Two weeks ago, I went to the Tohoku region to check our company's works.
I have a job concerning the housing industry and from 3.11 I had jointed temporary houseing project team until a month ago.What I saw there was beyond description.Thirty thousand temporary houses were build in the Tohoku region and we build 1,300 temporary houses. Each houses is about 30m2 which is one kitchen plus two rooms. Its cost is about five million yen. In my job, we had to prepare many kinds of drawings and coordinate between many organizations. We were always demanded quick replies and viable solutions. It was very hard, but we did our best. I was very proud of my company and coworkers than ever before.
During these five months (March-July), we were very busy,sometimes we worked through the night and I couldn't took time off.
So, When I heard the project was ending, I was released and decided to go to the Tohoku region to check our works. I tried to get emotional closure about the disaster by visiting the area. I understood that I had to back my team and start a new production next after going to the Tohoku region.
I visited six places which are located far from the sea to check our temporary houses. Not every houses was built, but many of them were built as was widely predicted. What I saw in the seaside area were beyond description. I can never forget what I saw.
In one place, all houses disappeared. Only a basement was left behind. All around was an absolute silence, broken only by my breathing. I felt I was witnessing the end of the world. In another place, there was a big mountain of rubble. No one walked around. I could only see dump trucks and heavy machineries and hear noise of that. There was covered with dust. In another place the smell was just terrible. I couldn't escape from that.
Before going there, I imagined the reconstruction was going well. But what I saw was far from my expectation. Reconstruction just started and our works were only the first small step for reconstruction. Those scenes made me ashamed for trying to get emotional closure. Five months have past since 3.11, I feel we are beginning to forget the shock. But we never forget the people who are living in Tohoku region, and about the 20,000 people who died or were missing. I decide that I should continue to support the Tohoku region in my way. What can I do ?
