Revisiting Iwate

Looking ahead – how can I help?

2011-10-29T22:45:00.000-07:00

It is now 2 months since I returned to Tohoku, and I have been busy sharing the experiences I had over there with people here in Australia. There has been an incredible amount of support for the people affected by this disaster, and I know the people in Iwate are very grateful for all the generous support they have received – from donations, to volunteer assistance, food packages and school uniforms.

The main way we can help from now on is to visit Japan, visit Tohoku and see the local tourist sites (which in Iwate are open for business as usual). That way we can contribute directly to these local economies, where our assistance is needed most.

Ganbaro Iwate!!

Speaking at the 2011 Japan Matsuri Festival in Sydney


Presentation at the Consulate-General of Japan in Sydney

Iwate highlights – Flying Dango!

2011-10-08T21:38:00.000-07:00

You can enjoy many unique experiences in Iwate. One of the most fun, and delicious, is trying the Kakko Dango – ‘Flying Dumplings’ - at Genbikei Gorge near Ichinoseki.

Genbikei is a beautiful stretch of river that features dramatic rock formations, rushing rapids and waterfalls.

Genbikei Gorge

Normally, you can stand on the viewing platform at the top of the gorge, place your order in a basket, and ring a large gong to announce that your order is ready. The basket is whisked away to the dango store on top of the other side of the gorge. In a few minutes, the basket is sent back to you, full of tea and dumplings.

This time, however, the river was swollen due to heavy rain caused by an approaching typhoon. So it was too dangerous to approach the water’s edge and the viewing platform.

But luckily, a kind-hearted neighbour took us up into the shop, and the owners very kindly let us in, gave us tea and dumplings, and let us have a turn at swinging the basket across the gorge.

It was truly a unique, only in Iwate kind of experience!

Iwate highlights – World Heritage Cultural Sites in Hiraizumi

2011-10-02T22:19:00.000-07:00

Iwate’s most famous tourist sites are located in the town of Hiraizumi, in southern Iwate. Hiraizumi was founded in the 12^th century by the Oshu Fujiwara clan and was designed as a Buddhist ‘Pure Land’ on earth. Located on a rich, fertile plain and with abundant natural resources including gold, Hiraizumi quickly grew into a thriving city, rivalling Kyoto in wealth and influence.

In front of the Konjikido at Chusonji Temple

Hiraizumi flourished for a century, through the reigns of four generations of Fujiwara lords. However, following the death of its fourth and final ruler, Fujiwara no Yasuhira, Hiraizumi was overrun by Minamoto no Yoritomo, the founder of the Kamakura shogunate. Over time, many of Hiraizumi’s temples and buildings were destroyed by fire and the city fell into ruin.

Takkoku Cave temple

However, the local people are intensely proud of their rich cultural heritage and have worked tirelessly over the centuries to preserve the history of old Hiraizumi. Major temples such as Chusonji, with its golden pavilion, the Konjikido, and Motsuji, with its manicured gardens, have been rebuilt and preserved, so even today we can experience the beauty and serenity of ‘Pure Land’ Hiraizumi.

You can also see a special flower, the Chusonji lotus, which only blooms on the temple grounds. A lotus seed was found in the head casket of Fujiwara no Yasuhira, who is buried with his ancestors in the Konjikido. This seed was planted again in 1998 and the Chusonji lotus continues to bloom to this day, 800 years after the seed was first handled.

Hiraizumi’s many temples, gardens are archaeological ruins have long been treasured in Japan for their beauty and historical value. This year, they were also recognised internationally, being added to the UNESCO World Heritage list on 29 June 2011.

This was very welcome news for the people of Iwate, who hope the World Heritage recognition attracts extra tourists from within Japan and around the world. Visiting Hiraizumi gives you a glimpse of Japan’s past. By going there now you can also help Iwate’s future, by contributing to the local economy as they recover from the earthquake and tsunami.

The poet, Matsu Basho, visited Hiraizumi on his trip to the 'deep north'

Back to school!

2011-09-27T04:14:00.000-07:00

When I lived and worked in Iwate, I was lucky enough to visit Morioka School for the Deaf a couple of times each year, to help out in English classes and participate in school festivals. It was the most rewarding part of my job. Despite their hearing impairments, these kids were the most genki (bright and energetic) kids I taught in Japan.

Primary students playing the Australia quiz

So I was very excited to go back to the school to see how the students and teachers were doing. Most of the kids I had known had graduated years before, but there was one student who had been in primary school when I last taught there who was now a high school senior. It was great to catch up with him again after all these years.

