The 1st-5th Stages Beneficiaries` Descriptions

Great East Japan Earthquake Living and Industrial Base
Reconstruction and Recovery Fund
The 1st – 5th Stages
Beneficiaries’ Descriptions
July 10, 2012
─1─
Thank you for your support.
We have completed our fundraising
activities on June 30th.
Gratitude
Keiji Aritomi, President
Yamato Welfare Foundation, Public Interest Incorporated Foundation
We are pleased to announce that on June 30, 2012,
Ya m at o Wel f a r e Fou nd at io n , P ubl ic I nt e r e s t
Incorporated Foundation, completed their fundraising
project,“Great East Japan Earthquake Living and
Industrial Base Reconstruction and Recovery Fund”
based on Yamato Transport’s donations collected(JPY
10 per parcel). We express our heartfelt appreciation to
those of you who have donated by using our home
delivery service (We call it“TA-Q-BIN”) and also to
those of you who have donated directly to the foundation
by bank transfers. The total donations amounted to JPY
14,274,264,524 , with which we were able to fund 31
projects in five stages.
We published details of projects for beneficiaries for
each stage on our website when the Selecting
Committee identified beneficiaries and projects in five
meetings. You will be able to see in the attached table
such details as the prefecture, category, project name,
and amount donated. What we considered most
important in selecting projects to support was whether
the people involved were motivated to work hands-on in
the reconstruction and recovery of the area because our
intent was not to provide donation for the sake of
sending it without visible benefits being generated from
it. We at Yamato Transport are proud to have generated
and distributed up to JPY 14.2 billion in order to
support the reconstruction and recovery of affected
areas. We would like to thank those who have directly
donated their money. We would also like to express our
gratitude to the Selecting Committee members, who
dedicated their time and efforts to the cause. Their
names and profiles are posted on our web site. I assure
you that they are experts in their chosen fields. I am
very thankful for the work they have carried out.
At Yamato Transport, which was founded in 1919 and
is its 92nd year of business, every employee thought that
it was time to give back to society following the
earthquake and tsunami disaster of last year. The
highest priority for us was to normalize TA-Q-BIN
service. Our employees in the affected areas worked
very hard. When I visited one of our branches that was
heavily damaged, people were working without
electricity. I was so humbled to see this. Our customers
were also happy because relief packages from all over
Japan started to flow in directly. We also helped local
governments. We delivered the relief packages to
shelters as well as places where several families were
staying together. When I visited our Tono Branch, a
driver from Kagoshima (a prefecture in southern Japan)
was working there. Many of our employees were
volunteering there. Even today, one of our company
buses leaves Ginza every weekend to carry our
volunteers to the affected areas. In addition to all of
these activities, we organized a“Reconstruction and
Recovery Fundraising”drive. We express our sincere
appreciation to local governments and those who
supported it.
Lastly, I wish to share with you part of the progress
report on the reconstruction projects. A provisional fish
market in Minami Sanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, was
completed on October 21, 2011 and started its daily“fish
auction”on October 24, just in time for the autumn
salmon. The town officials were very happy about the
swift and active support because townspeople would
stay there if they saw that the town was coming back to
life. On April 11, I attended a Shinto ceremony to
sanctify the land for construction of a day-care center
for children in Noda Village, Iwate Prefecture. We
donated the cost of construction because moving the
facility to higher ground would not be covered by
government funding. The Village Chief said in his
speech,“The construction of the new day-care center
brings the hammering sound to the village, motivating
the villagers to get up and act.”Once again, I wish to
thank each and everyone who was involved in the drive.
Thank you very much.
─2─
Table of Contents
Project Outline………………………………………………………… 4
List of Beneficiaries… ……………………………………………… 5
Major Activities of the Yamato Group & Yamato Welfare
Foundations since the Earthquake………………………………… 6
Report on the 1st Group of Beneficiaries… ……………………… 7
Report on the 2nd Group of Beneficiaries………………………… 12
Report on the 3rd Group of Beneficiaries… ……………………… 17
Report on the 4th Group of Beneficiaries… ……………………… 20
Report on the 5th Group of Beneficiaries… ……………………… 23
─3─
■Project Outline
The Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred on March 11, 2011 robbed its victims of the essentials for living
and maintaining industry. The damage to fishery and agriculture in particular was so serious that immediate
assistance from both the public and private sectors was badly needed.
Yamato Group, which has had long standing relationships with the people and industries of the areas devastated
by the earthquake, announced on April 7 that it would“donate JPY 10 per TA-Q-BIN parcel delivered”for
one year in order to support the reconstruction of local bases for living and the recovery of the fishing and
agriculture industries. At the same time, a letter from Mr. Morio Ikeda, Chair of the Cabinet Office Public
Interest Corporation Commission, was sent to all public service corporations※“to spearhead activities to support
earthquake devastated areas’early recovery from the damage.”Yamato Public Interest Incorporated Foundation,
which had already started doing so as of April 1, was one of the first to respond to the call. On April 11, we
applied for“additional reconstruction and recovery projects for existing support to projects for the physically
challenged”
, in the earthquake devastated areas which were approved by the Cabinet Office. Furthermore,
on June 24, we were appointed by the Minister of Finance to receive“donations set aside for designated
organizations”that provides a tax break to donors for the donations made. On July 1, we launched the Great East
Japan Earthquake Living and Industrial Base Reconstruction and Recovery Fund. Yamato Group has made a
decision to funnel all donations from individuals and organizations through this fundraising project.
In order to secure the validity and objectivity of the use of donations, we established the“Reconstruction
Support Selecting Committee”when we were appointed to handle specific donations on June 24. In selecting
beneficiaries, we adopted the basic policy of“Visible support, fast support, and effective support.”We did not
want to simply give money or support projects that would have difficulty attracting governmental financial aid;
we wanted to establish a new donation model, something only the private sector do. We wanted to do something
only the private sector could do.
On August 24, the Reconstruction Support Selection Committee met for the first time and decided on the
first group of beneficiaries to receive a total amount of JPY 4.111 billion. On October 11, the second group of
beneficiaries was selected to receive a total amount of JPY 3.4 billion, followed by JPY 2.2 billion to be designated
as the third financial aid on December 12. This year, on February 22, a total amount of JPY 2.1 billion was
allocated as the fourth financial aid and the amount of JPY 3.6 billion as the fifth financial aid on April 17. From
the first through the fifth groups of beneficiaries, a total of JPY 14.266 billion was given to finance 31 projects.
On June 30, the fundraising activities as well as acceptance of applications for support was ended. The total
donations received amounted to JPY 14,274,260,000. We will continue to support the 31 projects until they have all
been completed. We will also keep you posted on the progress.
●Members of“The Great East Japan Earthquake Reconstruction
Support Selection Committee”
◦Chair: Kazunari Uchida, Waseda University Graduate School Commercial Science Professor and Waseda University Business School Professor
◦Members: Hitoshi Ieda, Tokyo University Social Infrastructure Studies Professor and Vice-President of
the Japan Society of Civil Engineers (in charge of Earthquake Damage); Takeo Koizumi, Tokyo Agriculture
University Professor Emeritus, Ph.D. in Agriculture; Yumiko Noda, Price WaterhouseCoopers K.K. Partner
in PPP and Asia Pacific Representative of Governmental Infrastructure; and Haruo Hayashi, Kyoto University
Disaster Prevention Research Institute Mega-Earthquake Research Center Professor
※What is a public service corporation?
A public service corporation is a legal entity with a history of more than 100 years that is engaged in religion,
charity, academic pursuit, or arts in order to widely serve society. In 2008, the new public-service corporation system
was created in order to encourage participation in non-profit activities by the private sector and also to introduce
consistency in foundation and management of such organizations run by the public sector. Yamato Welfare Foundation
was granted such status by the Cabinet Office in March 2011 and started functioning 1 as a public service
corporation on April.
