Out of business now, but do not want to let go of my employees who worked hard for us

(by Mr. Haruo Saito, an evacuee at Senjyu-in, Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture)
I run an electric appliance store and am concerned that I might not be able to pay the salary to my six employees.  I can’t work at all now as you may know.  But I don’t want to dismiss any of my staff members who had been working hard for me.   (To our customers: I intend to reopen my store soon and serve you as usual.  So please drop by! )  



Mr. Haruo Saito and wife, Mutsuko

From NHK website "Those Affected by the Disaster: What I want to tell you now" on April 1, 2011

http://www.nhk.or.jp/dengon/photo/index40.html
Translated by Takako Takata

People at shelter are very kind and I am grateful

(by Takako Yamada, an evacuee at the Tagajyo Culture Center, Tagajyo, Miyagi Prefecture)
To my sister, Eiko Iwamoto, my uncle's daughter, Sako, and Kazuko. I am fine. So don't worry. I got a pair of socks from someone I don't even know. I couldn't bring anything with me, but people here are very kind and I feel grateful for that. 

Ms. Takako Yamada

From NHK website "Those Affected by the Disaster: What I want to tell you now" on March 21, 2011

http://www.nhk.or.jp/dengon/photo/index03.html

Translated by Kaoru Ono

House was burnt down, everything is gone

(by Ms. Ritsu Yamazaki, an evacuee at Yamada High School, Yamada-chyo, Iwate prefecture)
My house was burnt down. Everything is gone. Money, also. No idea what to do now. I'm cornered.  Chouko (daughter) in Miyako city, please contact me if you're alright. 



Ms. Ritsu Yamazaki

From NHK website "Those Affected by the Disaster: What I want to tell you now" on March 21, 2011

http://www.nhk.or.jp/dengon/photo/index.html

Translated by Kaoru Ono

Looking for a 19 year-old girl, who was a resident of our welfare facility

(by Mr. Masahiro Doki, an evacuee at Tagajyo Culture Center, Tagajyo City, Miyagi Prefecture)


I am looking for Tomoka Saga who is a resident of our welfare facilities. She is 19 year-old girl with intellectual disability, short-straight-haired. If you have seen her or have any information, please let any member at Culture Centre know. It is difficult for her to ask for help at such emergency disaster. I ask people around her to lend her support. Besides, Cherry School went to Suginoiri Elementary School in Shiogama city, Cherry Stone and Pear Flower went to stay at Rainbow Tagajo. All the residents are fine. So I would like their families to ease their minds. I cannot contact them from my side because all materials and data are swept away by the Tsunami.  

Mr. Masahiro Doki


From NHK website "Those Affected by the Disaster: What I want to tell you now" on March 21, 2011
http://www.nhk.or.jp/dengon/photo/index03.html

Translated by Kaoru Ono

No cake for birthday at shelter, but other evacuee drew a birthday cake as a present

(by Ms. Emi Kimura, Kaito and Suzuka, evacuees at Kaisen-kaku, Onagawa, Oga-gun, Miyagi Prefecture)

We had made a reservation of birthday cake for him, but the cake shop was not open. So we celebrated his birthday with nothing, let alone cake.

People at the evacuation center gave him a picture of birthday cake as a present.

Ms. Emi Kimura (upper left), Kaito (upper right), and Suzuka (bottom)

From NHK website "Those Affected by the Disaster: What I want to tell you now" on March 24, 2011


http://www.nhk.or.jp/dengon/photo/index13.html

Translated by Yuka Horino

Concerned if our salary is going to be paid this month

(by Ms. Kazue Aoki, an evacuee at Takasago Elementary School, Miyagino District, Miyagi Prefecture)

I personally wonder whether we are gonna get our salary for this month or not.

There are many issues related to that such as system troubles at banks. I wonder if it’s gonna be OK. You never know whether you’ll get paid next month even if you did this month. I’m worried about what to do as we’ve got no work. My husband’s company has been swept away.

C

Ms. Kazue Aoki

From NHK website "Those Affected by the Disaster: What I want to tell you now" on March 29, 2011

http://www.nhk.or.jp/dengon/photo/index26.html

Translated by Yuka Horino

Being here so long and tired, but grateful we are all alive

(by Ms. Keiko Niinuma, an evacuee at Senjuin, Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture)

I have three children. We continue to scrape by in the evacuation center. We’ve been here so long, and we’re all so tired. I try to keep the children out of trouble, which is another source of stress. But all in all, we’re grateful to be alive; finding anything at all to smile about. Every day is a challenge. If you ask me want I need, I can think of a thousand things, but I just can’t put them into words.



