D さん（６０代）

February 7, 2016 My husband’s sister had been hospitalized before 3.11. She passed away soon after the earthquake at the hospital. We kept her remains at our house for a week or so after her passing because there was no crematory in operation. It was cold so here remains were ok. Our Tatami floor was wet due to the Tsunami but we used a few layers of dried materials and placed her body on them. I placed a few flowers that our friend gave to us that he was supposed to bring to somewhere else. After the earthquake, we joined our neighbor’s suggestion and escaped to a nearby building. Then we returned to our house on the 6th day. Our first floor was soaked with water but the second floor was ok. We were fortunate to have Futon and little food to survive. Each local community group provided the support supplies such as bread and rice balls. My hair salon was damaged by Tsunami and I could not start the operation for a while. About 2 later, someone came to ask for a haircut. I found a pair of scissors and cut his hair by using a regular chair. We boiled water with the kerosene boiler and gas canister. We also cooked with the reflective stove. We fixed my salon, washed volunteers’ hair and gave them cut until around August. I also provided a space for the volunteers so that they can have lunch with AC. I also shared such as bonito and saury Sashimi, seasoned tuna, ice cream, watermelon with volunteers because about 5 to 10 volunteers helped us with taking Tsunami water out of the place and also tearing off the floor. We are at least fortunate that our family member did not die. When you face a big earthquake, all you must do is escape. When I feel even a slight earthquake, I open a door. I would like to donate to Taiwan earthquake occurred in 2016. Right after 3.11, the things that got soaked and damaged were left on the street and one person managed to pass by. My daughter bought us a refrigerator but the delivery car could not cross the street. Our relative was kind enough to bring us the kerosene. Things kept in the freezer on the 2nd floor were getting defrosted and we could eat them. I feel that we could survive because I was not alone but with my husband. When I look back, I am not impressed with how well we did but how we could do it. As we are getting older, we would like to live our own age. For our daughter’s wedding, we went to Hawaii. We would like to go sometime again. We need to start saving money. I enjoy watching travel TV shows because I feel as if I was traveling with them too. I need to have water drained from my knee every month. I am on my feet all the time as a hairstylist but I don’t move around too much. I do not read novels so much so I am not very good with thinking and talking but I am a good listener to my customers. I know a lot of people who experienced so much damages. When I meet with those who had worse experiences and damages than me, I do not talk about myself but focus on listening. I listen to my son who was working at a gymnasium that was used as a morgue. I also shared my son and his family with food. My daughters who lived in Tokyo could not come to visit us for a while. There is no public transportation. I feel sorry that those elders living in the temporary residence by themselves are find dead by themselves. Those elder people tend to watch TV all day long and do not have a change to get out of the house to socialize. The hospitals are usually crowded because the elder people are talking there. It seems that they are sharing the same experiences and supporting each other. I took the online program to become a hairstylist. I always liked touching hair since I was small. My mother suggested I become a hairstylist. Before my husband and I opened a hair salon, I worked for 2 different salons. We got married by the arrangement marriage and opened our new salon. We would like to continue to work as long as possible as we do not have a retirement age without killing ourselves too much. As we get older, our regular customers are getting older and some even pass away. Most of the recent hair salons take appointments only and so those who come from faraway and living in the temporary house are having hard times. However, our salon is ok to take customers without appointments. So, customers come to our salon by taking a cab and then my husband drives them back home. Then my husband drives both ways from the following time. If the customer wishes to go shopping, he would stop by a supermarket. There are times that our salon gets crowded and then some days no one comes. I wonder if people want to go to a hair salon on certain days. We have been in this business for 43 years. Lately, I am really into crafting to make things with paper and towel.