─4─
The 1st to 5th Groups of Beneficiaries
（Unit: JPY millions）
Prefec-
Project Name
ture
Fisheries
Iwate Prefecture
❶
Seafood Processors’Production Recovery Support Project
1,600
❷
Emergency Measures Project
for Stabilization of Fish Prices
403
❸
Fishery Community Facilities Restoration Suppor t
Project
97
❹
Ice Making and Storage Unit
Recovery Support Project
248
❺
Kamaishi City
Fish Market Management
Base Recovery Project
155
❻
Ice Making and Storage Unit
Recovery Support Project
758
❼
Fishery Community Facilities Restoration Suppor t
Project
880
Agriculture
Living/Commerce
& Industry
Aomori
❶ ❷ ❸❹
Noda Village
Noda Village Day-care Center Reconstruction Project
280
Rikuzen Takada City Takekoma Day-care Center New
Building and Reconstruction
234
21
●
Fishery Community Facilities
Restoration Support Project
966
25
●
“Iwate Sanriku”Yume Afureru Fishing Industry Business
Model Creation
130
Total by Prefecture and by Infrastructure
5,237
Miyagi Prefecture
❽
Ocean Floor Cleaning Material and Equip ment Purchase Support Project
100
❾
Fresh Seafood Supply Facilities Preparation Project
600
Fish Farming Material and
Equipment Emergency Procurement Project
500
0
1,324
26
●
Temporary Seafood Processing
Plant Installation Project
177
27
●
Ocean Floor Cleaning Material and
Equipment Purchase Support Project
58
Total by Prefecture and by Infrastructure
2,352
Iwate Prefecture
514
25
Rikuzen Takada City
5,751
Kesen Numa City
Sendai
Yamagata
26
22
Shichigahama
❽❾
Soma City
Fukushima Prefecture
Kawauchi Village
Ono Town
1,324
Kawauchi Village Highland
Produce Cultivation Plant
Construction Project
300
“The Greater Soma Mental
Care Center: Nagomi”Construction Project
長野
Yotsukura Port Local Area
Promotion Facility“Koryukan”Restoration Project
0
24
29
30
Iwaki City Onahama
30
Pacific Ocean
Total Amount for the 1st to 5th
Groups of Beneficiaries
Utsunomiya
前橋
Mito
80
Fukushima Prefecture
Soma Port Marine Container
Distribution Base Installation Project
28
Sukagawa City
Naraha Town
Shirakawa-shi
Iwaki City Yotsukura
180
“Aquamarine Fukushima”
Heat Source Facility Installation Project
3,676
27
23 31
Fukushima
Minami Soma City
255
Total Number of Projects
31Projects
Total Financial Aids
JPY 14.266 billion
●Details by Prefecture
Iwate Prefecture
103
11 Projects JPY 57.151 billion
23
●
Fa r m l a n d Re c o v e r y a n d
Restoration (Domestic Soy
Beans) Project
24
●
Local Agricultural Infrastructure Emergency Installation Project
28
●
Ono Town Regional Public General Hospital Installation Project
29
●
Construction of the Kashima
Welfare Hospital and Attached Senior Medical Center, Koju-en
1,000
30
●
Ground Work for Construction Site for the Provisional
School Building and Construction of the Provisional
School Building
191
31
●
Fukushima Prefectural Nature Park Matsukawa Area
Coastal Damage Prevention
Forest Reforestation Project
130
Grand Total
❺
Kamaishi City
新潟
JA Sukagawa Iwase Agricultural Production Recovery Project
Total by Prefecture and by Infrastructure
Sea of
Japan
Minami Sanriku Town
Ag r icul t u r al P r o d u c ti o n
Restor ation Emergency
Measures Project
570
❻❼ 21
Morioka
Miyagi Prefecture
347
Sadogashima
Shichigahama Fishery Promotion
Center Construction Project
Akita
Ofunato City
Minami Sanriku Town Fisher y Infrastructure Emergency Restoration Project
22
●
Prefecture
Total
Miyagi Prefecture
300
8 Projects JPY 36.176 billion
Fukushima Prefecture
270
12 Projects JPY 48,139 billion
2,000
●Details by Category
Fishing
16 Projects
JPY 7.589 billion
Agriculture
5 Projects
JPY 2.449 billion
Living
7 Projects
JPY 3.865 billion
Commerce
3 Projects
JPY
●
0
1,125
3,714
7,589
2,449
4,228 14,266
4,839
● The points in the map
indicate locations of
organizations requesting
financial aid.
─5─
●
●
300 million
Financial Aid over JPY 1.0 billion
Financial Aid from JPY 100 million to
JPY 1.0 billion
Financial Aid below JPY 100 million
＜Major Activities of Yamato Group and Yamato Welfare Foundation after the Earthquake＞
Date
Fri., March 11
Wed., March 23
Fri., March 25
Yamato Group
Yamato Welfare Foundation
Earthquake occurred
Emergency Supply Transport Unit formed (200 trucks/500 members)
Resuming collection and shipping of TA-Q-BIN in all of Tohoku
Yamato Welfare Foundation Public-service Corporation named by appointment
by the Cabinet Office.
Fri., April 1
Thu., April 7
Donation of JPY 10 per TA-Q-BIN parcel (in the order of JPY 13.0 billion on
annual basis) was announced
Mon., April 11
Newspaper advertisement:“Every package we deliver also carries hope”was
run.”
Mon., May 16
Employee Volunteer Holiday System launched (taken by 2,075 employees as
of March 13, 2012)
The program to add reconstruction support projects to the earthquake existing
support projects for the physically handicapped in the earthquake devastated
areas was approved by the Cabinet Office.
Great East Japan Earthquake Living and Industrial
Infrastructure Reconstruction and Recovery Fund was
appointed by the Ministry as“specially designated
donations.”On the same day, the Selecting Committee,
consisting of third party committee members, was
established.　※１
Fri., June 24
Fri., July 1
Fundraising activities and application for receiving financial aid started for the
Great East Japan Earthquake Living and Industrial Infrastructure Reconstruction
and Recovery Fund.
Wed., August 24
The 1st Selecting Committee meeting was held in order to determine the first
beneficiary based on the policy of“providing visible, fast, and effective support.”
Thu., September 8
The first group of beneficiaries was announced ※2　(JPY4,100,000,000).
Tue., October 11
Wed., October 12
The 2nd Selecting Committee meeting was held.
Report newspaper ad,“Every package we deliver also carries hope”was run.
Mon., October 24
The first auction was held at the provisional fish market in Minami Sanriku
Shizugawa, having been completed on October 21 (JPY 360 million, as part
of the first phase of financial aid).
Tue., October 27
The second group of beneficiaries was announced ※3 (in the order of JPY 3.4
billion).
Mon., October 31
Iwate Prefecture Seafood processor to receive financial aid for recovery of
production (JPY1.6 billion out of the first financial aid).
Mon., November 7
Mon., January 16
Tue., February 7
Tue., March 13
Sat., June 30
The total number of TA-Q-BIN and the total amount donated by October:
793,238,047 pieces/JPY 7932,380,470
Total amount of funds raised (including those from Yamato Group): JPY
7,940,143,082 at the end of October
Total financial aid paid out: JPY 7.471 billion
The total number of TA-Q-BIN and the total amount donated by December:
1,107,876,576 pieces/JPY 11,078,765,760.
The third Reconstruction Selecting Committee meeting was held on
December 12. Beneficiaries announced on December 21
※ 4 (JPY
2,200 million). The total amount of financial aid up to the third phase of
financial aid (including donations from Yamato Group): JPY 9.673 billion.
The total amount of funds raised as of the end of December (including
those from Yamato Group) was JPY 11,093,210,429. Jan. 19 Having
received subsidies through the Third Revised National Budget, the amounts
of financial aid to the beneficiaries of the second and the third phases
dropped.
The total number of TA-Q-BIN and the total amount donated by January:
1,206,803,208 pieces/JPY 12,068,032,080.
Dec. 16 Aquamarine Heat Source Facility Start-up Ceremony; Jan. 17 Yotsukura
Port Interchange Hall Ground Breaking Ceremony; Jan. 28 Soma Port Capability
Recovery Ceremony; Jan 30 JA Sukagawa Iwase Agricultural Warehouse Laying
of the Cornerstones.
Total amount of funds raised as of the end of January (including those from
Yamato Group): JPY 12,083,559,589.
The total number of TA-Q-BIN and the total amount donated by February:
1,308,769,264 pieces/JPY 13,087,692,640.
Feb 10 Ofunato City Fishing Coop Ice Making and Storage Unit’s Shinto
ceremony to sanctify the land: Feb 10 Miyagi Prefecture Governor Yoshihiro
Murai sends Yamato Welfare Foundation and Yamato Transport K.K. a letter of
thanks; Feb 17 Iwate Prefecture Vice Governor Yoshiharu Ueno sends Yamato
Welfare Foundation and Yamato Holdings K.K. a letter of thanks.
The Fourth Reconstruction Selection Committee meeting is held on Feb 22, with
new beneficiaries being announced on Feb 29 ※5　(in the order of JPY 2.100
billion).
The total number of TA-Q-BIN and the total amount donated by March:
1,423,608,136 pieces / JPY 14,236,081,360.
The total amount of funds raised as of the end of March (including donations
from Yamato Group): JPY 14,271,177,426; April 17 the fifth“Reconstruction
Selecting Committee”was held; April 26, new beneficiaries announced. ※6 (in
the order of JPY 3.6 billion); the total amount up to the fifth phase of financial
aid: JPY 14.266 billion; April 24, Fukushima Pref. Governor Yuhei Sato sent a
letter of thanks to Yamato Welfare Foundation; April 23, the Federation of the
Kamaishi City Fishing Coops Ice Supply and Hygiene Control Center Laying of
Cornerstones; May 8, JA Tozai Shirakawa Tobu Coop Agricultural Warehouse
Laying of Cornerstones; June 1, Soma City Farmland Recovery (Domestic soy
bean project) farming equipment; June 6, Iwate Pref. Governor Takuya Tasso paid
a courtesy call on Yamato Welfare Foundation to thank them;
June 30, the fundraising drive ended. 222 individuals and 74 corporations
donated a total of JPY 14,274,264,524.
※1“Reconstruction Selecting Committee: Chair - Kazunari Uchida, Professor of Waseda University; Members – Hitoshi Ieda, Prof. of the Tokyo Univ.; Takeo Koizumi, Prof., Tokyo Agricultural University; Yumiko Noda, PWC Asia Regional President; Haruo Hayashi, Prof., Kyoto University.
