Volume 90 - August 15, 2015

After a fierce summer, there’s a cool breeze in the air. Iwate is moving into fall, with its fantastic sights and abundant harvest.

The First On-Site Reconstruction Tour of 2015 （Iwaizumi, Tanohata）

On August 4th （Tue）, the Iwate Prefectural Government organized an on-site reconstruction tour. The first tour was started in 2013, and this was the 4th installment.

This time 21 people, mostly parents and their children, took part in the tour. They visited Iwaizumi and Tanohata on the northern coast in order to understand the progress of the reconstruction work there.
The participants saw the Aketo Seawall in Tanohata from within their tour bus. It was destroyed by the tsunami, but a new wall 346.6m long and 12m thick is due to open in March next year.

Next, the participants visited the rebuilt Tsukuehama Banyagun （fishing village）, which is also located in Tanohata. After hearing about the long history of these buildings and their role in the area, they tried their hand at arts and crafts. Everyone decorated a picture frame with seashells.

At Settai Road, which is part of the Taro-Iwaizumi road, work is ongoing at Settai Tunnel 1 （1,355m）, Settai Tunnel 2 （1,772m）, Settai Main Bridge （234.0m） and Lower Settai Bridge （37.0m）. The construction sites are normally off-limits, but the participants were able to see the work in-progress.

The last stop on the tour was Moshi Fishing Harbor in Iwaizumi, where reconstruction work is progressing on the 40m-long eastern breakwater and the 191.1m-long offshore breakwater. Both are due to reach completion in December this year. There will also be a 16m-high seawall in the same harbor, which should be finished by March.

Several of the participants were university students taking part in an internship. They shared some thoughts about the tour: "By being able to see the worksites in person and hearing from the workers, I could see that the reconstruction is slowly but surely moving forward," one said. "Even after the work is completed, I really want to work in a job where I can help the towns and villages that were damaged."

Governor visits local German governments, expresses gratitude for reconstruction aid （Germany）

On July 22nd （Wed）, Governor Tasso visited two local German governments that donated aid money to Japan after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. First was the Rhineland-Palatinate state government, and second was the Kaiserslautern City Council.

In the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, which has had friendly relations with Japan since 20 years before the earthquake, the Governor met the Chief Cabinet Secretary, and other prominent members of the local government. After sharing current news from Osawa Nursery （in Yamada）, which received aid money from Rhineland-Palatinate, Governor Tasso expressed his gratitude, and confirmed that friendly relations would continue in the future.

The Governor also met the deputy mayor of Kaiserslautern. He delivered a personal message from the mayor of Kamaishi, which also received aid money. Both cities expressed that they would continue to support the disaster stricken areas.

An informal gathering at the State Government Reception Hall was attended by the Frankfurt Consul General, the state's German-Japanese exchange association, and representatives from Japanese companies operating nearby. After exchanging gifts, each attendee received a commemorative metal wind chime, which was sent as a gift of gratitude from Osawa Nursery.

The 22nd Kamaishi Hamayuri International Triathlon

On August 2, 2015 （Sun）, the 22nd Kamaishi Hamayuri International Triathlon was held at Nebama Beach in Unosumai, Kamaishi.

Triathlons are intense endurance races that involve transition from swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession. Kamaishi will be one of the venues for the official games in the National Athletic Meet that will be held in Iwate next year.

The triathlon was cancelled in 2011 due to the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. However in 2012, the swimming section was revived, with both swimming and running being reinstated in 2013. Cycling was added back in 2014 to complete the triathlon trio.

The triathlon had over 230 athletes from all over the country participate as it was held as a sort of rehearsal for the Iwate National Athletic Meet. People showed their support and cheered from the streets for the athletes.

Takata Ugoku Tanabata and Kesen Kenka Tanabata （Rikuzentakata）

On August 7, 2015 （Fri）, Rikuzentakata held its traditional summer festivals, Takata Ugoku （Moving） Tanabata and Kesen Kenka （Fighting） Tanabata.

In Ugoku Tanabata, 11 of the 12 festival floats used in the festival before the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami participated this year. The floats, which were decorated with a colorful Japanese paper pattern called Azafu, paraded around town along to the tune of the flutes and taiko drums.

The Kenka （Fighting） Tanabata has a history dating back over 900 years, but three out of four of the floats were washed away in the tsunami. In 2012, a brand new float was built as a replacement

Cedar tree logs 15m in length are attached to the festively decorated floats. The most exciting part of the festival is when two of the floats ram into each other as if they were fighting. The air was filled with the excited shouts of the spectators.

Features

Enjoy Pacific saury from Iwate throughout Japan!

-Meguro Saury Festival
9/6 Sunday in Tokyo
In front of Meguro Station
6,000 charcoal-grilled saury and fresh, raw saury will be given out for free.

