Oshika-hanto homes

When I collected those 10,000 items donated by people in England, I knew they would all get to the north of Japan but I didn’t have an idea of exactly where at that point. The area affected by the earthquake and tsunami is so extensive, that it is almost impossible to decide where to put your resources.

Soon after returning, a friend told me how she had travelled all along the Oshika Peninsula, and was greatly moved by the plight of the fishermen along this beautiful coastline. The roads had been cleared by the Self-Defence Force quite quickly, yet nothing else seemed to be in place to help the fishermen and their families rebuild their lives.

I decided that this was the area to drive along with the donations and focused on helping people who were trying to make it on their own.

Along the 40-mile drive to the tip of the peninsula and back, we came across only two volunteers. These Japanese men from Yokohama were JCB-operators attempting to clear away the rubble and debris. At this rate it would take years and years to clear this stunningly beautiful coastline. Would the fishermen of this area ever be able to rebuild their lives?

This was where I met Seiji Yoshimura, a former politican who, following the Kobe earthquake of 1995, has dedicated his life to the very practical rebuilding and recovery of communities throughout the world, and was now on Oshika-hanto. He has spent his time physically clearing the destroyed areas, and talking directly to the fishermen and their families, who face an impossible decision — they can be rehoused by the government temporarily for two years but they have to move to the cities. These families don’t know how to live in a city; without the sea — for which they are so grateful and respectful — they feel they will lose all hope.

I am raising funds to sponsor homes on Oshika-hanto, for the people of the fishing villages, so they can rebuild their lives in the land that has been home to them for in many cases, generations.

Houses take two months to build, and cost about a million yen (USD13,000 or GBP7,600). Land can be cleared in one full day, and houses are built with local resources, including items that are retrieved from the actual debris (Seiji does this himself!). Houses are built by local people which in itself boosts morale within the community.

If you would like to support my fundraising for Oshika-hanto Homes, please explore the rest of the “Help Japan” pages of this website. And why not consider sponsoring a home there yourself and name it after your school, your club, your company, or your children?