Take a virtual journey on the Kesennuma Line, the East Japan Railway (JR) local line that runs up the coast in Miyagi Prefecture. It was severely damaged or – in some cases – completely destroyed during the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. This video was filmed in 2009 with the last stop being Utatsu, where reconstruction is currently underway in conjunction with the community.
Asahi Newspaper covered the unveiling of the “seed” community center on November 7, 2011.
An English version of the article will follow shortly.
What happens when the community of Heisei no mori joins forces with 3/11 Initiative students, professionals, and professors? A seed is born! The above photo shows the first steps towards a community center in Utatsu. It is the hope that creating a covered outdoor space before winter snows fall will encourage the informal gatherings and brainstorms that have already taken place in the rebuilding.
More updates on the project will be provided as it progresses.
// in English //What happened yesterday was a sort of “breakthrough” in the search for a site, the residents’ affirmed “need” for a gathering place OUTSIDE their individual temporary units, and what we were looking for to start off our project
You will see that several people (in this case, 50-ish ladies who are neighbors) sitting around a bench can ignite a revolution. It is a seed that can blossom into a domino effect, we hope, of more to come and eventually the larger Community Center for diverse age groups to be built. Continue reading