I was only at the school for one day this time but we had a great time practising English, learning about Australia, eating yummy Australian food and playing games at lunch.

Anbo sensei and junior high students

Thanks to all the wonderful students and teachers for letting me into their classrooms again – it was a great experience. And thanks especially to Anbo sensei for all her help in organising my visit (and cooking the pavlova!)

Read more about what’s going on at Morioka School for the Deaf at their blog: http://www2.iwate-ed.jp/mor-r/ (Japanese only)

Playing outside after lunch

Lunchtime in the cafeteria

Getting away from it all

2011-09-21T04:09:00.000-07:00

Iwate is the second largest prefecture in Japan (after Hokkaido) and is also one of the least densely populated. As a result, you can truly lose yourself in the great outdoors. Iwate is great for mountain climbing, hiking, rafting, fishing and skiing. But for those who, like me, prefer to relax in the great outdoors, Iwate is also home to some of the most amazing onsen (hot springs) in Japan.

Hei River

And after a very hectic couple of days travelling around Iwate, meeting people and vising schools, I was certainly in need of an onsen to recharge my batteries. And luckily, I got to stay at the nicest onsen hotel I have ever stayed in – Yamado onsen in Yuda.

Chilling on the deck

Yamado is only 3 years old and is built beside a small, mountain stream. Each room (with private hot spring bath) plus the main outdoor bath look out over the water and are surrounded by greenery. So you can relax in the hot spring while listening to the sound of running water.

Main outdoor bath

For dinner and breakfast, you can enjoy a delicious selection of fresh, local produce. I think I lost count after about the tenth course at dinner! And because it’s such a small hotel (with aroud 10 rooms), you can get very prompt, personalised service (they even deliver pizza to your room in case you need a late-night snack).

It’s not cheap, but if you really want to get away from it all, there’s nowhere more relaxing than Yamado.

And if you want to enjoy some of the most beautiful and untouched natural scenery in Japan, you can’t beat Iwate.

Iwate Highlights – Spectacular coastal scenery

2011-09-19T04:21:00.000-07:00

The people of Iwate are very grateful for the assistance and donations they have received from all over Japan and around the world. And they are working hard to rebuild their lives and their communities. The best way we can help in the future is to go to Iwate, buy local products and contribute to the local economy through tourism.

All tourism sites inland are operating as normal. And even on the coast, areas that were badly affected by the tsunami are starting to reopen to tourists.

Jodogahama Beach

Jodogahama– The name means ‘Pure land beach’ and it truly is a little piece of paradise. A new tourist centre opened in late August (where you can see an exhibit of heartbreaking before-and-after the tsunami photos), and scenic cruises are operating again in the bay.

Miyako is also famous for its delicious seafood!

Daisushi ('Big sushi') Restaurant

The spectacular coastline in Taro, north of Miyako

Miyako – Six months after the tsunami

2011-09-14T05:28:00.000-07:00

After hearing about the impacts of the disaster on the region from my former colleagues at Iwate prefectural government, it was finally time for me to go to the coast to see for myself the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami. Pulling into downtown Miyako, I was initially surprised at how little seemed to have changed, at least in the main business district near the station.

My first stop was Miyako Keifu Special Education School. This school is located high in the hills north of Miyako, so was not damaged by the tsunami. Luckily, the tsunami occurred during school hours, so the kids were safe at school. However, the school was cut off from other parts of town for several days, so over 100 students, teachers and local residents slept in the gym in the days after the disaster. Power and water were also cut off, which posed extra challenges for the dedicated teachers as they tried to look after students with a range of special needs. Some of these kids lost relatives and their homes in the tsunami, so there are ongoing challenges for the school community.

I also visited Miyako Kita High School. I used to work with the current principal, Hiraga-sensei, when he worked at the Iwate Board of Education in Morioka and was in charge of looking after the JET program teachers in Iwate. His school, located in Taro in northern Miyako, was undamaged in the disaster and was used as an evacuation centre for the people of Taro for several months after the tsunami. Hiraga-sensei explained that teachers all over Tohoku had a duty of care to stay with their students until each and every student could be collected from school. This meant that many teachers could not pick up their own children or spend time with their families immediately after the tragedy.