-Sanriku and Ofunato Saury Festival at Tokyo Tower
9/23 Wednesday at Tokyo Tower in the heart of Tokyo
At a special site outside Tokyo Tower
3,333 charcoal-grilled saury will be given out for free.

-Wharf Festival - Ofunato Saury Festival
10/4 Sunday in Osaka
Namba Betsuin （Minami-mido）
Local volunteers will give out grilled, fresh saury from Ofunato.

9/11 （Fri） - 9/13 （Sun）
Hanamaki Festival - Hanamaki City
All over Hanamaki
Features beautiful, elegant floats, 140 majestic mikoshi （portable shrines）, traditional local performing arts handed down from ancient times, such as the Shishi Deer Dance, Kagura Gongen Dance, Hanamaki-bayashi Dance, and so on.
Contact　Hanamaki Industry and Tourist Division: 0198-24-2111
*Inquiries in Japanese only, please.

9/14 （Mon） - 9/16 （Wed）
Morioka Autumn Festival of Hachimangu Shrine - Morioka City
Morioka Hachimangu Shrine （Morioka）
An annual festival with 300 years of tradition, leading back to Morioka’s history as a castle town.
On Sept. 14, a parade starts from the shrine. On Sept. 15, there is a float parade from the castle park. Yabusame can be viewed on Sept. 16 （horseback archery）.
Contact　Morioka Tourism & Convention Association: 019-604-3305
*Inquiries in Japanese only, please.

9/18 （Fri） - 9/20 （Sun）
Kuji Autumn Festival - Kuji City
From Aramachi to Honcho （Kuji）
With over 600 years of history and tradition, this is the biggest festival in northern Iwate.
The highlights of the festival are the floats and mikoshi.
Contact　Planning Committee: 0194-66-9200
*Inquiries in Japanese only, please.

9/19 （Sat） - 9/21 （Mon）
Yamada Ganbappeshi Festival - Yamada Town
Plaza in front of Yamada Town Hall （Yamada）
Held along with the annually held festivals at Yamada Hachimangu Shrine and Osugi Shrine. There are stage events including local traditional performing arts as well.
Contact　Yamada Promotion Executive Committee: 0193-82-2515
*Inquiries in Japanese only, please.

9/22 （Tue） - 9/23 （Wed）
Tohoku Reconstruction Festival in Miyako - Miyako City
Suehirocho and Chuodori （Miyako）
Three of Tohoku's big festivals （Sendai Suzume Odori, Yamagata Hanagasa Odori, Morioka Sansa Odori） will gather in Miyako.
Contact　Junior Chamber International Rikuchu Miyako: 0193-62-8458
*Inquiries in Japanese only, please.

9/27 （Sun）
Odense Begokko Festa 2015 - Iwaizumi Town
Ryusendo Cave Parking Lot 3 （Iwaizumi）
A cow festival where you can purchase many of Iwaizumi's local goods, such as Iwaizumi short-horn beef. There are also many unique and fun events like the Mooing Competition.
Contact　Planning Committee: 0194-22-2111
*Inquiries in Japanese only, please.

10/16 （Fri） - 10/18 （Sun）
Kamaishi Matsuri - Kamaishi City
From Sea Plaza Yu to Kamaishi Bay （Kamaishi）
Hikifune Matsuri, in which mikoshi are paraded around, will occur in the middle of the day. On the last day, there will be tiger dancing, kagura, floats, and te-odori （hand dancing） performances on the main street, and the mikoshi will be carried back to their home shrines.
Contact　Planning Committee: 0193-22-2434
*Inquiries in Japanese only, please.

10/17 （Sat） - 10/18 （Sun）
Sanriku - Ofunato Saury Festival - Ofunato City
Ofunato Civic Gymnasium （Ofunato）
There are many events that you just can't pass up, like a free taste-testing corner for charcoal-grilled saury fish, and a saury-catching game corner.
Contact　Planning Committee: 0192-21-1922
*Inquiries in Japanese only, please.

Casualties and Damage in Iwate （as of July 31, 2015）

• Deaths: 4,672; Missing: 1,129
• Buildings destroyed （residences only, total/partial）: 26,164

Thank you for all of your support! （as of July 31, 2015）

Donations for survivors: Around 18.39363 billion yen （91,786 donations）
Donations for reconstruction projects: Around 19.68701 billion yen （7,409 donations）
Iwate Learning Hope Fund donations: Around 7.63778 billion yen （15,924 donations）
※ This fund is to assist in the study and daily life of affected
children by encouraging sport and study activities.

• To make a donation to aid in Iwate's reconstruction, click here.

Contact

News from Iwate’s Reconstruction, Volume 90. August 1, 2015.
Published by the General Affairs Division, Bureau of Reconstruction, Iwate Prefecture.
Phone: 019-629-6925
Editing & Printing: SYNAPSE

*News from Iwate's Reconstruction Volume 91 will be published on September 1