Volume 87 - July 1, 2015

The rainy season has spread across Japan, and in Iwate every day is hot and humid, as we wait with baited breath for the coming of summer.

Alumni Reunion of the Iwate Reconstruction Support Dispatch Workers Program （Tokyo）

On June 9 （Tuesday）, a reunion was held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building for Kanto residents who had come to Iwate as dispatch workers to help with reconstruction projects since the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.

The event was organized by the Iwate Prefecture Tokyo Branch Office in order to express their gratitude for dispatch workers who had worked in Iwate, and to further strengthen their bonds with Iwate as Iwate Reconstruction Supporters Team members.

The event had in attendance 40 alumni of the dispatch worker program from Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba and other neighboring prefectures, as well as 60 others including Tokyo Metropolitan and Iwate Prefectural employees.

Ichiro Nakamura, the Director General of the Iwate Prefecture Bureau of Reconstruction, showed recent images of the coast. “We’re still only halfway there,” Nakamura said, calling for continued assistance in rebuilding. "Dispatch workers like yourselves have contributed greatly to our reconstruction efforts, and we hope you will continue to support us."

Jun Kawai, director of the Disaster Recovery Support Division of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of General Affairs, said: “Although it’s a challenge finding people to do the work, we would like to tap into Tokyo's potential and continue providing support for the reconstruction.” Yoshiharu Ueno, former Vice-Governor of Iwate Prefecture, first Director General of Iwate’s Bureau of Reconstruction, and currently the senior managing director at the Japan Finance Corporation, also offered his support.

Attendees enjoyed a delicious Iwatean meal with Rikuzentakata-brand “Takata no Yume” rice, and several Iwate-produced beverages such as saké brewed in Otsuchi. It was a night encouraging these alumni to strengthen the ties they share with Iwate.

Examining the Data in Vol. 14 of the Iwate Reconstruction Index Report

The Iwate Reconstruction Index Report is published periodically and serves to make it easier to understand the current state of affairs and recent trends in Iwate's reconstruction efforts, particularly in the 12 affected coastal municipalities. Below are outlined the main points from volume 14 of the report （as of May 29, 2015）.

Rebuilding Lives

Progress Rate on Public Housing for Survivors：26%
1,525 Completed Housing Units
（574 prefectural、951 municipal）
（at the end of March 2015）

*1,016 （330 prefectural, 686 municipal） completed housing units; 17% progress rate
（at the end of December 2014）

The number of residential construction projects completed is 1,525 （574 prefectural, 951 municipal）, which marks a 26% completion rate （20% completed for prefectural, 31% completed for municipal） on the 5,921 planned number of projects （2,815 prefectural, 3,106 municipal）.

Regenerating Industries

Fisheries Catch in Fish Markets: 138,381 metric tons （81.6% of 3-year average）
（Current total for the fiscal year of April 2014-March 2015）

The total market catch for fish markets for the past fiscal year from April 2015 to March 2015 is 138,381 metric tons. This is 81.6% of the average catch between 2008 and 2010, and is a 27.8% increase from the same time last year. The recovery from the poor saury catch of 2013 is seen as a big factor to this increase.

Ensuring Safety

Progress Rate on Construction Works: 12.3%
Number of Projects Completed: 1,012
（as of the end of March 2015）

*Number of Projects Completed: 541;
Completion Rate: 6.5%
（as of the end of December 2014）

The number of residential construction projects completed is 1,012, which marks a 12.3% completion rate on the total planned number of projects, 8,237.

Omoto Elementary School Sixth Grade Students Promoting Local Products （Iwaizumi）

On June 11 （Thursday）, 19 sixth grade students from Omoto Elementary School （54 students; principal: Koji Kitada） and Omoto Oushinai Branch School （11 students） in Iwaizumi sold Iwaizumi local goods on their school trip to Morioka’s Sakana-cho shopping arcade.

This is the third time students have engaged in this activity, as a part of a desire to show others what Iwaizumi has to offer and promote reconstruction for Iwaizumi and the Omoto area.

Among the 31 products the students were selling were locally manufactured yogurt and drinks, wakame seaweed, and shiitake mushrooms.

Many passers-by stopped at their booth to purchase their products upon hearing the students actively promoting Iwaizumi and its goods.

Omoto Elementary School was damaged in the tsunami so classes are being held in a temporary building. Profit from this event was donated to the school by the Iwaizumi city government to help build a new school.

Construction on the new school is hoped to be completed by March 2016.

Reconstruction Work Begins on Benten Shrine a.k.a. Hyotan Island （Otsuchi）

Reconstruction plans on Benten Shrine, which is located on Horai Island in Akahama, Otsuchi, have been decided, and a ceremony praying for a safe construction was held on June 16 （Tuesday）.

Horai Island is said to be a model for the puppet show Hyokkori Hyotan-jima, which was written by the late Hisashi Inoue, and has been regarded as a popular symbol of Otsuchi by the locals, but the island received significant damage from the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.

After the disaster, the seawall and lighthouse were rebuilt by the prefecture, and a volunteer-run program called Hyotan-jima Reconstruction Project used donations from around Japan to restore the statue of the goddess Benten last August. They also received support from the Nippon Foundation, and it was decided that reconstruction work on Benten Shrine would start.

Costs for construction for the whole island are around 30,000,000 yen.

There will be restoration work on the shrine, as well as a road connecting the island to the shore, and construction of a new torii archway for the shrine. The project is scheduled to be completed at the end of December 2015.

Smile 130 Project

The Project is bringing smiles to the faces of all 1.30 million Iwateans and it aims to bring joy to the rest of Japan and the world as a thank you for all the aid we received. The Project aims to enliven and encourage Iwate’s prefectural employees and citizens to move forward together toward reconstruction.

Features

Many young people are diligently helping the affected area of Sanriku move toward a full reconstruction. The section “People for Sanriku’s Future” introduces these young people and their powerful feelings.

Click the link to read about Kazuki Hirota and his work promoting rugby, wine, and agriculture as a staff of the Horaikan Hotel.

• Kazuki Hirota of Horaikan Hotel

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

• Human casualties/deaths: 4,672; Missing: 1,129
• Buildings destroyed （residences only, total/partial）: 26,163

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

Donations for survivors: Around 18.38684 billion yen （91,483 donations）
Donations for reconstruction projects: Around 19.67911 billion yen （7,337 donations）
Iwate Learning Hope Fund donations: Around 7.55394 billion yen （15,622 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 87. July 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 88 will be published on July 15.