I had two main purposes in visiting these schools on the coast. Firstly, I wanted to assist in their English classes. A significant number of foreign teachers left Japan after the tsunami (particularly as fears emerged over the stability of the Fukushima nuclear power plant) so many students now have few opportunities to speak to a native English speaker. More importantly, however, I wanted to deliver the messages of support that JET programme alumni and other concerned members of the community in Sydney had written for the people of Iwate.

The students were so glad to receive messages of support from Australia, and to know that people overseas were thinking about them. I was impressed with how energetic and bright the students were, despite the hard times they had experienced.

Hiraga-sensei and the teachers at Miyako Kita were extremely generous with their time, showing me around some of the worst affected areas in Taro and Miyako.

Taro has experienced large tsunamis in the past, and as a result the town spent many years constructing tsunami barriers that were considered some of the best in the world. Unfortunately, the shape of Iwate’s coastline – with lots of steep cliffs and narrow inlets – makes it especially susceptible to tsunami damage. The water is pushed up by the cliffs and funnelled into the narrow bays. The tsunami wave on 11 March was over 38 metres high in Taro (the highest recorded in Japan). It went straight over the top of the 10 metre-high concrete wall and destroyed most of the town.

From a distance, the plain where Taro once stood looks like a green field, but up close you can see the concrete foundations where houses used to stand, and even make out the outlines of individual rooms. Nature is starting to take over already, with grass filling in the gaps.

I was surprised that so much has already been cleaned up. The problem now is finding somewhere to put the rubbish - six months after the tsunami, there are still massive piles of debris around the town, including stacks of cars.

The people of Iwate have made great progress in cleaning up their towns and starting to rebuild their lives. But they still have a long way to go, and will need our ongoing support for many years.

Tea time? - Get some Nambu Tekki ironware

2011-09-12T05:09:00.000-07:00

One of Iwate’s most famous local products - Nambu Tekki Ironware - is popular throughout Japan and around the world. Nambu Tekki has been made in and around Morioka for around 400 years. You can watch artisans making this traditional craft at the Iwachu cast-iron works.

Iwachu began operations in 1902, and has been making high-quality ironware products ever since. They specialise in a range of traditional Nambu Tekki products including kettles, teapots, wind chimes and lanterns, as well as modern cookware.

Watching the craftsman work the iron looks like very hot and back-breaking work...

... but they make the best tea pots!

Morioka - My old home town

2011-09-11T00:12:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite things in Morioka is the Ishiwarizakura, the Rock-splitting Cherry Tree. This tree, which has grown out of a solid granite boulder, is almost 400 years old and has been designated a National Treasure. More importantly, by showing that a single seed can take root and thrive in even the most inhospitable surroundings, the tree symbolises the strength and endurance of the people of Iwate. Looking at what has happened and what they have achieved in the past 6 months, I think this symbol is even more fitting now.

Wandering around the grounds of Hachimangu shrine on a warm August evening, I could hear the echo of taiko drums. This is a very common sound in Morioka during the summer, as the whole city practices for the Sansa Odori festival, held each year at the beginning of August. Sansa Odori is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest gathering of taiko players in the world, with around 10,000 drummers and dancers parading through the city. Although I was too late to see it this year, hearing the children practising taiko in the shrine gardens brought back many wonderful memories of my time in Morioka.

My other favourite things in Morioka

Mt Iwate and the Kitakami River

The 16 Buddhist Disciples

Hachimangu Shrine (the largest shrine in Iwate)

Beautiful skies

Morioka Reimen

Nambu senbei - the best rice crackers in the world!

Iwate Prefecture's Basic Reconstruction Plan

2011-09-10T23:40:00.000-07:00

The situation 6 months after the tsunami

The Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami has had a devastating effect on Iwate. To date, almost 4,650 people have been confirmed dead, and almost 2,000 are still missing. Some communities, such as the towns of Otsuchi and Rikuzentakata in southern Iwate, have lost around 10 per cent of their entire population.

Tsunami victims (as a share of the total population)

Almost 30,000 homes were destroyed by the waves. With damage to infrastructure and the loss of local businesses, the prefecture is also facing a huge financial cost.

Total tsunami damage in Iwate, as at 25 August 2011

The numbers are truly staggering. And it made me feel a bit apprehensive about going to the coast later in the week to see the situation for myself.

Iwate’s Reconstruction Plan

The prefecture has put together an 8-year reconstruction plan to rebuild local communities and try to prevent any further loss of life from other disasters that may strike again in the future. Although a top-down plan from the prefecture (with input from many experts), there is scope for individual communities to consult with residents and adapt the plan to suit local conditions.

