Ms. MB (a woman in her 60’s) Ｍ．Ｂさん ６０代

August 10, 2016 It was a big shake, so I knew it was something unusual. But, I didn’t expect a Tsunami. I was working in the office. When I went to my car in a parking lot, there was a crow on the fence that wasn’t flying away. So I asked, “Is something going to happen?” I worried about my house in Ishinomaki and just drove following a car in front of me at 70 km/hour. In the city, people seemed carefree doing their cleaning after the earthquake or chatting. I went to a grocery store but there already was a long line. I saw the ocean from Hiyoriyama mountain. People were coming up to Hiyoriyama mountain chatting. I learned there was something unusual by listening to the radio reporting about Arahama. Radio was only reporting the news from Sendai. I lost myself when I heard the news that Onagawa was completely destroyed. I wanted to see it by myself as my husband was working there. I planned to stay up till 10 pm inside my car to stay warm, sleep in clothes then drive to Onagawa in the morning to pick up my husband. He was a school teacher there, and I wasn’t able to get a hold of him. I instantly knew that he wouldn’t be able to come home for a while because he had to take care of children after such a huge earthquake. The next day, a boat was up on the street blocking the way so that I couldn’t drive. I decided to walk to Onagawa. On the morning of 3/12, there was a soup kitchen in Tatemachi, and someone unknown called me in to eat. I was thankful. Someone I knew who had a sushi restaurant gave me rice cooked using propane gas. Neighbor shared rice also cooked using propane gas. In the morning of the 5th day, I was able to confirm that my husband was safe and I felt relieved knowing he was alive. I knew he, as a teacher would work for children and wouldn’t come home for a while. In the night of 3.11, the burning ocean was coming towards the mountain. I didn’t turn on the radio afraid of listening to biased news. A friend told me to watch out for the tsunami just the day before, but she was killed. I wondered if ruins of war would have looked like this. Everyone was walking in silence. I reunited with my husband after two weeks. I put him in a bath and cooked Tonjiru-soup for him. For a while, I concentrated on my work but was exhausted. I thought it would be nice to go to the ocean side in Akita and eat good fish. I’m a person who acts before thinking. I felt I would be ok as I was not the only one and everyone around me were also hit by the disaster. I heard from my husband later that he could see a black wall of water coming towards the land from the school that was standing on a hill. They evacuated the children to even higher ground. The teachers didn’t release children even their parents came to pick them up. Five disaster prevention radios were not usable. He told me that the disaster manual of Onagawa indicated that there would be a tsunami after an earthquake. I married young and came from a town far away, but the neighbors helped me when I asked for. Even after the disaster, having ordinary relationships with people helped me. It’s important to talk to each other, to open your heart. Nowadays, young people have trouble dealing with people. They lack relationships, but I wonder if that’s ok? I like people and I’m a type of person who takes the lead. I’m the commander of my family. I used to be negative and stayed away from people until my junior high school age but realized that it would be my loss if I had continued my attitude. I started to volunteer for the Red Cross and became a cheerful person in my high school days. I love caring for children. I feel I’m not a victim because my husband was safe and I have a job and a house. I feel guilty about these gifts. There are many volunteers working, I pass by strangers, and the town that I was familiar with now looks like a different place. Are we ok to be the victims who are just waiting to receive something with an open mouth? What’s recovery? There is a difference in attitude of people in Ishinomaki. It might be about time to stop, think and stand up to become self-sufficient. I picked up some Pacific Saury washed up to the land, carried them on my back to the mountain and cooked. I received fish cake and rice from others. I invited victims to my house and let them bathe and wash clothes. I’m not a type of person who thinks into the future. Living now is the most I can do. I’m happy if I’m satisfied for today while looking at the past and future. Each day is important with encounters and time. I have no worries. I know worrying won’t help or resolve anything. I read many books when I was little. My teacher took us to the mountain on a nice day when I was in elementary school. My home town had a tall mountain and I lived my life looking up the mountain. So, I think I can see something different by looking up. Now, I’m recovered and enjoy telling people what I want to pass on.