 Ishinomaki |
 Higashi-Matsushima |
The trip was joined by 45 participants from travel- and tourist organizations, the press and embassies in Tokyo, including prominent participants such as the ambassadors of Costa Rica, Mozambique, Latvia and Albania.
The travel sites we visited were Sendai, Ishinomaki, Higashi-Matsushima, Matsushima Bay, Akiu Hotspring and Hiraizumi. There were enormous damages caused by the tsunami in the waterfront districts of Ishinomaki and Higashi-Matsushima.
 Volunteer help site in Higashi-Matsushima |
At the volunteer help site in Higashi-Matsushima our group was divided into two teams.
One team was digging in mud along the road to find metals or any other mechanical equipment, while the other team, washed the objects in water, cleaned them and, considering the damages to the objects, put them in piles for re-usable and non-usable items. |
During our meeting with the Tohoku Tourist Promotion Organization the focus of discussion was how to bring tourists back to Tohoku. The representatives of the Tohoku Tourism Promotion Organization stressed the necessity that correct information about the situation in Tohoku after 3/11 reaches tourists overseas.
Tohoku is a huge region, and only a few, specific areas, such as Ishinomaki and Higashi-Matsushima, are seriously characterized by the earthquake-, tsunami-, and nuclear disaster. The main tourist attractions that we visited on this trip are safe to travel to, and have minimal visible damages. These places include Sendai, Matsushima bay, Akiu Hotspring and Hiraizumi.
 写真: JATA |
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