Awareness gained from the disaster

Nakazawa

The Great East Japan Earthquake greatly affected the spirit of the region, of course, and the people. I’m sure you also experienced a change in attitude after visiting the disaster areas.

Miyazaki

I met people who lived desperately in order to somehow overcome the danger. In the beginning, I only saw and heard about them in the news, however I started to see the humans who were affected. Now, I think of the situation in the disaster area as my own problem, not as someone else’s problem, and I want to face up to it and take more action. Also, watching the local adults working hard, I had a feeling of respect for their way of living rooted in the land. It was also a chance for me to consider my own way of life and reason to work again.

Kusano

I am from Fukushima and I came to Tokyo the month after the disaster to enter Chuo University. Although I had decided to come since before the quake, I kept worrying and thought, “Am I running away, is this really the right thing to do?” However, there were many things I noticed by watching the situation in Fukushima from Tokyo and thought about what I could do myself if I returned. All my friends from the hometown are saying that the disaster was a chance for them to think anew about Fukushima. As long as they put everything into thinking about how they can be useful for their hometown, I think the future of Fukushima is bright.

Ashizawa

My father is from Akita so I thought I knew quite a bit about the Tohoku region. However, when I actually went to the affected areas I realized that I only knew part of the situation and that there were many things that I couldn’t see while in Tokyo. Through the research and study in the disaster areas, I also found out that what the government and bureaucrats may think is best is not always the best for the locals. What I learnt from here was, for example, even if that person’s opinion or actions don’t match my own, they are doing so in line with their own beliefs and what they think is right, so I must not dismiss them. Even if I meet someone who has different opinions, I have learned to keep that in mind.

Nakazawa

Even if the opinion differs from your own, it is important to have an attitude that accepts that opinion without dismissing it straight off the bat. That could be said to be the key for smooth progress for recovery.

Saito

You have all learned various things from your experiences in the disaster areas. What I learned from the disaster is to be grateful for receiving support from people. After being destroyed by the aftershock, I had conflicting thoughts of, “Whatever happens, I must protect the workers’ jobs” and “There is nothing to do but close down.” However, thanks to the support from everybody I was able to protect the employment for almost all my workers. I think that this was close to a miracle. I really want to thank those who supported us, and the remaining workers, from the bottom of my heart. Looking back now, I think I have really been blessed with great people around me.

Treasure your connections with the region and people

Nakazawa

The key to the recovery of “Spa Resort Hawaiians” was the one mountain, one family spirit, support from outsiders, and being blessed by the workers and people around you. However, I think that protecting the jobs was due to your strong determination. Where did that come from?

Saito

I only operate my company in Iwaki and North Ibaraki. Because both areas were damaged in the earthquake and nuclear accident I had nowhere to go, but I couldn’t run away. If that was the case, my only choice was to work hard in the regions and I wasn’t going to end my company which has about 130 years of history. Whatever happens I must protect the regions, whatever happens I must revive the company──My roots lie in that belief.

Kusano

Even though there was a way of escaping, I think your company was revived because you didn’t run away, either physically or mentally. I am inspired to hear your experience before I return to my hometown in Fukushima to work.

Saito

It wasn’t only me who didn’t run away, as my workers were the same. From the earthquake to the reopening of “Spa Resort Hawaiians”, only two employees left, and that was due to personal circumstances. I didn’t think so many employees would remain. Among the hula girls in the show, some were from Tokyo and Kanagawa. Some returned home after the quake and I was prepared that they wouldn’t return. However, when lessons resumed on April 22, all of them came back. When I saw that I was confident we could be revived.

Nakazawa

From hearing your story, I can feel a resolution that because of your deep connections to the regions, this was the only possible departure point. In order to move things, it is people and the relations between the people that become the driving force. Money and economics are secondary factors. It is really people that are the most important.

Saito

That’s right. I hope that you will meet many people after graduating from Chuo. There are many good things and bad things in life. Even so, if you are honest to your feelings and make continuous effort, you will come across some special opportunities. Don’t let that chance slip away. In the case of my company, that chance was the movie “Hula Girls” becoming a hit. Thanks to that, we had a sudden increase in customers to our hotel, and the earthquake hit during reconstruction to increase the hotel capacity. At one time I had given up hope, but we were helped by everybody, and are now treading the road to recovery steadily.

Hirayama

I also went to Kesennuma six months after the earthquake, and saw the locals working hard and felt the underlying strength possessed by the people of the Tohoku region. Since then I have been taking students there every year. The three graduates in attendance today said that they have gained awareness through listening to the local people, but the locals are also saying, “Listening to young people gives us strength.” In the end it is people who save people. Creating opportunities to learn that is also the mission of the university. One more thing, in pursuing the “One Mountain, One Family” spirit you mentioned, a leader to bring together the “family” is necessary. In restoration, leadership and a structure that gives energy to the people is indispensable, and you have put that into practice wonderfully. I want to convey this pioneering achievement to my students in the future.