Ms. Keiko Niimuma

from NHK website "Those Affected by the Disaster: What I want to tell you now" on April 1, 2011

http://www.nhk.or.jp/dengon/photo/index40.html

Translated by Craig Dandridge

Being parents but civil servants, they don't have time with their son

(by Ms. Utako Kamiyama, an evacuee at Senjuin, Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture)
It’s just my grandson and I. His parents are civil servants. They’ve been stuck at work without much personal time. We’ve seen them two or three times, but no time for skinship. Children need love. When he cries, it is all I can do to tell him that mama and papa are doing their best so he must too. There’s nothing that can be done. It’s their job.



Ms. Utako Kamiyama and her grandson, Yuta

From NHK website "Those Affected by the Disaster: What I want to tell you now" on April 1, 2011

http://www.nhk.or.jp/dengon/photo/index40.html

Translated by Craig Dandridge

Hope the shopping district will recover soon

(by Ms. Kayo Sano and Ms. Mieko Imamura, an evacuee at Senjuin, Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture)

I live here with my mother. The town’s shopping district was essential before. Where can we buy the things we need to live now? That’s our greatest worry. I hope life will get back to normal as soon as possible. I hope local business people will do their best.

Ms. Kayo Sano (mother) and Ms. Mieko Imamura (daughter)

From NHK website "Those Affected by the Disaster: What I want to tell you now" on April 1, 2011

http://www.nhk.or.jp/dengon/photo/index40.html

Translated by Craig Dandridge

Students' paper airplane idea takes off at evacuation center, spreading cheer (by Mainichi Shimbun)

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110404p2a00m0na023000c.html

On a signal from the children, evacuees at a shelter in Tatekoshi Elementary School in Natori, Miyagi Prefecture, let loose paper airplanes on April 3. (Mainichi)

The house I built was washed away, but I will rebuild again here on this land

(by Mr. Isawa Miyahara, an evacuee at Senjuin, Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture)

I’m in construction. Several people around me were washed away by the tsunami. The wave was unimaginably huge. I built my house here nine years ago. I took great pains to build with the strongest materials I could find. But my house was no match for the tsunami. I intend to rebuild on this land. This land is all I have to hang my hopes on now.

Mr. Miyahara

 

 

From NHK website "Those Affected by the Disaster: What I want to tell you now" on April 4, 2011

http://www.nhk.or.jp/dengon/photo/index40.html

Translated by Craig Dandridge (April 4, 2011)

Two missing Tepco workers found dead (by Japan Times)

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110404a1.html

Swing and a miss: Tepco workers attempted to plug a leak in the wall of a flooded storage pit (top) at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant Saturday but were forced to examine other options when the concrete failed to set. KYODO PHOTO

Coastal community evacuates 500 (by Japan Times)

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110404a2.html

Communal evacuation: An elderly evacuee leaves a shelter at Shizukawa Junior High School in Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, on Sunday as part of the mass evacuation of more than 1,000 local residents. KYODO PHOTO

Scale of death paralyzes coroner (by Japan Times)

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110404x2.html

Shelves still empty in disaster areas (by Yomiuri Shimbun)

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/business/T110403002777.htm

People make purchases at a temporary supermarket set up in Rikuzen-Takata, Iwate Prefecture, on Saturday.

Photographer battles with emotions as he confronts tsunami destruction head-on (by Mainichi Shimbun)

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/perspectives/news/20110404p2a00m0na003000c.html

Residents in tsunami-ravaged northeastern Japan look on as relief workers carry a body out of a collapsed home on March 13. (Mainichi)

Debris, exhaustion hamper grim search for bodies (by Asahi Shimbun)

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201104020228.html


Floating debris is an ever-present danger for the Japan Coast Guard frogmen searching for missing people in Ishinomaki, Iwate Prefecture, on March 19. (Photo provided by the Japan Coast Guard)


Volunteer fire brigade members carry a corpse in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture, on March 27. (Koichi Ueda)