing of the previous day, the Wakame farming site was situated out in  the open sea with rough waves. Staggering with pitching and rolling motion of the boat, we harvested Wakame seaweed grown densely over thick rope. Although our hands had completely lost the grip from icy water and wind, everybody was focused and giving their best.

10:45am Returning to the port
We returned to the port with loads of Wakame. It was quite an effort to bring Wakame filled baskets up on the shore.

10:55am   Selling
Once on the shore, the buyers and fishermen weighed the harvest together. Weighed Wakame seaweed is then thrown into a tank.

11:55am  Slicing off Mekabu
Slicing off Mekabu (kelp meal), pleats at the root of Wakame seaweed.  Using a special Y-shaped knife designed for the work, the mekabu part is sliced smoothly off. It feels so good when slicing goes well!

12:30pm Lunch
We learned how to make a local dish using Mekabu just being sliced off. It is so simple, yet so tasty! Highly recommended!!

- Mekabu Dish a la Sudachi Fishermen -
1. Chop up Mekabu according to your taste, place in a strainer, and pour boiling water over it.
2. Then place it in a bowl and mix with finely chopped naganegi onion.
3. Pour some men-tsuyu (sauce for Japanese style noodles). Bon apetit!!

13:15pm Aranami Oyster Bite-size Ownership application
Mr Ishimori insisted repeatedly, “I don’t want to force them!! Only if they want to support the reconstruction of oyster processing plant, then they should apply. Only if.”
It turned out that most of the participants applied. Thank you everyone for your support.
Tasty oysters will be delivered to their homes as soon as the reconstruction is done.
Wait till then!!

14:00pm Leaving Sudachi
Even thought the programme was only for a night and two days, participants fell absolutely in love with Sudachi/Fukiura. It was hard to leave. It was so touching to see everyone from the village coming out to see us off.

14:30pm Excursion to Onagawa & Minamihama

15:30pm Arriving at the volunteer shelter & cleaning up

16:35pm “Considering the future of the fishing village” workshop

This is a workshop to brainstorm about how volunteers can continue long-term support, by sharing our reflections and thoughts from the experience of the past couple of days. It is the most important part of the program in order for it to be truly meaningful and continuing, rather than merely being a one-off “volunteer experience” or “fun fishing experience”.

In the first half, each participant shared their thoughts, and in the latter half, they engaged in group discussions about “current challenges faced by the village” and “what will be needed, and how we could help” and shared what was discussed.

-Thoughts of participants-

• I felt strongly the drive of people for self-reliance and reconstruction. I saw needs for financial support, so I would like to share this with my community.

• Once again, I am convinced of the importance of damage mitigation.

• When I saw the fish market, I thought the reconstruction was underway. But when I saw the reality of the village and heard that oyster processing plant is not yet in place, I realised that there is still a long way ahead.

• I didn’t come as a so-called volunteer, so I felt a little uncomfortable being welcome to such extent. But I am grateful for being able to have such meaningful time as never before.

• Observing the work of fishermen, now I understand how tough their job is.

• Fooling around with the fishermen, and seeing them as human being, I felt connected. It was also great to have a firsthand experience of their job.

• I felt baffled with too much hospitality. It was great to know that they really appreciate the  volunteers.

• Now I know that fishermen spend everyday thinking of their next moves.

• I am very grateful for the hospitality of Sudachi/Fukiura fishermen. I would like to give something back to them someday.

• It was great to meet people and have heartfelt communication.

• I could see the reality from the perspective of the locals. I would like to share this with many people.

• I understood the importance of the oyster processing plant. I would like to tell people around me about the bite-size ownership programme.

• I felt quite moved to see that now they are shifting into a phase of intellectual work from physical work.

• Though Mr Ishimori had a smile in his face when talking, he seems to be carrying a burden, and he has no choice but to cope with that.

• It is important not to forget and to visit again.

“Current challenges” and “future support” (group presentation)

• Migration away from the area and lack of successors

Peace Boat coordinating staff Kobayashi Shingo’s comment: Ishinomaki has the third greatest outflow of population in the Tohoku region, with 4,000 people having died or missing, and about 5,000 relocated outside the prefecture. The city had been experiencing hardships because of its population aging or migration away from the area even before the disaster.

• No source of income other than fishery and aquaculture → More options may be needed.

Peace Boat staff Saza Shinsuke’s comment: It is very difficult to have employment other than within the fishing and aquaculture industries, especially considering cultural aspects.

• Little marketing of Aranami Oyster, Wakame seaweed, etc.

Saza: The main concern of fishermen is to be able to say “I caught the most!”’ Most are not concerned about other aspects (e.g. marketing). On the other hand, there are some who are trying something new including using blogs, iPads, and Facebook.
Participant: “Branding” is important. “Sudachi” or “from the disaster-affected areas ” is in a way a kind of originality. We need some effort to turn this into an added value.
Saza: Quality is important for branding. There will be more complex standards to meet. “Above this standard can be shipped out, the ones below cannot.” etc.
Participant: Branding doesn’t necessarily mean “creating a brand”. It is about doing something so that people would want a certain item specifically.
Participant: How about building a booth in a supermarket and alike, so that people can try the oysters at a reasonable price with ease>
Participant: Why not coming up with a new and delicious oyster recipe?

