Archives
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.
An exhibition of photographs from areas affected by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake & Tsunami was conducted in 19 ports around the world during Peace Boat’s 73rd Global Peace Voyage.
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 11, 2011
August 10, 2011
The Nigerian community in Japan have been actively involved in relief efforts, supporting Peace Boat's project for people moving into temporary housing in Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture.
August 9, 2011
Survivors of the 2004 Sumatra tsunami gave many tsunamika dolls to survivors of the tsunami which hit Japan this year, as a gift of support and a living symbol of overcoming such difficulty.
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
Local and traditional products of stores that had re-opened since the disaster were sold at the “Ishinomaki Recovery Market,” with proceeds of sales further contributing to recovery efforts.
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.
August 3, 2011
July 27, 2011
UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office Minister of State Jeremy Browne and British Ambassador David Warren visited Peace Boat's Central Kitchen.
July 26, 2011
Photographs showing the scenery around Ishinomaki at sunset, reminding everyone of the beauty of Tohoku and the strength of its people now working to revive their region.
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 22, 2011
July 21, 2011
There are many volunteer opportunities for people in Tokyo, either to continue activities after volunteering in Ishinomaki, or for those not able to directly go to the disaster affected areas.
July 14, 2011
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 25, 2011
Peace Boat is delivering relief goods for 94 temporary houses in Onagawa, 30km from Ishinomaki. Relief activities are diversifying to respond to the evolving community needs in the affected areas.
June 16, 2011
NGO JIM-NET's “1000 Person Bath Project” is providing baths for evacuees and survivors. "People were so happy when we opened. For the majority, it was their first bath since the earthquake."
June 13, 2011
Bandai Yoshinobu shares with volunteers his own experience of the disaster, hoping for volunteers to see as much of the damage as possible to truly understand the terrible power of the tsunami.
Bandai Yoshinobu is one of many members of the local community working together with Peace Boat. As a bus driver, he has been contributing immensely to recovery efforts by transporting volunteers.
June 8, 2011
Peace Boat has opened a Central Kitchen in Ishinomaki in order to increase the number of meals that can be provided, improving efficiency, sustainability, safety and hygiene.
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.
May 31, 2011
Volunteer Shibata Ayako herself lost much of her family in the tsunami. "As a volunteer you are 'apart' from the survivors...I feel it is important to bridge this gap."
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.”
May 25, 2011
"It is important to make sure that efforts are sustainable – to guarantee meals not only today, but also tomorrow."
May 24, 2011
"Although the lives of the town and people will never go back to as it was, the community is working together to create new life. I really hope that I can continue to contribute in some way to this."
Peace Boat staff Ueshima Yasuhiro has been coordinating the 2000 volunteers that Peace Boat has dispatched to Ishinomaki over the past two months.
May 19, 2011
"I didn't think I could make it through, but then I saw Peace Boat volunteers, with their boundless energy, partaking in sludge and debris removal. They gave me courage and the drive not to give up."