Every morning on Oshika, the sounds of the schoolchildren from Ohara Elementary School wake me, as they get off the school bus outside the community centre where I stay. The Principal stands by the bus door, greeting every single child as they step off the bus and run up the little hill to the school [...]

Katsuzo-san is the Tsudachi gardener. Like many people here on Oshika, he is in his seventies. He likes to talk, he likes to keep busy, and he likes the land around the 28 temporary housing units to be pristine. And he likes to smile …. a lot. The overgrown grasses and weeds around Tsudachi have [...]

I am always looking out for things that I think the Ohara community would appreciate and need as they rebuild their community, but sometimes, given that they pretty much need everything, it’s actually more difficult than you’d think. Despite having lost their homes, businesses, and so many things of cultural and historical significance, the people [...]

When I was told that the fishermen of Yagawa needed a special hose and water tank I had no idea just how much they needed them, and to be honest, didn’t think such items could possibly be that important. But I have learned not to impose my own assumptions about what is needed and what [...]