※2 The 1st Group of Beneficiaries: Miyagi Prefecture. Fresh Seafood Supply Facilities Installation; Iwate Prefecture. Seafood Processing Business Owners Recovery Support and 9 other projects / Total of JPY4.083 billion→ JPY4.065 billion. (See details in the press release.)
※3 The 2nd Group of Beneficiaries: Iwate Prefecture Noda Village Day-care Center Reconstruction,”Fukushima Prefecture Soma City“Soma Port Marine Container Distribution Infrastructure Installation”and 6 other projects / total amount: JPY 3.388 billion→JPY 2.207 billion.（See details in the press release.）
※4 The 3rd Group of Beneficiaries: Fukushima Prefecture Kawauchi Village“Highland Agricultural Cultivation Factory; Iwate Prefecture Rikuzen Takada City Takekoma Day-care Center Construction and Re-construction and 5 other projects. Total amount was JPY2.202 billion.（See details in the press release.）
※5 The 4th Group of Beneficiaries： Iwate Prefecture Fishing Coop Facility Reconstruction Support, Shichigahama Town Fishing Promotion Center Construction and 4 other projects / Total of JPY2.106 billion.（See details in the press release.）
※6 The 5th Group of Beneficiaries: Fukushima Prefecture. Ono Town to bring the Public General Hospital to working order, and 7 other projects / JPY3.686 billion（See details in the press release.）
The 1st through 5th Total Amount of Financial Aid: 31 projects, JPY 14.266 billion.
─6─
The Report on the 1st Group of Beneficiaries
Minami Sanriku Town
Fishery Infrastructure Emergency Recovery
Project
Miyagi Prefecture
Providing the Fresh Seafood Supply Center
with equipment
Miyagi Prefecture
Emergency provision of sea-farming
materials and equipment
The 1st Stage Financial Support
Applying
Organization
Project Name
Project Outline
1
Miyagi Prefecture
Ocean Floor Cleaning
Material and Equipment
Purchase Support
Project
To help Fishing Co-ops cover the expense of purchasing
equipment developed for trolling fishing boats to remove
rubbish on the ocean floor so that fishing can be resumed as
soon as possible.
100,000
2
To help cover the cost of purchasing an ice-making machine
Fresh Seafood Supply
and its installation so that the fish market can be reopened
Miyagi Prefecture Facility Installation
and distribution of fresh seafood can be resumed at an early
Project
date.
600,000
3
Miyagi Prefecture
Fish Farming Material
and Equipment
Emergency
Installation Project
To assist fish farming businesses procure and install the
necessary fish farming materials and equipment for the quick
recovery of the industry.
500,000
4
Iwate Prefecture
Seafood Processors’
To provide financial assistance to purchase and install
Production Recovery
equipment for seafood processing
Support Project
1,600,000
5
Iwate Prefecture
Emergency
Measures Project for
Stabilization of Fish
Prices
6
Yotsukura Port
Local Area
Specific nonPromotional Facility
profit corporation
Koryu-kan
Yotsukurabu
Reconstruction
Project
“Aquamarine Fukushima”
Heat Source
Facility Repair and
Remodeling Project
Amount of Financial
Aid(Unit: JPY 000’s)
To assist seafood processing co - ops with capital for
procuring freezers and cold storage of seafood in order to
stabilize the supply-and-demand adjustment.
403,000
To provide financial assistance for construction of a
facility at the Iwaki City Yotsukura Port Highway Station
to be used by over 600,000 people each year as a center
of communication and information on local produce and
seafood.
180,000
To help cover the cost of repairing and remodeling the heat
source equipment, the key component of the aquarium, to
control the water tank temperature. Aquamarine Fukushima
is located in Iwaki City, Onahama.
80,000
7
Fukushima
Foundation
Marine Science
Museum
8
Sukagawa Iwase
Agricultural
Cooperative
Agricultural production
recoveryProject
To help cover the cost of repairing and remodeling warehouses
by relocating six damaged agricultural warehouses to one
location with an objective of recovery and renewal of local
agriculture.
255,000
9
Minami Sanriku
Town
Fishery Infrastructure
Emergency Recovery
Project
To help cover the cost of expedition recovery, including the
fish market, fishing boats, production plants, and temporary
processing plant construction.
347,000
─7─
Miyagi Prefecture　Ocean Floor Cleaning Material and Equipment Purchase Support Project
It is necessary to remove debris that was pulled into the bay and offshore
in order to rebuild the fishing capacity of Miyagi Prefecture. Cranes on
self-propelling barges had been used, but they were able to work only in
the shallow areas. With the funds obtained from our drive, they were able
to make dragnets specially designed to remove debris. Eighteen such nets
were delivered to fishing co-ops. These nets have large mesh openings in
order to facilitate separation of debris and are made of friction resistant
material. When collecting bags are attached, a 60-ton vessel can collect up
to 20㎥ of debris.
On March 12, debris removal from the ocean floor in the Sendai Bay
started. On the 18th, 18 boats with dragnets from co-ops went out to
30-meter deep offshore grounds to commence debris removal. Despite the
challenge of other debris flowing in where they have already cleaned, they
are patiently carrying out the work.
A pile of recovered debris
Using a special dragnet
Miyagi Prefecture　Fresh Seafood Supply Facility Installation Project
The hard work of cleaning Miyagi’s fishing ports heavily damaged by
the tsunami is moving ahead. Miyagi Prefecture has been able to apply
our financial support to build ice-making units in order to increase fishing
capacity. One such example is the introduction of a slurry ice maker at
Shizugawa Fishing Port that was completed on March 16.
It is essential, in order to preserve the freshness of the catch, not to use
fresh water, hurt the fish, or over-chill the fish. The slurry ice makes small
ice particles out of the sea water without addition of fresh water. Also,
since the sea water to be used is sterilized and made into sherbet-like ice,
it does not damage the fish and chills them quickly and evenly.
Slurry ice makers that enhance the commercial value of the catch are to
be installed in Onagawa, Ishinomaki, Ojika and two other fishing ports in
the prefecture.
Slurry ice machine
Can be used with a card
Miyagi Prefecture　Fish Farming Material and Equipment Emergency Installation Project
A number of sea farmers have had a hard time since the earthquake
because sea farming equipment is not covered by governmental financial
aid. Miyagi Prefecture, therefore, has applied to our foundation for support.
We have now completed 27 out of 37 projects. Miyagi Fishing Cooperative’s
Shichigahama Branch Steering Committee Chair Yoshikatsu Saito has been
able to rebuild his seaweed production plant using our financial support.
Shichigahama used to be one of the major producers on the northern end
of Japan, ranking 5th in the nation in nori seaweed harvest (6.800 billion
sheets). Seaweed produced in Miyagi is called Michinoku Kanryu Nori
and is loved by many. The earthquake destroyed most of the production
plants, so many seaweed farmers left the area. Now that our project has
introduced a machine capable of producing 7,000 sheets of seaweed per
hour, Mr. Saito tells us,“We have a place to work and to come home to.”
So far, 87 seaweed producers have returned.
─8─
Seaweed drier with increased
capacity
Seasoning machine for pulverized
seaweed
Iwate Prefecture　Seafood Processors’Production Recovery Support Project
In order to revitalize the fishery industry, coordinated efforts are being
made to bring back to life all of the fishing, sea farming, and seafood
processing industries. However, seafood processing companies from
the private sector do not have access to governmental financial aid;
therefore, we decided to reach out to 107 such companies through our
support program.
One of our beneficiaries, Hachinohe Canning K.K., had its four
plants in Kuji City and lost all of them to the earthquake and tsunami.
One of the senior managers, Ishikatsu Onishi shudders as he recalls,
“Logs from the nearby log pile were sticking out of the buildings and
machineries.”All the employees were able to evacuate to safety by bus,
but approximately 20,000 packs of frozen food and cans that were ready
to be shipped were all washed away. With the support money, they were
able to repair whatever machinery that could be salvaged and purchase
the new equipment they needed. Still, only one plant could be re-started
in April. Only 17 employees out of the previous 150 came back when the
plant re-started.“We are producing a new product called tatsuta age
(fried and seasoned) saury pike in the newly started plant. We want to
introduce to the market attractive products using the fish caught in Kuji.
Our target is 3 tons per day. We also hope to have 35 employees by midsummer.”
Near the Yagi Market in Hirono Town, K.K. Kanese Sekine Shoten,
which fillets salmon, suffered heavy damage to its plant, freezing and
refrigerating units, and warehouse in the tsunami.“Since the structure
of the plant was still standing, we were able to fix the exterior of the
building, but we could not possibly afford to replace the equipment
that we lost. I was truly devastated,”said Hirobumi Sekine, Managing
Director. With the financial support, they were able to buy the
equipment and resume business in August. Their production is 70 to 80
percent of what it used be before the earthquake. This is because they
had lost some of the customers while they were down, following the
earthquake. The good news is that all 25 employees are back.“We are
working hard to get back to where we were before.”
