Eriko Totsuka of Pasona Tohoku Sosei

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Eriko Totsuka
Representative Director
Pasona Tohoku Sosei

Originally from Tokyo. After joining Pasona, she worked on temp worker placement. She volunteered after the disaster, and then used temporary leave to work at the "Kamaishi Hitotsunagi Nature School.” After rejoining Pasona, she used an internal program to set up Pasona Tohoku Sosei in Kamaishi.

She currently coordinates study tours and corporate training courses that link Tokyo university students and companies to businesses on the coast, and works on local venture projects.

A link between Kamaishi and Tokyo

Ms. Totsuka works enthusiastically towards building links between Kamaishi and Tokyo, by coordinating study tours and corporate training courses where people can learn from the disaster. "In Tokyo, it's difficult to feel like you're really contributing to the reconstruction. But the sight of people in their 20s or 30s coming to Kamaishi, to take the lead in building its future, is really reassuring. There's a lot we can learn from Sanriku's disaster victims. I want to keep planning study tours that build continuous links with the town," she said.

She also spoke about how Kamaishi is evolving. "You probably can't see it if you've only ever lived in Kamaishi, but if you go to-and-from Tokyo, you notice how the city is changing. Of course memories of the disaster are fading, but you never know when the next earthquake would hit a place like Tokyo. I hope to keep the memory of 3.11 alive so we can continue to learn from it,” she said.

Kamaishi's potential

Ms. Totsuka told us about her plans for the future, and about Kamaishi's potential. "I want to work towards a society where people are freer to choose how they want to live and work. I think it would be good if Kamaishi became a city that offers plenty of challenges. I want to make this a place where you don't just move in and work - you launch a business of your own, and choose your own way of life and working patterns," she said.