The three main goals for the reconstruction process are:

1. Ensuring safety

2. Rebuilding lives

3. Rebooting industries

The first goal, ensuring safety, includes things such as removing debris, monitoring radiation levels, constructing coastal protection facilities and improving transport access, community planning, and education.

Piles of cars destroyed by the wave. But where to put them all?

To help residents rebuild their lives, the prefecture is providing temporary housing for two years (so that everyone can finally move out of evacuation centres), focusing on job creation and re-training to assist people find employment, and supporting mental health support, especially for children.

The prefecture also plans to reboot local industries, particularly fisheries, agriculture, forestry, retail and tourism.

I hope they are able to carry out their plan. There were concerns that local plans and operations are being held up by budget delays in Tokyo. On the other hand, however, I imagine the national government wants to make sure that funding is being used in the most effective way, to help all the people in Japan affected by this disaster.

Back to work! – Revisiting Iwate Prefectural Government

2011-09-10T22:20:00.000-07:00

It didn’t feel so strange walking back into Iwate kencho, the prefectural government building where I had worked each day for three years. But there were signs that things were different now. The most obvious change was the efforts by everyone to conserve electricity (setsuden). Lights were switched off, so it was noticeably darker in the office. The air conditioning has been switched off all summer, so people have adapted by keeping hand-held fans (uchiwa) at their desks and wearing ‘Ganbaro Iwate’ polo shirts instead of suits. (This year the government is promoting ‘super cool biz’ dress codes, allowing public servants to ditch their suits and wear more casual, cooler clothing in the heat. Many people have taken the opportunity to wear T-shirts with ‘ganbaro’ and other messages of support on them, in a show of solidarity with the people affected by the disaster. )

The Governor of Iwate in super cool biz mode
Source: http://www.pref.iwate.jp/view.rbz?cd=13286&ik=0&of=1

After briefly meeting my successors in the NPO, Culture and International Relations Division, it was off to the Reconstruction Office, to hear about how they are planning to rebuild the coastal communities devastated by the tsunami.

Summer in Japan

2011-09-05T05:29:00.000-07:00

I got a very pleasant surprise while riding the Narita Express into Tokyo – a view of the Sumidagawa fireworks! This great Tokyo Summer tradition is usually held on the last Saturday in July. This year, the Sumidagawa and other fireworks festivals around Japan were going to be cancelled (to save money and as part of the more general sombre mood in Japan), just as hanami (picnicking under the cherry blossoms) had also been scaled back earlier this year. Luckily, however, the authorities changed their mind and fireworks festivals, as well as traditional summer festivals such as the Morioka Sansa Odori, have been held all over Japan, helping to cheer up people and bringing communities together.

One of my other favourite things about Japan in summer – rooftop beer gardens!

Ganbaro Japan!

2011-09-05T04:26:00.000-07:00

Arriving at Narita Airport on the evening of Saturday, 28 August 2011 (one year since I was last in Japan and ten years since I went on the JET programme) I was struck by how quiet the airport was and how few tourists seemed to be arriving in Japan, compared to this time last year. There had been very few non-Japanese people on my flight, with some of the other Australians I encountered explaining they were just in transit. Of course, this was great for me, as I managed to get through the notorious Japanese immigration queue in less than five minutes, whereas in the past I have waited up to an hour to clear customs. But it was a bit strange.

Later, wandering the streets of Akasaka with friends, we all commented on how eerily quiet it was, without the crowds of people and usual ‘buzz’ of the city. It was also dark – much darker than normal – with shops, restaurants and office buildings turning off their lights to conserve energy. In fact, the lack of bright, neon signs made it difficult for us to find the restaurant we had booked. When they’re not there, you come to realise how much the neon lights have become key landmarks in Tokyo.

Despite the somewhat sombre mood, my main impression from that first night in Tokyo was that everyone is playing their own small part in helping Japan recover from the earthquake. Convenience store employees are wearing ‘ganbaro Japan’ name tags, taxis are covered in ‘ganbaro Tohoku’ stickers, and collection boxes are in shops and hotel lobbies, raising money for the rebuilding efforts. And everyone is saving power.

I hope that in some small way, by revisiting Iwate and documenting my experiences there, I too will be able to play a small role in helping the recovery. Ganbaro Iwate!

See more photos of my trip here: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150772274820314.724698.749190313&l=3ff811ef83&type=1