K.K. Miura Shoten, also in Hirono Town, mostly handles pickled
mackerel. Mackerel was frozen and stored in the warehouse in sufficient
quantities so that they could produce without fluctuation throughout the
year. This warehouse and the processing plant were destroyed by the
tsunami, and all of the fish were also lost.“The first floor was completely
wiped out, leaving parts of the second floor,”said Eisaku Nishi, Sales
Manager. Immediately after the earthquake, the company had no idea
when they would be able to re-start and was forced to let go of all of the
employees with a promise of hiring them back.“With the funds received
from the support program, we were able to buy equipment and re-open
on September 5. It took six months, but employees and customers came
back, to our relief.”In September, when the new fishing season began,
they were able to purchase enough fish for the whole year. Now, they
are processing 4 to 5 tons of fish every day to meet demand.“What
makes me very happy is that we have work to do and I can do it with
my co-workers,”said Mr. Nishi.
─9─
A new saury pike processing machine
(top)
Hachinohe Canning determined to start
over at a new plant
Everyone is smiling at Kanese Sekine
Shoten at the reopening of the plant.
Support funds helped purchase a new
conveyor. Miura Shoten processes 4.5
tons of mackerel a day.
Specific non-profit organization Yotsukurabu Yotsukura-Port Local Area Promotional Facility, Koryu-kan Reconstruction Project
“Yotsuruka Port Koryu-kan (exchange)”is a place where fresh and safe local
produce used to be offered, people used to work in vegetable stands and restaurants,
people met and socialized with others from the area. However, most of it was lost
to the earthquake. Not only was the Koryu-kan lost, but local vegetables and fish
were banned from shipping. The damage by the negative press was the last straw
for those engaged in agriculture and fisheries. The Yotsukurabu NPO is leveraging
itself with the support funds, and is starting to rebuild the Koryu-kan.
The Shinto ceremony to sanctify the land took place in January of this year, and
construction is currently underway. As the construction of the Yotsukura Port
Koryu-kan progresses, the damaged reputation of local produce and seafood from
the nuclear plant disaster is gradually fading away, and new levels of expectations
have been observed among the locals, with focus on development of the local
economy, recovery of economic bases, improvements in employment, and recovery of
commercial activities.
The Shinto ceremony to sanctify
the land was well attended
Image of the completed Koryu-kan
Foundation Fukushima Marine Science Museum“Aguamarine Fukushima”Head Source Facility Repair and Remodeling Project
The damage caused by the earthquake to the symbol of Fukushima
Prefecture tourism, Aquamarine Fukushima, was severe. Nevertheless, help
from all over Japan as well as support from aquariums around the world,
made it possible for them to re-open in July last year. However, repair to the
heat source had not been done at that time. Without the heat source, it is
difficult to control the water temperature and the environment, and it would
be impossible to care for and show 90 percent of the fish constantly. With the
support funds, they were able to expedite the repair work and to start up the
new heat source equipment at the end of last year with a ceremony.
With the completion of the project, it is now possible to control the water
temperature and the environment as before. Tropical fish from warm climates
as well as seals from the northern sea and water birds are being shown in
stable conditions. The new heat source, which is the heart of the aquarium, is
set up at a site on higher land than before.
The new heat source is at a higher
location than before.
Start-up ceremony held on
December 16
Sukagawa Iwase Agricultural Co-op　Agricultural Production Recovery Project
Sukagawa Iwase Agricultural Co-op offers brand name rice cultivated by
local rice farmers as well as vegetables and fruits to consumers all across
the nation. However, many of the farmers suffered damage caused by the
earthquake, and so did the six warehouses of the co-op. When they received
the support funds, they opted to build one big warehouse with new functions
and capabilities instead of rebuilding the lost six. The new warehouse has
new functions, such as low-temperature storage capability, and instruments to
measure radioactivity, ensuring that all the produce they offer is safe.
Mayor Katsuya Hashimoto spoke at the Shinto ceremony to sanctify the
land of the agricultural low-temperature warehouse held on January 30 this
year,“There can be no recovery of the local economy without the recovery
of agriculture, the base industry for the region. Let us all work to revitalize
Sukagawa City without succumbing to damaging rumors.”Construction is
currently underway, and its completion is expected for July.
─ 10 ─
Groundbreaking, in hopes of early
recovery
A new hi-tech warehouse is
to be born.
Minami Sanriku Town　Fishery Base Facility Emergency Recovery Project
The coast line of Minami
Sanriku Town was famous for
abalone, highest catch of chum
salmon in Miyagi Prefecture,
and oyster cultivation and
w a k a me s e awe ed . It w a s
lined with fish markets, work
spaces, and processing plants.
A plate being awarded in a ceremony
But the majority of them were
destroyed by the earthquake
and tsunami that left a number
of local fishermen and workers
without jobs and a way to live.
The fishing co-op and Minami
Sa nr iku Town applied for
national financial assistance
to quickly revive the fishing
Provisional Wakame Seaweed Work Space
industry, but it was difficult
to get approval for provisional fish markets and work spaces.
Furthermore, one third of the cost had to be borne by the individual
owners. There was a race against time because the chum salmon that
they had worked hard to raise and release would be coming back in
the latter part of September. If they were not ready, they would miss
the timing to catch them. Thus, Minami Sanriku Town decided to
apply for financial assistance from our program.
Akihiro Dazai, Sub-section Chief of Fishery Promotion in the
Industry Promotion Section said,“I felt that we were saved when
financial assistance came through,”
On October 21 of last year, Shizugawa Port’s provisional fish market
was completed, and the first auction was held on October 24. Then, a
provisional wakame seaweed work space was completed on May this
year. Also, a salt water intake tower is being built with completion
scheduled for September. From this tower, the salt water will be fed
through subterranean pipelines to the provisional oyster shelling
station, also scheduled for September completion, and a seafood
processing plant being built nearby. Although not many, fishing boats,
the most important equipment in fishing, will be purchased before
long. The town’s economy is coming back to life.
However, the damage by the earthquake was so heavy that it is
difficult for Minami Sanriku Town to regain the vigor of the past by
doing the same as before. So, the Fishing Industry Promotion Section
has come up with ideas for promoting participatory tourism in which
school children and the general public can experience oyster shelling
and working on wakame seaweed, banking on the town’s unique
fishing industry resources. The town is nuturing people who can help
in its re birth through a comprehensive ocean industry theme that,
includes tourism.
This Emergency Recovery of the Fishing Industry Infrastructure is
an example from our financial support program that initiated action
towards recovery faster than any other sectors.
─ 11 ─
Catch of salmon
Trucks enter here to pick up shipments
People at the market are smiling again.
Ready to purchase fishing boats
“This is the fastest and most effective model
for financial aid,”Yamato Holdings K.K.
President Kigawa visits Minami Sanriku Town.
The Report on the 2nd Group of Beneficiaries
Social Welfare Foundation Noda Village Day care Center
Reconstruction of the Noda Village Day care Center
Soma City
Soma Port Marine
Container Distribution Base
Installation Project
Miyagi Prefecture
Agricultural Production Recovery Emergency
Measures Project
The 2nd Stage Financial Support
Applying
Organization
Project Name
Amount of Financial
Aid(Unit: JPY 000’s)
Project Outline
1
Iwate Prefecture
Fishery Community
Facility
Recovery Support
Project
To pay for a fishing boat winch and a crane in order to be
able to harvest shellfish and cultivated wakame seaweed in
the current season.
97,000
2
Iwate Prefecture
Ice Making and Storage
Unit Recovery Support
Project
To give financial aid to restore ice making and storage units
for Ofunato Fish Market, which has the largest landing in the
prefecture and the earliest resumption.
248,000
3
Kamaishi City
Fishing Co-op
Federation
Fish Market Management
Base Renewal Project
To help pay for an ice supply facility (slurry ice vehicle) and
hygiene management facility (sterile sea water ice maker).
155,000
4
Miyagi Prefecture
Agricultural
Production Recovery
Emergency Measures
Project
To provide funds to prepare production facility and farming
equipment for a motivated and leading farmer organization
which wishes to quickly overcome the earthquake damage
and resume farming.
1,324,000
5
Welfare
Foundation Noda
Village Day-care
Center
Noda Village
Day-care Center
Reconstruction
Project
To provide funds to reconstruct a new day care center
building on safe, higher ground, replacing the one lost to the
tsunami.
280,000
6
Soma City
Soma-ko Marine
To pay for a replacement crane for marine container
Container Distribution
distribution and a reach stacker to be used at the emergency
Base Installation
replacement wharf.
Project
103,000
Iwate Prefecture　Ice Making and Storage Unit Recovery Support Project
The Ofunato Port fish market, which has the highest landing in the prefecture,
resumed operations in June last year, but the ice production capability had
not been restored. The Ofunato fish market, an important landing base for
fishermen of Ofunato City and Iwate Prefecture southern coast as well as for
visiting fishing boats operating offshore in the Sanriku fishing area, applied for
this program. The Shinto ceremony to sanctify the land for the construction of
a new ice making and storage unit was held on February 10.
The new unit is to be completed in August this year and will be able to
produce 100 tons per day, or three times the previous unit, and the storage
capacity will increase from the previous 2.260 tons to 3,000 tons.
─ 12 ─
Ice-making capability increased
threefold
Kamaishi City Fishing Co-op Federation　Fish Market Management Base Recovery Project
The Kamaishi Fishing Port was an active facility, taking advantage of the
rias-type coast line, which used to be bustling with sea farming and small
fishing boats. However, the precious landing equipment was destroyed by
the earthquake. Kamaishi was able to reopen, through steady efforts, the
second fish market in August of last year. Kamaishi used the financial aid
from our program to create a hygienic and easy-to-land fish market that
can handle large boats and trawlers.
