High school student wears late sister's ribbon from 3/11

RIKUZENTAKATA, Iwate Prefecture--Seventeen-year-old Sara Endo will wear a neck ribbon worn by her older sister in entering a special time of life never reached by her late sibling--the final year of senior high school.

"I feel like I am going to high school with my older sister," Sara said.

On March 11, 2011, Ami Endo, Sara's sister, was practicing at an indoor swimming pool near the coast of Rikuzentakata. She was then in her second year at Takata Senior High School and a member of the swimming team.

After the Great East Japan Earthquake struck, Ami sent an e-mail to her mother that said, "I will evacuate from now."

She went to the city auditorium that was designated as the evacuation site. But the tsunami engulfed the auditorium, which was located about a kilometer from the coast. A few days later, Ami's body was found on the third floor of the auditorium.

Two months later, Takata Senior High School welcomed a new class, which included Sara.

She wore the school uniform that Ami had on when the tsunami swept in. Because it was so soon after the quake and tsunami, Sara was unable to acquire a new school uniform. However, she did not hesitate to wear her older sister's uniform when she saw classmates coming to school in their everyday clothes because they had not yet received their uniforms.

"I am more fortunate than others," Sara thought then.

Even after Sara received her own uniform, she continued to wear the neck ribbon worn by Ami. Sara always considered Ami, who was two years older, to be her rival. In junior high school, Sara joined the table tennis team, just like her older sister. In senior high school, Sara joined the swimming team.

In April, Sara will begin her third year at the temporary school building in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture.

"In the remaining year of high school, I will do my best while also making up for what my sister was never able to do," Sara said.