Tohoku's 2011 Summer after 3-11 disaster

 After 3-11 of the earthquake followed by tsunami and nuclear power plant disruption hit on Tohoku region, the northern part of Japan, very few travelers were seen to visit that region even in the central mountains 70 km east from the  Fukushima nuclear reactors and the deserted coastal area. It was my first long driving since I got a driver license seven years ago at age 54. I drove up to north alone for Fukushima onto the highway Jobando from my home at Kashiwa city on July 30, 2011.

<Mt. Adatara>

My first stop was Dake-onsen at the foot of
Mt. Adatara and there I was joined by my eldest son and his newly married wife. Although this place is a famous and popular hot springs among tourists, it was very quiet and not a few of the inns closed. On that night we had terrible earthquake with the magnitude of more than 5.0. People here have been threatened every week with sudden earthquakes since 3-11. In the early

morning under the drizzling rain we headed for the top of the Adatara and got wet to the skin. The weather was not nice, but anyway we were happy to be able to reach to the top and take the hot bath when returned to the foot.
I then said good-by to them and drove alone further up to north for Kurikoma Mountain of Miyagi, which has been recovering from the massive damages due to another great earthquake of the magnitude 7.2 hit in 2008.
 
<Mt. Kurikoma>

 I stayed at the cozy Japanese B&B "Magusamori" with beautiful wild flower garden for three days, while I enjoyed hiking to the top of Mt. Kurikoma or the nearby marsh and drove to see Hiraizumi, the world heritage site.

Mt. Kurikoma is 1,627m high from the sea level and located just at the central part of Tohoku region. On a clear day, the guide book says, you can have spectacular views from the top, of Mt. Gassann or Mt. Choukaisan in the west direction to the Japan Sea and Mt. Hayachine in the east direction to the Pacific ocean.


Mt. Kurikoma viewed from the Mrash                          At the top

On the way to the B&B “Magusa-mori” which was located at the upper half of Mt. Kurikoma, I found some of the roads blocked due to the Great East Earthquake of 3-11 and was forced to make a detour. After 3 days’ stay in “Magusa-mori”, on the night before my departure, the master of the inn told me the development history of the Kouei area of Kurikoma. The area was first cultivated in 1947 by the people who had barely escaped with their lives from Manchuria in China under the threat of Russian soldiers. Although breaking up the mountainous soil for cultivation was harsh, they have been struggling to produce their own unique products to earn their living with their pioneer spirit just as they did in Manchuria. They succeeded for the first time in Japan in breeding farm-raised Iwana, mountain trout and producing strawberry and Japanese radish, which benefit from its cooler climate and can sell pricier in the market during the warm season with no competitors from the more blessed plain lands.

In July 14, 2008, the region was hit by the Iwate-Miyagi Nairiku earthquake with the magnitude of 7.2 and the Kouei area of Kurikoma was devastated with massive landslides and roads blocked up. People had been evacuated from home and forced to live in temporary housing for long time. Another big disaster also hit the region in 3-11, 2011.

 The master of the B&B said that they have experienced not a few of severe natural disasters, but overcame. ‘Why we could successfully recovered each time? Because we have had a strong will to work harder for building better life by themselves. Even when they were forced to live in temporary housing, they could live together and were united so that they could help each other and exert their originality and ingenuity toward the severe natural conditions.

I thought that his remark also indicate some wisdom when we think of how the recovery from the Great East Earthquake of 3-11 should be made. The importance is not only on how much financial support we should provide to the people evacuated, but also on how much we can do for them to recover the region by themselves.

The 3 years after that, it's sad to hear the news that the excess of subsidies to the people evacuated from the devastated zone of Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear reactors have made some of them to buy a luxury new car of Benz and indulge in drinking without working.