On April 23, a mobile ice supplying unit was installed with 48 t/hour
capacity to crush ice and maintain the temperature at 1 degree Celsius of
sterile sea water to keep the fish fresh without damage. The new concept
of the“Kamaishi brand”is working toward its 2nd stage completion in
September.
Sterilized sea water supply system
Mobile ice crushing vehicle.
Social Welfare Corporation Noda Village Day-care Center　Noda Village Day care Center Reconstruction Project
“Miraculous evacuation of all children from the Noda Village
Day-care Center”was the headline in newspapers. There
were 91 children of ages ranging from few months to 6 years
old. The reason they were all able to be evacuated to safety
was because the staff trained once a month with a disaster
prevention drill and identified the safest escape route and
Under construction 1 km further inland and 17.2
refuge by repeatedly discussing and improving on ideas. The meters higher than before
center had purchased a large carriage capable of carrying 10
babies at once for emergency evacuation. They also had detailed plans for
carrying babies with slings or leading children by hand, specifying which
teacher would help which children and how to do it. The children and staff
all escaped to safety, while the facility was completely destroyed by the
tsunami, which is now being used as a debris depot.
In Noda Village, the former Niiyama Day care Center was urgently
a building once stood is a
reopened, but it was only able to handle 45 children, so it was too small Where
debris depot today
to take care of the 64 children still in the village. It was urgent that a
new day-care center be built so that those who wanted to return would
have a place to take their children. The government would not fund the
construction of a day-care center in a new location as it is not considered
rebuilding to replace the old one. Thus, Noda Village needed to apply to
our program.
Center Chief Yoshiko Tamagawa recalls when the letter advising the
approval of financial aid arrived,“Now I don’t have to worry and can focus Shinto ceremony to sanctify the
land on April 11
on looking after the children. I am so happy…”
On April 11, a Shinto ceremony to sanctify the land was held. Director Yoshihiko Iwaoka said,“All I
hope is that a new building where we can take care of the children who are our future will be completed
as soon as possible.”The new day-care center that is scheduled to be completed in November will be on
a property of 981.66 m2 and 856.25 m2 of floor space and have a capacity for 90 children. Since it will be
located on higher ground, there will no worry of tsunami in the future. The land is spacious as per request
by the Noda Village Day care Center in order to“provide a good environment for parents and children
with support from the local community.”The entire village is involved in the reconstruction of the new
Nada Village Day care Center.
─ 13 ─
Miyagi Prefecture　Agricultural Production Recovery Emergency Measures Project
The tsunami that hit Miyagi Prefecture entered far inland and
swallowed up greenhouses and farmland within minutes. Miyagi
Prefecture has applied for financial aid in order to help farmers
get back on their feet. The land area to be recovered includes
13,000 hectares of farmland, 71,020 hectares of rice paddies, and
924 hectares of horticulture. With the financial aid, many farmers
are working hard to overcome various challenges
Watari Town and Yamamoto Town, famous for an original
brand of strawberries called Mo Ikko used to produce 3,800 tons
of strawberries from 380 famers. The coastal road nicknamed
Strawberry Line was lined with rows of greenhouses for
strawberry cultivation. But the tsunami made piles of debris out of
them. Nearly 20,000 greenhouses were washed away, with 95% of
96 hectares of strawberry farmland damaged and the underground
water polluted by salt water. The farmers want to recover the
farms and equipment as soon as possible under the slogan“Ship
strawberries before Christmas!”The Miyagi Watari Agricultural
Co-op and ambitious strawberry farmers have stood up to fight for
the reopening of their businesses.
Mr. Hirobumi Tojo of the N a ga to ro h a m a S t r aw b e r r y
Production Co-op says,“My strawberry greenhouses were not
affected by the Tsunami. I have inspired myself to push forward.
The salt damaged the soil and the water, so I have switched to
growing strawberries on shelves off the ground using fertilized
solutions (elevated cultivation). Although the planting was delayed,
I was able to make it in time for Christmas.”
The farmland that was affected by the tsunami has broken
glass, nails and wires even after the mud and debris have been
removed. The salt removal process must also be done repeatedly.
So, the Miyagi Watari Agricultural Co-op, using the tractor that it
purchased with the money from our program, has cleared unused
land inland, created the Oyama Strawberry Collective Farm and
opened it for signing up. Kazuo Asakawa, the head of the co-op
said,“I asked volunteers to help us create it because we wanted
to plant by mid-summer. Since I promised the volunteers to ship
before Christmas, I was truly thrilled when we made it.”
There were also famers who established a company because
they wanted to resume strawberry production as soon as possible.
Yamamoto Strawberry Farm K.K. has a fully computer-controlled
elevated cultivation system. There are 8 houses of 20 ares
each, and the total construction cost was JPY460 million. After
subtracting the governmental financial aid, JPY280 million was
still needed. Since it is easier for a company to take out a loan
than an individual, four people from three farms got together to
start the company. A condition of the loan was that we to ship
(strawberries) before March. They had planted 64,000 plants and
further received funding from Miyagi Prefecture through our
program.“Our goal is to be selling JPY100 million per year in five
years. We have been able to resume our business. I want others to
step up without giving up,”he said.
─ 14 ─
Sendai Strawberries growing in elevated
cultivation inside a house
Mr. Tojo of Nagatoro Strawberry Production
Co-op purchased a house heater with the funds
from our program.
Mr. Asakawa of Oyama Collective Strawberry
Farm
Mr. Iwasa of Yamamoto Strawberry Farm K.K.
speaks of his passion for strawberries.
Miyagi Prefecture　Agricultural Production Recovery Emergency Measures Project
Not only strawberries producers, but also producers of vegetables, rice and flowers
are starting to move. Mr. Satoru Abe, who used to grow tomatoes, lost his home and
farmland and his beloved family to the tsunami. He nearly lost the will to live, but he
fought back, thinking,“How am I going let it take my work away, too?”He and his
friend, Senior Managing Director Takenori Sato, applied for rental greenhouse for
horticulture that was part of model business plan to promote early restoration and
reconstruction. A condition for renting them was to be a farmer who plans to be
incorporated and to have the land ready. At the end of last year, he and three others
founded K.K. Igunaru Farm and he became the representative director.“Igunaru”
means“it will get better,”in the local dialect. On May 25 of this year, three houses
were delivered. Using the agricultural machinery purchased with the support of this
program, they started cultivating medium-sized tomatoes.“Compared to large and
small tomatoes, medium-sized tomatoes reduce the labor of selecting by size prior
to shipping. We like to spend time and energy on mixing our own fertilizers and
giving special attention to the tomatoes because we care about the taste.”They are
expecting 100 tons to be harvested in mid-July. After the tomato season, their dream
is to expands into growing cucumbers.
Agricultural Producers’ Cooperative Corporation Sendai East Country,
comprised of eight farms, used to manage and cultivate 64 hectares of farmland for
90 farms and was the largest in the city. However, two thirds of the rice paddies were
damaged by the tsunami, and most of the machinery was lost at the same time.“We
cannot leave the paddies as they are. We have a responsibility to promote farming,”
managing director Hitoshi Sasaki says. And yet, the organization would have to deal
with two loans if they were to purchase new machinery to replace what was lost to
the tsunami because it had not yet been paid off. Our program was there to reach out
to Sendai East Country at that time.“This year, we are planting 35 hectares of rice,
2.4 hectares of soy beans and 0.4 hectares of rice for feed. We will also be collecting
rice straw. Our plan is to make the organization grow and have young people join us.
Our future plans include industrial development, a measure adopted by the Ministry
of Agriculture and Fisheries to encourage integrated operations in agriculture and
fishing industries to locally engage in production, processing, and sales in order to
secure employment and income and to create communities in which people of all ages
can live and work.
Some of the beneficiaries are carnation growers. Some carnation plants that had
gotten washed away by the tsunami started to sprout and flowered on their own,
which quickly became known as“tsunami-resistant carnations”of Natori City.
However, commercial cultivation of carnations requires a lot of care, starting out with
removing the mud and debris inside the green houses.“Inside the greenhouses was
such a mess, filled with debris and mud. Volunteers were a great help, getting the job
done very quickly. By the end of April, we were able to plant seedlings,”said President
Toshietsu Sugai of the Natori Flower Growers’Cooperative. Mr. Hiroetsu Miura of
the Cooperative is one of the first growers to get back in the game.“I put fertilizer
containing Bacillus, being studied by Professor Yutaka Hasegawa of the Hokkaido
Dairy Farming Gakuen University, into the mud and planted the seedlings there
although I was not fully convinced that it would work. To my surprise, the carnations
grew and flowered. Thanks to people like him and many others who encourage us,
as well as the financial aid given by the program, I am getting my life back,”said
Mr. Miura. Since last November, he has shipped 100,000 carnations from three of his
greenhouses. When all five are in operation, he estimates he will be shipping 170,000
flowers.
