The Current State of Affairs in Tohoku
- At February 05, 2012
- By Anne Thomas
- In Annes Letters
- 0
Japan is pretty much out of the news these days. But life is still far from easy here in Tohoku. Winter has settled in with freezing temperatures and frequent snow, sometimes flurries, sometimes storms. The Red Cross and Army left several months ago, so the clean up job and rebuilding are now the responsibility of each prefecture. That work is going on continually, but slowly. Reports say it will take another two years or more before the devastated areas are ready for rebuilding.
In the meantime, people who lost their homes are living in temporary houses, whole families in small apartments, evacuation centers, a few of which are still open, and in the back of trucks or in cars. The homeless live in parks and underground walkways during the day. They walk all night so as not to freeze to death. Many people are still out of work. In fact, the jobless rate among young adults is 50% or more. Depression and suicides are on the rise.
We have come a long way and are proud of that. But we also realize there is still so much to do.
To help those still in need in Japan, please consider buying Letters to the Ground from the Heart or donating to the cause. 100% of the proceeds will be distributed to survivors of The Great East Japan / Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, most notably the Sendai Yomawari Group that serves the homeless—a population which is now exploding.
Photo credit: Peter Dyloco