• Lack of oyster processing plant

=> spread the bite-size ownership system.
Kobayashi: I believe that people support the ownership because they have come and witnessed the local reality themselves. Given that not too many people can actually come, how can we spread the word?
Participant: A friend of mine is holding a photo exhibition to incur people’s interest in the disaster affected areas.
Kobayashi: This kind of idea doesn’t come from the fishermen. We need perspectives from outside.
Participants: Would it be possible to continue this bite-size ownership for a few years longer?
Kobayashi: That’s a good point, particularly because there would be less and less attention from people as time passes.
Saza: The ownership generates revenue. For this very reason, it is worth continuing.
Kobayashi: We could send an invitation for a second round of ownership when we ship out the oysters.

• Food safety

=> Check thoroughly for radioactivity.
Kobayashi: This is a deep rooted problem. It is important to be able to check accurately, and reassure of safety. Many people don’t trust the standards and figures provided by the government. So we may need to think of doing our own monitoring. But if the figures goes beyond limits, the community will not be able to ship out the harvest.

Finally, a message to all the participants from the Peace Boat staff who coordinate this programme – Kobayashi Shingo, Saza Shinsuke and Okumura Sanae.
Kobayashi: They may no longer need hands. But I would like to cherish this encounter in order to think of our course of future action. The exact nature may change, however I would like to continue the fishing experience program.
Saza: I believe that many were baffled with too much hospitality, including myself. Some might have felt that “they couldn’t be of any help at all”. But if they were to be of help, then it would be after this programme is over. It would be great if we could be “of their help” into the future by thinking what each one of us here can do, connecting with each other after the programme, and then staying connected with the locals here. These two days are just the beginning.
Okumura: I want as many people as possible to become “Sudachi/Fukiura Fans”. I believe that something great will happen from the network of these fans. I would like everyone who came here to remember the taste of the Aranami oysters and come back again.

18:55pm Dinner

20:30pm Departure

Though I participated as a reporter this time, I became enchanted by Sudachi/Fukiura in only two days. The taste of the juicy Aranami oysters and Wakame shabu-shabu (a Japanese hot pot dish) which I tried for the first time, the enthusiastic face of Mr Ishimori as he spoke about his community, the sunrise seen from the boat cutting through the rough waves, and above all the heartfelt communication beyond words with the local fishermen. I will never ever forget Sudachi/Fukiuwa even if I leave Ishinomaki one day.

At a later date, I received an email from a fisherman who I met at the exchange party.
“Thank you for coming and your work. I am filled with sense of gratitude whenever I see our community and city slowly being reconstructed. Please come by in a little while for sightseeing and all like normal.”
If it were not for the disaster, I would have never met these people, and I would have never come to this place. Yet, now I find myself feeling this place as “my second home” rather than just “a place I came to volunteer”, wondering “what I can do for these people”, and wanting to “come back for sure”.

Now that the number of problems which can be solved through extra pairs of hands or workforce is decreasing, the presence of more people with similar sentiments will lead to continuing support and then to further reconstruction.
The fishing experience programme will be continued in April and after, in different places and in different styles. We invite you all to experience the life of fishermen, meet with them, and think of next steps  to support together!

Wakame seaweed was aspect of this report.

We have received the good news that the wakame seaweed grown in the sea of Ishinomaki over the past 3-4 months will be able to be harvested !
So,  we would like to invite volunteers to harvest this together.

The first such programme will be held in Sudachi/Fukiura, Ojika peninsula.

The new project, “Volunteer Experience Fishing in Ishinomaki” mainly focuses on “exchange and experience,” rather than the provision of labour for the harvest. This including spending time together with local fishermen, sharing a homemade dinner on the coast, and and experiencing gill nets.

And, thanks to the kindness of the local community, volunteers in this project will be hosted and stay in the village itself.

（※This project will be held with a small group of volunteers as the capacity of fishing village is limited at a time.）

Going out to sea on a fishing boat provides a totally different view of the scenery.
And, staying in a fishing village allows volunteers to get to know the fishermen and local residents directly, rather than just working together in the field..

What can we do to provide support? It is important to do more than just one-time support or volunteering.

Through this programme, you can exchange with the fishermen,experience the sea as it is now, and consider the future of the fishing together.

※ To participate in this programme, in addition to 1000 yen (for the bus transportation),  volunteers will be asked to donate at least 10,000yen to be used directly for reconstruction of the beach areas.
Please click here for more details. (* Please note that you must speak Japanese in order to participate in this project.)

※ The second programme is planned to be held in Ogihama, and the third in Kobuchihama.

Volunteers try fish farming for their first time, giving them something new to learn.

This is how ‘karakkosashi’ (shell piercing) is done.

After the earthquake, people in the area were left jobless. Locals started to think “for everyone’s future living, we want to start shipping and selling oysters again by April.”

However, it takes 45 minutes to drive from the coastal area of Ogatsu Bay where many scallop shells are piled, to the work site in the mountainous area. The lifts that were previously used for this were washed away by the tsunami, and the previously neatly stored scallop shells have also been scattered. Many of them are damaged and require human hands to sort them into category and order before transportation.

However, many of the local residents working on the scallop shell gathering and oyster cultivation are elderly people living in temporary housing or partially damaged houses. Travel by car is limited, and there are simply not enough hands to collect scallop shells and do ‘karakkosashi’ (shell piercing) at the same time in order to meet the shipping schedules in April.

Thus, Peace Boat volunteers have come here to help the fishing industry. Operation ‘Scallop Collection’ has started to collect and sort a huge volume of scallop shells!

It may be difficult to see from the distance….

These are all scallop shells.

Volunteers collect, pack, and take them up.

Volunteers collect, pack, and take them up.

And keep on collecting…

So far, 50 2-tonne trucks of scallop shells have been collected and taken out.
This is part of supporting the recovery of the fishing industry in Japan. Well done to the volunteers for their hard work!