─ 15 ─
Three greenhouses (top)
of approximately 3.300 m2
of Igunaru Farm
From right Representative
Director Abe, Managing
Director Hoshina, and
Senior Managing Director
Sato (bottom)
Sendai East Country
members (top). A tractor
and a combine have
been replaced since the
tsunami.
Carnations began blooming
in the mud at Mr. Sugai’s
greenhouse in May of last
year. (Photo courtesy of
Mr. Sugai)
Mr. Miura, who says he
was revived by financial
support from the program
and encouragement from
the people.
Soma City　Soma Port Marine Container Distribution Base Installation Project
The Soma Port, an important hub for distribution in the Soso region, had
installed equipment for handling containers and started its long-waitedfor domestic marine container liner business. The earthquake and the
tsunami paralyzed the Soma Port, destroying the quay and the breakwater.
The nearly new equipment was mostly pushed down and washed into the
sea by the tsunami. Emergency measures brought back four of the berths
into operation, but they could only handle bulk cargo. The container-liner
service had to be suspended.
The national and prefectural restoration plans for port facilities indicated
that it would take three to five years to normalize them. Companies that
were dependent on the container shipment now would be forced to use
inconvenient land transport.“Those companies that have resumed their
businesses are asking for the restoration of container services. If we are
unable to lease the equipment and recover the functions of the port, we are
risking the loss of valued customers,”said Chief Yasuo Sumiyoshi of Soma
City Commerce Promotion Section. Soma City, pressured by mounting
apprehension, applied for financial support for this program.
With the funds obtained from our program, Soma City arranged for a
replacement crane and reach stackers for containers as emergency cargo
handling equipment. It was able to reopen the Soma Port Domestic Feeder
Container Liner in December. Then, on January 28 of this year, the Soma
Port Function Recovery Celebration was held.
Mayor Hidekiyo Tachiya and many others who were involved in the
recovery from the disaster were present at the celebration. He offered a
prayer for the Soma Port to become a fully functioning port as the hub for
commercial distribution in the Soso region as well as for Southern NorthEast and for the recovery of Soso region industry. Hitoshi Ieda, a member
of the Great East Japan Earthquake Recovery Support Selecting Committee
said,“It is important for people to take initiative in what they can do
locally by thinking and acting quickly rather than totally relying upon the
national and prefectural long-term recovery projects. That is why we have
selected Soma Port as a beneficiary,”sending words of encouragement to
the people.
─ 16 ─
Chief Sumiyoshi showing the
destroyed berth
A step toward reopening of the
container liner at the end of last
year
Repaired reach stacker
Soma Port Function Recovery
Celebration Ceremony
The Report on the Third Group of Beneficiaries
Iwate Prefecture Support project to restore
the community fishery facility
Special Non-profit Corporation, Association to Create a New Mental Health and Welfare
System in Soso
The Greater Soma Mental Care Center: Nagomi Construction Project
The Third Stage Financial Support
Applying
Organization
Project Name
Project Outline
Amount of Financial
Aid(Unit: JPY 000’s)
1
Iwate Prefecture
To support 13 fish markets in the prefecture by equipping
Ice Making and
them with ice making and storage units in order to improve
Storage Unit Recovery
hygiene and better management that will enhance early
Support Project
recovery of their full functions.
2
Iwate Prefecture
Fishery Community
Facility Recovery
Support Project
To financially support repairing the facility and purchasing
equipment for processing locally caught fish at the
processing plant in the fish market so that landed seafood
can be safely distributed.
880,000
3
Construction of
Kawauchi Village,
Kawauchi Village
Fukushima
highland vegetable
Prefecture
cultivation factory
To pay for the construction of the a hydro-culture plant
that uses safe and clean underground water, in order to
revive new agriculture for the residents returning to villages
removed from the evacuation zone.
300,000
4
Special Non-profit
Corporation
Association to
Create a New
Mental Health and
Welfare System in
Soso
The Greater Soma
Mental Care Center:
Nagomi Construction
Project
To cover the cost of establishing and managing the Greater
Soma Region Mental Care Center: Nagomi.
30,000
5
Social Welfare
Corporation
Rikuzen Takada
City Hoiku
Kyokai
Construction and
reconstruction of
Rikuzen Takada City
Takekoma Day-care
Center
To cover the costs of relocating the day-care center that
was destroyed by the earthquake to higher ground.
234,000
─ 17 ─
758,000
Iwate Prefecture　Ice Making and Storage Unit Recovery Support Project
It is essential to have an ice supply unit in the fish market to be able to process
all seafood and to keep it fresh. An increased ice making and storage capability
correlates to stable landing volume. Iwate Prefecture applied for assistance to
acquire ice making and storage units for the 13 fish markets in the prefecture that
were damaged by the earthquake. On March 24, the Shinto ceremony to sanctify
the land and a prayer for safety of the project took place in Kuji City, for which
approval was given for financial support for the ice making and storage unit.
When the new ice making and storage unit is completed at the end of September,
the ice making capacity will increase by 50 tons or 2.5 times the current one along
with increased storage capacity. This will make it possible to manage the freshness
of seafood brought in by local fishing boats, and, of course, they will also be able to
handle foreign vessels.
Of the total cost of this project, JPY1,050 million, 2/9 of what corresponds to Kuji
City, Iwate Prefecture, comes from our program.
Prayer for safety, Shinto ceremony
to sanctify the land
The new unit to be completed at
the end of September
Iwate Prefecture　Fishery Community Facility Repair and Remodeling Support Project
Iwate Prefecture applied to our program in order to expedite
recovery of fishing, seafood processing and distribution by restoring
seafood processing plants of the 16 fishing co-operatives and the
Seafood Processing Cooperative damaged by the earthquake.
Beppin shimesaba (beautiful pickled mackerel) was the star
product of Kuji City Fishing Cooperative, but the plant was
destroyed by the tsunami, completely stopping operations.“We
want to restart production as soon as possible and give our
employees their jobs back,”was the wish of the management.
Iwate Prefecture responded by applying to our program for
support, which made it possible for them to obtain a processing
facility and palettes. The plant reopened in December of last year.
Plant Manager Kiyoshi Matsumae says,“I am very happy that
all 45 employees were able to get their jobs back.”Presently, the
plant produces 3,000 packs of shimesaba. Also, saury was added to
the new plant to develop a new big seller for Kuji City.
Kuji City Frozen Seafood Processing Cooperative’s two
plants were completely destroyed, while the warehouse was half
damaged. The good news was that all of the 49 employees were
safe. This Co-op was selected as a beneficiary, and the recovery
project was immediately implemented, completing and starting up
the new plant in July of last year.
The support made it possible to complete the repair job on five
1,000-ton freezer warehouses of minus 25 degrees and another one
of minus 45 degrees that is capable of instantaneous freezing and
storing of seafood. A new tunnel freezer that would carry seafood
on the conveyor into the freezer for instantaneous freezing was
also installed. Senior Managing Director Hisao Matsudate says
that, with these facilities, a task that was taking 24 hours can
now be finished in only two hours, with freezing and shipping
capacities of 6 to 7 tons per day.
─ 18 ─
Kuji City Fishing Cooperative
The processing plant that was repaired and
reopened with financial support from our
program (top), Plant Manager Matsumae
(bottom)
Kuji City Frozen Seafood Processing Cooperative
Equipped with the latest freezing unit, Tunnel
Freezer(top)
And repaired warehouse (bottom)
Special Non-profit Corporation: Association to Create a New Mental Health and Welfare System in Soso
The Greater Soma Mental Care Center: Nagomi Construction Project
In the Soso region, which was designated as a high
alert and ready-to-evacuate-in case-of-emergency area
after the nuclear disaster, many residents were forced to
stay at shelters and provisional housing. The same thing
happened to medical facilities in the area. Clinics and
hospitals stopped functioning. As a result a number of
psychiatric patients, could no longer see their doctors or
receive medication, causing serious consequences. Care
Center Deputy Director Yasuhiro Suto rushed to the site
and started taking action as soon as he was advised of the
situation by the welfare office of Soma City.
“I requested the Mental Health Welfare Center of New base for developing mental care for the
Fukushima Prefecture for back-up and had a doctor earthquake victims is born.
come out two days later. On the day of his arrival, we had him write
prescriptions all day for about 50 patients.”Then the public Soma General
Hospital received over 200 volunteer doctors from Hokkaido to Okinawa
in response to an urgent call across the nation. However, this was only
a temporary measure without a system.“Without a system, it was not
possible to sustain ongoing care for people in need. We discussed the need
to create a local system in order to achieve recovery from the earthquake.”
NPO Corporation Soso established“The Association to Create a New
The new Center opened in January
Mental Health Welfare System”and applied to our program for support.
this year
“First of all, we decided to make a clinic for out-patients to be able
to care for as many people as we could. Also, many people are not in
a position to be able to easily visit the clinic, so we decided to create
two out-reaching teams that would go and visit people.”Life in shelters
is full of stress even for healthy people. There are cases of PTSD and
depression coming from the stress of being in temporary housing and
uncertainty about the future. They also paid attention to building a
system in which workers working on recovery could listen to people’s
concerns and worries. This system has evolved into“Itsumo-kokodeDeputy Director Yasuhiro Suto
hitoyasumi-no-kai”(Take-a-little-break-here Meeting) being held in the
meeting room of the temporary housing, and“Chotto-kokode-hitoyasumino-kai”(Rest-a-while-here Meeting) being held at the Soma City Health
Center.
