KESENNUMA, Miyagi Prefecture--Remnants of homes are scattered near the seaside in Kesennuma, while fishing nets remain hanging from tall trees, reminders of the tremendous power of the tsunami that caused so much misery in 2011.
KESENNUMA, Miyagi Prefecture--Remnants of homes are scattered near the seaside in Kesennuma, while fishing nets remain hanging from tall trees, reminders of the tremendous power of the tsunami that caused so much misery in 2011.
But on part of a beach that juts out into the water, around 30 women wearing colorful scarves on their heads smiled brightly as they sorted oysters at a new processing plant.
"First try one," one of the women said proudly, offering a juicy oyster.
The oyster industry has revived in disaster-stricken Kesennuma, thanks largely to the perseverance of the survivors--and financial help from a foreign company known more for luxury handbags and designer shoes.
French fashion house Louis Vuitton offered to lend a hand to Kesennuma after the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami struck the northeastern coast of Japan on March 11, 2011. The generosity stemmed from the bonds formed between Japanese and French fish farmers, and the fact that Miyagi oysters once saved the French oyster industry from a crisis.
"There was never any way we could have rebuilt on our own," says Shigeatsu Hatakeyama, a 69-year-old representative of Mizuyama Oyster Farm in the Nishimone area of Kesennuma.
The tsunami swept away all but a few of the 50 or so homes in Nishimone. Mizuyama Oyster Farm’s processing plant, machinery, eight boats and 70 rafts of oysters in the midst of being harvested were destroyed by the waves, causing more than 200 million yen ($2.2 million) in damage.
Hatakeyama talked with many organizations about assistance, but the proposal he chose was the one put forward by Louis Vuitton.
One reason Louis Vuitton wanted to help was because of Hatakeyama’s work with Mori wa Umi no Koibito, a nonprofit organization that plants deciduous trees in forests that provide nutrients that flow to the ocean.
Louis Vuitton is also involved in protecting forests.
"Our brand supports cherishing local traditions as well as passing on the intangibles, not just objects and money, to the next generation," Yves Carcelle, the former chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton, said on Nov. 11 during his first visit to Kesennuma. “I want to continue providing various kinds of assistance in many places so we can progress and see the future."
Another reason for Louis Vuitton’s help is that Japan is one of the company's oldest and largest markets in the world.
The company is providing an undisclosed amount of assistance for three years, with no restrictions on how the money is used.
The funds led to the swift rebuilding of the oyster farm's facilities.
But Hatakeyama says that "what helped more than anything was that the people I know could work again."
Survivors in Kesennuma had nearly given up hope amid all the death and destruction in the city. A woman who commutes from temporary housing said, "I can't exert any energy if I can't smell the scent of the ocean."
Hatakeyama’s mother died in the disaster.
But there have already been two oyster harvests since the tsunami. Another good year will put the farm on a steady trajectory toward a full recovery.
In early October last year, Patrick-Louis Vuitton, a fifth-generation Vuitton and the head of his family, arranged for Hatakeyama to visit oyster farmers in Brittany, France.
About 50 years ago, an epidemic nearly wiped out the area's oysters, but a species sent from Miyagi Prefecture helped the region recover.
Hatakeyama was delighted to hear from the head of the area's oyster farming association that "oysters are a part of French tradition and culture, and we will never forget Miyagi's kindness."
Hatakeyama had visited Brittany once before, 30 years ago. He felt a strong bond between the forests and the sea, which led to his involvement in forest conservation in Japan.
Gazing out at the calm sea off Brittany, Hatakeyama said: "Kesennuma won't really be rebuilt for another 30 years. But very soon, we will try to start shipping Belon oysters (European oysters) that the tsunami had prevented us from producing."