4月30日をもって支援活動もひと区切りつけた。
4月29日東北新幹線全線開通し、北への動脈路は開けた。連休を利用してボランティアが多く駆けつけてきたようだが、ボランティアの仕事は釜石ではあるだろうか。
3月11日からひた走りに駆け抜けてきた。1ヵ月半もたつと、釜石はスーパーマーケットもホームセンターもすでに開業しているし、コンビニも夜間を除き営業している。ガソリンスタンドもオープン。花巻-釜石間の鉄道も通常通り、町の銭湯もオープンしている。
釜石は今回の三陸の中で、一番早く立ち直ってほしいと思っている。新日鉄釜石があり、内陸にトヨタの製造工場があり、その高速道ラインに遠野があり、われわれはその一体感の中にある。道の駅産直店をやってから、その関係はひしひしとわかっている。
釜石は世界に向かって震災から立ち上がるモデルとして、震災から復興へのビジョン、原発とは違う新しいスマートエネルギーをかかげて、先端をきって立ち上がることが希望を灯すことになる。
4月29日、福島県から私の知友、菅家さん(会津土建社長)が、遠野・釜石をみて、その立ち上がりに驚いていた。菅家さんは主張する。「福島の電力は全て東京へいっている、福島、東北なんかきていない。洗濯物を乾かしたまま避難させられたり、乳牛、肉牛が飼料も与えられず、骨と皮だけになって放置されているんだ。南相馬など津波にのまれ、2メートル近いドロの下に遺体がそのままになっている。20キロ圏内に入れず、今後20年間どうしてくれるのか」
釜石では個々人や経営者の背負う課題はまだまだ大きいが、立ち上がっていかなければいけない。
English Version:
English Version:
On April 30th, We've decided to put aside our support activities for the time being.
The entire Tohoku Shinkansen line reopened on April 29th, which opens the way to the North of Japan.
A lot of volunteer workers came during the long holidays, however I often wonder if there is enough work for them in Kamaishi.
We've been working desperately after March 11th. In the one and a half months after the earthquake,
essential facilities such as super markets, shopping centres, and Gas stations have reopened. Convenience stores have returned to their previous levels of business except at night. The railway between Hanamaki and Kamaishi runs as before, and the public bath is also open.
People are hoping for Kamaishi to recover fastest amongst all the towns in the Sanriku area. They know that the line between the Nippon Steel Corporation and one of Toyota's manufacturing factories in the inland area is essential. There is a highway between those two key companies and
we are in the centre of it. We know how important it is that the line is active because we've been running the roadside station.
Kamaishi will be giving hope to the world as a model of recovery from disaster with a vision for renewal and new smart energy, different from the atomic plant.
On April 29th, my friend Mr.Kankei (President of Aizudoken corporation) from Fukushima Prefecture visited me and was quite surprised to see how fast the Tono-Kamaishi area has been recovering. He claims that the electricity produced in Fukushima is all delivered to Tokyo, not Fukushima, nor any other part of the Tohoku area.
Some people near the atomic plant had to leave their houses with their laundry hanging out, cows were left in their barns without any food, and all we can do is to watch them die in hunger. In Minamisoma, an area which is within 20km of the plant and considered highly contaminated, no work has been done and we assume there are still many dead bodies buried under the 2m high sludge in the sea. No one can enter that area for another 20 years. What is to be done?
We know there is a lot of hardship for every individual and business owner to carry, but there is no choice, we have to take off our gloves now.
