Residents of Miyagi Prefecture thanked the head of U.S Forces Japan on July 25 for the United States' relief effort following the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Residents of Miyagi Prefecture thanked the head of U.S Forces Japan on July 25 for the United States' relief effort following the Great East Japan Earthquake.
A group of citizens met Lt. Gen. Burton Field, commander of U.S. Forces Japan, at a U.S. military facility in Tokyo and presented five "tairyo-bata" flags, which are traditionally hoisted on fishing boats to signal big catches. People in the disaster area had written 500 messages of thanks on the flags.
Field and other top brass at the meeting were also given "happi" festival coats.
"They did their utmost from early in the crisis for relief and rebuilding. They gave us great courage," said Masako Matsuda, the homemaker from Sendai who came up with the idea and asked friends to pitch in.
Field said the flags would "occupy a great place of honor in our headquarters."