Thus, on January 10 of this year, the new psychiatric treatment system,
“The Greater Soma Mental Care Center: Nagomi”was completed. The
Mental Clinic Nagomi within the Center was fully booked from the
start. Thirty reservations were booked on its first day. The starting
“House call”on temporary
team consisted of six people, i.e. three nurses, a care giver to the
housing's meeting room to care
for the earthquake victims
elderly, an occupational therapist, and an administrative person. In
April, an additional four members, a nurse, an occupational therapist,
a psychologist, and a social worker, joined the team. Their out-reach
activities in psychiatric care are drawing the interest of a number of
welfare and medical-related people all over Japan as new ways of caring
for people. There is no doubt that their system is influencing Japan’s
local mental health care systems.
Making a house call on every patient
─ 19 ─
The Report on the Fourth Group of Beneficiaries
Fukushima
Prefecture
Soma City
Farmland
Recovery and
Restoration
(Domestic
Soy Beans)
Project
Fukushima Prefecture Tozai
Shirakawa Agriculture
Cooperative
Local Agricultural
Recovery and Emergency
Infrastructure Installation
Project
Iwate Prefecture
Fishery Community Facility Recovery Support Project
The Fourth Stage Financial Support
Applying
Organization
Project Name
Project Outline
Amount of Financial
Aid(Unit: JPY 000’s)
1
Iwate Prefecture
Fishery Community
Facility Recovery
Support Project
To provide expenses for: restoring Iwate＇s 13 fish markets＇
facilities in terms of water supply, sterilization units,
refrigerating tanks, and cargo handling units.
966,000
2
Shichigahama Town
Miyagi Prefecture
Fishery Promotion
Fishing
Center Construction
Cooperative
Project
To support with the cost of reconstruction of the Center
with a tsunami shelter on the 3rd floor. This Center serves to
promote fishery by“cultivating seedlings for nori seaweed
and improving them,”and“growing fish and shell fish after
hatching.”
570,000
Farmland Recovery
and Restoration
(Domestic Soy Beans)
Project
To support the recovery of farmland lost to the tsunami and
help with the cost of farming equipment for those agricultural
corporations that will manage integrated farming from
growing soy beans to processing and selling them.
300,000
Local Agricultural
Recovery and
Emergency
Infrastructure
Installation Project
To cover the cost of constructing two warehouses to
replace five warehouses damaged by the earthquake with
the objective of reviving agriculture in the area.
270,000
3
Soma City,
Fukushima
Prefecture
4
Fukushima
Prefecture
Tozai Shirakawa
Agricultural
Cooperative
─ 20 ─
Iwate Prefecture　Fishery Community Facility Recovery Support Project
Through this program Iwate Prefecture is supporting 13 fish markets and
fishery facilities that were damaged by the earthquake. Presently, recovery of
the fishery essentials such as water supply, sterilization equipment, refrigerating
tanks, and cargo handling equipment are underway.
The Kuji City fish market that was devastated by the tsunami reopened
on March 30 of last year, which was the fastest of all 13 fish markets in the
prefecture because the people who worked there said,“Let’s get this place back
in shape so we can bring in fish as soon as possible,”and cleaned up debris
with their own hands. Subsequently, they continued the recovery work and
completed the Wholesale Section 1 on April 20 of this year and the Wholesale
Section 2 on May 21. Learning a lesson from the earthquake, the Wholesale
Section 1 was made into a 2-storey building from the original 1-storey building,
placing the office and the lunchroom upstairs. The Wholesale Section 2 resolved
the gap made on the cargo handling floor that sank in the earthquake and
installed the main electrical switch and the sea water sterilization equipment
on the second floor. In the Shinto ceremony to sanctify the land held on May 29,
Cooperative Head Director Kenichiro Saikachi said,“We are going to make the
best use of the newly equipped facility and work hard to increase the haul.”
Hirono Town run Yagi Fish Market lost most of its buildings and equipment
to the tsunami, leaving only the roof and columns. Undefeated by the loss,
people held an auction 10 days later. The Fishing Cooperative and the
townspeople got together to start removing debris. Having continued their
effort to recover and rebuild, they held the fish market’s Completion Ceremony
on April 25 of this year. Mayor Nobuhiro Minakami of Hirono Town said at
the ceremony,“This fish market has the experience of having been recognized
as the nation’s first Fish Market with Superior Hygiene and Water Quality
Control by the Dai Nippon Fishery Federation. The new fish market also has
excellent hygiene control system and refrigeration system.”Head Director
Tatsumi Harakonai of the Taneichi Minami Fishing Cooperative, which will be
responsible for control and management of the fish market, said,“We have been
given top-level equipment. We will endeavor to be the best managed fish market
in the prefecture.”
The first fish auction at Kuji City
Fish Market since the earthquake,
held on March 30 last year (top);
Shinto ceremony to sanctify the
land and to celebrate the market
resuming its functions (bottom)
Recovered Hirono Town Yagi
Market. Seawater cooling system
and insulated tank to filter, cool,
sterilize, and send the sea water
into the market (bottom).
Miyagi Prefecture Fishery Cooperative　Shichigahama Town Fishery Promotion Center Construction Project
Shichigahama Fishery Promotion Center is the only place in Miyagi
Prefecture to produce nori seaweed seedlings, and it was completely
paralyzed by the tsunami following the earthquake. The tsunami reached
the second floor and destroyed most of the flasks containing nori seedlings.
Only a handful has saved. Michinoku Kanryu Nori only comes from this
region’s cold waters, and more than 150 nori producer in the prefecture
depend on the seedlings from this Center. Miyagi Fishing Cooperative
applied to our program for financial assistance to expedite their recovery.
The new Center will have enhanced temperature control systems to
protect nori seedlings from cold temperatures and a sea water sterilization
system to keep nori seedlings healthy. Also, they will try to develop a
new nori brand that they had been working on before the earthquake, and
resume releasing baby sole and spotted halibut, aiming for completion in
September 2013.
─ 21 ─
Shichigahama Town that has completely
changed due to the tsunami
All that is left of the Center is debris
Fukushima Prefecture, Soma City　Farmland Recovery and Restoration (Domestic Soy Beans) Project
The tsunami that hit Soma City destroyed all the ports. (The port reconstruction,
Soma Port Marine Container Distribution Infrastructure Reconstruction, was
among the second group of financial assistance from our program.) and caused
damage inland as well. Fields and rice paddies were damaged by salt, and most
of the agricultural machinery was washed away. Furthermore, damaging rumors
deriving from the nuclear disaster harmed agriculture. A number of distraught
elderly farmers have given up on farming. Soma City had always relied on reviving
agriculture through community-driven farm management. However, the damage
caused by the tsunami far exceeded the existing capability of support. So volunteers
from three districts, Iitoyo, Iwako, and Minami Iibuchi, got together to incorporate
as an agricultural legal body. Soma City, then, applied for financial aid to purchase
agricultural machinery in order to support this corporation. Soma City plans to loan
the machinery to the agricultural corporation so that individual farmers can use
tractors and other machinery to cultivate soybeans, instead of rice and vegetables as
previously grown because soybeans are less labor and equipment intensive and also
more resistant to salt than rice and vegetables.
On June 1 of this year, the Agricultural Machinery Delivery Ceremony was held.
Mayor Hidekiyo Tachiya spoke in front of the 18 tractors,“They look great. Let us
revive the agriculture of Soma City with these tractors.”He, then, handed the golden
key to the tractors to President Mitsuharu Shima of Limited Liability Company
Iitoyo Farm.“The radiation level has already gone down to a naturally occurring
level, but to be sure, we will use the harvested soybeans as raw material for biofuel for the next two years. It is believed that the soil will improve after planting
soybeans because of special bacteria.
“In the future, we would like to apply Soma’s traditional brewing technique and
produce tofu, soy milk, miso, and soy sauce. And, we would like to create a platform
for younger generations to continue farming,”say the founding members of Iitoyo
Farm. Because it is a company, it is also possible to hire young people as employees.
In the future, agriculture in Soma City will expand from soybeans into all aspects of
industry and they will find their own way of creating jobs and income for Soma City.
A row of tractors and other
machinery are to be loaned out
Tractor’s gold key from Mayor
Tachiya to President Shima
Founders of Iitoyo Farm ready
for action with long-waited-for
machinery
Fukushima Prefecture Tozai Shirakawa Agricultural Cooperative
Local Agricultural Recovery and Emergency Infrastructure Installation Project
The Tozai Shirakawa Agriculture Co-operative, an organization that supports around
10,000 agriculture producers in the Southern part of Fukushima Prefecture, lost all five
of its agricutlure warehouses to the disaster. They were also faced with the difficult
situation of having its reputation damaged by the nuclear power plant accident. To recover
their reputation as a source of safe and delicious rice, it was urgent that the warehouse be
rebuilt and centralized. Using our aid, two new warehouses were built, one in the north
and one in the south, centralizing the original functions of the warehouses.
