Today was a visit to Ishinomaki, in Miyagi Prefecture in the northern part of Honshu. It was one of the cities devastated by the tsunami that followed the earthquake in 2011. Ishinomaki was also the place where more than 80 students at a local primary school lost their lives, swept away by the water. There is a dramatic account of events written by Tokyo correspondent Richard Lloyd Parry, Ghosts of the Tsunami. Recommended albeit it difficult reading.
The purpose today was to meet with one of the groups that our students will join in summer, as volunteers. It was my first visit to Ishinomaki since the disaster. I took my main cam, but, to be honest, was a little hesitant to photograph too much. I will be joining the people in this community in August and September and I expect there is a bit of fatigue in the town as far as foreigners with cameras go...especially given the coverage. I can wait. Sometimes, as a photographer, you have to make decisions...
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| In between trains break, 1 |
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| In between trains break, 2 |
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| All aboard for Sendai |
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| So I was hardly going to walk past a board full of candidates was I...local elections on 20 May |
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| Outside the station |
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| Time to head back |
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| Dinner, en train |
So I took it all in, I walked around with one of our staff members, I was introduced to locals and we sat down to talk about the students' forthcoming experiences. I'm looking forward to being part of the community. Our task will be to contribute to the production of a little local newspaper for people still living in temporary housing.
I came up the main line on the shinkansen then switched to a local train to go the rest of the distance. As we approached the town, all the new, rebuilt houses and facilities really stood out. It has been an incredible seven years in these parts. It will be simultaneously a privilege and difficult to join the community here in summer.
New, important experiences.
[Camera : iPhone8, 11.33am-11.34am, 12.44pm, 4.28pm, 6.23pm-6.24pm, 8.33pm; 15 May 2018]