The Shinto ceremony to sanctify the land for the Tobu Kyodo Agricultural Warehouse
(943 m 2), whose completion is targeted for October, was held on May 8. The other
agricultural warehouse in the Seibu district (1,155 m2) is to be started in January 2013
and completed in July 2013. With these two warehouses, it will be possible to store rice
in low temperatures, while previous warehouses lacked temperature control. Also, there
will be these two warehouses instead of several smaller ones, which will streamline
distribution.
─ 22 ─
May 8, Shinto ceremony to sanctify
the land
Tobu district agricultural warehouse
to be completed in September
The Report on the 5th Group of Beneficiaries
Kesen Numa Seafood Processing Industry
Cooperative
Temporary Seafood Processing Plant
Installation Project
Public Ono Town Local General Hospital
Business Group
Ono Town Regional Public General Hospital
Installation Project
Naraha Town, Fukushima Prefecture
Ground Work for Construction Site for the
Provisional School Building and Construction of
the Provisional School Building
The 5th Stage Financial Support
Applying
Organization
Project Name
Project Outline
1
Miyagi Prefecture
Ocean Floor Cleaning
Material and Equipment
Purchase Support
Project
To provide financial support for fishing cooperatives to
purchase and repair the dragnet that has been specially
developed for small trawlers for the purpose of removing
debris from the ocean floor and reclaim fishing ground.
58,000
2
Kesen Numa
Seafood
Processing
Cooperative
Temporary Seafood
Processing Facility
Installation Project
To help with expenses for 10 seafood processing businesses
in the temporary seafood processing center to buy equipment
and resume their businesses.
177,000
3
Sanriku Fishery
Production
Cooperative
Iwate Sanriku Yume
Afureru Fishing
Industry Business
Model Creation
To cover the cost of acquiring fishing gear as well as fish
farming tools and equipment in order to meet the market
requirement to catch fish without damaging them and to
collaborate with processing and sales teams to offer a stable
supply of fresh and high value-added seafood.
130,000
To cover the expense of rebuilding a hospital building in
danger of falling, which is the only general hospital in Ono
Town, Tamura City, Hirata City, Kawauchi Village, and Iwaki
City.
2,000,000
Construction of the
Kashima Welfare
To provide financial support for medicine for seniors with
Hospital and Attached health that has deteriorated since the earthquake and to
Senior Medical
restore functions of the care home attached to the hospital.
Center, Koju-en
1,000,000
4
5
6
7
Ono Town
Ono Town
Regional Public
Regional General
General Hospital
Hospital Business
Reconstruction
Group
Project
Fukushima
Prefecture
Welfare
Agricultural
Cooperative
Federation
Amount of Financial
Aid(Unit: JPY 000’s)
Naraha Town,
Fukushima
Prefecture
Ground Work for
Construction Site
for the Provisional
School Building and
Construction of the
Provisional School
Building
To help cover the cost of constructing a temporary school
building to be used for two years so that the two presently
closed elementary schools and a junior high school can
resume classes in Iwaki City, where families are seeking
refuge.
191,000
Green Area
Creation Study
Group
Fukushima
Prefectural Nature
To provide funds to grow and supply seedlings of“local
Park Matsukawa
trees” suitable for planting to restore coastal disaster
Area Coastal Damage
prevention forests that were lost to the tsunami.
Prevention Forest
Reforestation Project
130,000
─ 23 ─
Kesen Numa Seafood Processing Industry Cooperative Temporary Seafood Processing Plant Installation Project
Kesen Numa which used to be number one in the nation in fresh bonito fish landing,
lost many processing plants and refrigeration units along with all of finished products
and raw materials. Kesen Numa Seafood Processing Industry Cooperative was
constructing a temporary building to be used by the community of seafood processors,
but the financial aid from the national and local governments could only be used for
the building. They applied to our program for funds for equipment and interior works.
The cooperative and its nine member companies will be using the facility.“The Coop will supply raw materials and the members will do the primary and secondary
processing,”Head Director Tetsuji Shimizu of the Kesen Numa Seafood Processing
Industry Cooperative said. In the meantime, the situation is challenging because some
of the customers went away, while fish landing and processing stopped. Nevertheless,
the Co-op will be installing an effluent treatment system and will make use of all
members’skills to process not only bonito fish, but oysters, scallops, and hoya. They
are aiming to start up in August and revive their business.
People from the temporary
seafood processing center
Temporary processing center’s
interior works
Sanriku Fishery Production Cooperative Iwate Sanriku Yume Afureru Fishing Industry Business Model Creation
In a fishing town of Okirai district in Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture, 500 boats out of 572 were lost to the
tsunami. Mr. Yoshiyuki Kumagai and other fishermen were worried,“Even if we receive financial support,
will there be young people left to carry on fishing?”They decided to learn skills from Yui Port Fishing
Cooperative, Shizuoka Prefecture, which had experience in reviving their fishing industry. The objective
was“for them to process the fish they caught into attractive products and sell them themselves.”A group
of fishermen formed the Sanriku Fishery Production Cooperative and applied for financial aid in order to
purchase new fishing gear, low-temperature trucks, and other equipment
so that they can bring in very fresh fish. They are planning to catch
octopus, crabs, rockfish, and whelk off Iwate Sanriku coast and process
them into attractive products. They are collaborating with a team to
preserve fresh seafood long-term through high speed freezing and local
restaurants and outlets to offer fishermen’s meals. They are aiming for
an October start-up and for starting a new type of fishing to make sure
People from the Sanriku Fishery
fishing can continue with future generations.
Production Cooperative
Public Ono Town Local General Hospital Business Group　Ono Town Regional Public General Hospital Installation Project
Public Ono Town Local General Hospital was built 59 years ago jointly by Ono Town Tamura City,
Hirata Village, Kawauchi Village, and Iwaki City. The Old Building was built in 1960, and the New
Building in 1990. The hospital has 119 beds, 10 departments for out-patients
and has met the local residents’medical needs as the only general hospital in
the region. This hospital sustained serious damage in the earthquake. The Old
Building, especially, is in danger of falling. At the time of the earthquake, there
were approximately 100 patients in the hospital, and the hospital staff and the
local city office workers cooperated and dealt with the situation.“No information
came in, and I am sure that the hospital staff was scared, but no one was about to
flee,”said the Business Group Chief Fumio Fujii, looking back to that time. These
five towns have many areas designated as evacuation zones, and it is urgent
to bring the medical facility up to speed for when the residents return to their
homes. Through this financial aid, the Old Building will be reconstructed for The inside of the Old Building
is full of cracks
completion in November 2014.
─ 24 ─
Fukushima Prefecture Welfare and Agricultural Cooperative Federation
Construction of the Kashima Welfare Hospital and Attached Senior Medical Center, Koju-en
In Soso region, Fukushima Prefecture, a number of medical facilities being within the evacuation zone
of the nuclear power plant accident, eight senior care facilities were reduced to four, and 14 special Care
Homes went down to seven. Sixteen hospitals were reduced to 9 hospitals, with medical facilities for the
elderly most severely affected. Senior Care Facility Koju-en attached
to the Kashima Welfare Hospital sustained some earthquake damage
and was able to continue full operation because it was outside the
evacuation zone. However, many among the newly arrived 2,000
patients were elderly, and the hospital did not have enough beds to
accommodate them. The hospital increased the number of beds early
on and applied for financial support from our program to increase
capacity to 100. The residents of Soso district are waiting for
completion in November 2013.
Building the new facility in the parking lot of
the existing Koju-en
Naraha Town Town office Naraha Town Ground Work for Construction Site for the Provisional School Building and Construction of the Provisional School Building
After the nuclear power plant accident, a majority of Naraha Town
was within the 20-km evacuation zone. Consequently, students from the
elementary school and the junior high school were forced to study in different
schools inside and outside the prefecture. Many children are having a hard
time getting used to new schools and life due to the sudden change of school
environment, parting from their friends, and the earthquake.“We want to
have our children study together in their own schools as soon as possible.”So
Naraha Town borrowed part of the campus of Iwaki Meisei University and
started constructing a temporary school building. The national government
pays two-thirds of the cost, leaving one-third and the expense to prepare the
ground for construction to the town, for which the town applied for financial
support from our program. 107 school children are in Iwaki City, and another
60 more wish to come back. They are all waiting for the temporary school
building to be finished, which is slated for November this year.
Schooling in a borrowed facility
from the private sector
Construction of a temporary school
building on the Meisei University
Campus
Green Area Creation Study Group Fukushima Prefectural Nature Park Matsukawa Area Coastal Damage Prevention Forest Reforestation Project
More than 100 hectares of the coastal disaster prevention forest near
Soma City Matsukawa Ura got washed away by the tsunami. The coastal
disaster prevention forest helps reduce tsunami’s energy, catches driftage,
and stops flying sand and salt damage. A new coastal disaster prevention
forest is to be planted on top of the raised ground. The Green Area
Creation Study Group identified“locally fit seedlings”and applied for
financial support from our program. The other objective of this project is
to contribute to Soma City’s Industrial recovery. A new industry is being
created by producers in Soma City growing seedling and making best use
of agricultural facilities and sustained production of tree seedlings. New
jobs are being created. The first trees will be planted in 2014. Planting will
continue thereafter, planting 100,000 trees in five years and helping renew
the coastal disaster prevention forest near Matsukawa Ura.
─ 25 ─
The former Osu Beach
Present Osu Beach left only with a
construction monument