I vow to my father that the town that was washed away by the tsunami will be bustling again April 5th, 6:18 p.m.

``On that day, I lost my loved ones, my traditions, and everything.''

Still, I want to regain some of the lively atmosphere of my hometown.

I followed the life of my father, who was a victim of the Great East Japan Earthquake, and followed the figure of a man who continues to work toward recovery and passing on the story.

(Morioka Broadcasting Station Kamaishi Branch Cameraman Yuta Shoji)

“I wish we could talk more”

On that day 13 years ago, a massive tsunami of over 15 meters hit Otsuchi Town, Iwate Prefecture. The number of victims exceeded 1,200.

Otsuchi Town has long had a thriving fishing industry, including squid, abalone, sea urchin, and wakame seaweed. The low-lying town center, including the town hall, was devastated.

Father: ``Are you leaving yet?''

Child: ``Oh.''

This was the last conversation I had with my father on the morning of March 11, the day the earthquake occurred, before heading to Sendai for work.

"My memory of my father suddenly ended on March 11th. I regret that I had not talked to him more that morning."

My name is Eiichi Kuramoto (71), who was born and raised in Otsuchi Town.

His father, Eikiyo, who was 81 years old at the time, died in the massive tsunami that hit the town.

Mr. Kuramoto's car repair shop suffered major damage, but right after the earthquake, he started inviting a convenience store for the town, and as a core member of an NPO, he went around homes in his kitchen truck and served hot meals. They have worked hard to rebuild the town, such as by lobbying the town hall to set up a disaster prevention radio station.

As reconstruction progressed, Mr. Kuramoto wanted to restore the vibrancy of the place, which had been the center of interaction for people in the town.

That is Sanriku Oshachi Tenmangu, a small Tenmangu shrine that used to be located in the center of town.

It is said to have a history dating back to the Edo period, and because it had a park attached to it, it became a central place for people to interact, but it was washed away without a trace by the tsunami caused by the earthquake.

Later, in 2018, the site where Tenmangu Shrine was located was reconstructed as Goshachi Park, but Tenmangu Shrine was not rebuilt at that time due to the high cost of reconstruction.

However, as local people's voices for rebuilding grew louder, local volunteers including Mr. Kuramoto stood up. They worked hard to raise funds for reconstruction and lobby Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, etc., and as a result, Tenmangu Shrine was rebuilt in November 2021.

13 years have passed since the earthquake. The ``god of learning'' is enshrined here, and it has once again become a vibrant place for examinees and their families to gather.

The source of that power is his late father.

Why does Mr. Kuramoto so strongly want to restore the vibrancy of his hometown? The driving force behind this was his father, Eisei.

Mr. Eisei was originally a fisherman, but in order to support the town's main fishing industry, he not only started manufacturing and selling fishing gear, but also repaired boats. Furthermore, in the 1960s, the town became a leader in industry, starting an automobile repair business that had not previously existed locally.

After retiring from my day job, I served as a director of the local Chamber of Commerce and Industry, chairman of the local community, and chair of the local festival's busiest festival, and worked hard to maintain the shrine and attract events.

After graduating from high school, Eiichi lived under the same roof with four or five apprentices who were working under his father at the time, and was involved in the steel industry and automobile maintenance, with his father always by his side. I've been watching your back.

Mr. Kuramoto

: ``I grew up watching my father help people who were in trouble, working hard to boost the town's industry, and trying to be of service to others, so it was natural for me to do the same thing. I think they are trying to continue.”

I want to preserve local “culture”

The year after the shrine was rebuilt, Mr. Kuramoto opened a ``Dango'' shop right across from the shrine, hoping to preserve as much of the town's lively memories as possible.

In Otsuchi Town, various types of mochi sweets and dishes such as dango and manju are displayed during events and festivals since ancient times.

Mr. Kuramoto wanted to make it a place where the local culture could be spread and inherited, so he created the ``shoji dango'' wrapped in finely crushed sesame seeds and walnuts, which has been passed down in each household in the town, and the shape of Otsuchi's specialty salmon. We made it possible for you to enjoy local flavors such as ``Sake Monaka''.

In particular, Mr. Kuramoto learned how to make ``Sake Monaka'' and started selling it after the Japanese confectionery shop that had been making it for three generations was damaged by the tsunami, making production difficult.

Mr. Kuramoto:

``I want to preserve the food that the people of the town have been eating for a long time.''

To connect the memories of that "earthquake"

The dango shop also serves as a gathering place for elementary school students born after the earthquake on their way home from school. Mr. Kuramoto also wants to make it a place where children can connect with their memories of the earthquake.

Right next to the store, next to Sanriku Goshachi Tenmangu Shrine, 52 Jizo statues are enshrined. Originally, after the earthquake, one body was placed next to each temporary housing building built in various parts of the town.

However, as the temporary housing finished its role, the town center was repurposed as a place to communicate the disaster to children and visitors to the town, and as a place of emotional support for those who were living in temporary housing at the time. Mr. Kuramoto and his colleagues wanted to place the statues where they could be seen, so they were gathered at this location in March this year.

They are all wearing hats and scarves, just as they were when they were placed there. It is exactly as it has been loved by people living in temporary housing.

A man who lived in temporary housing for 4 years:

``I was also in temporary housing. There was this Jizo statue in front of the temporary housing, and we all put a roof over it and took great care of it. I would say to Jizo, ``I'm leaving,'' and when I came back, I'd say, ``I'm home.'' Without a doubt, it has been a constant source of inspiration for me.''

Children who come to the dango shop also count the number of Jizo statues and observe each one with a different facial expression.

Otsuchi Town has few remains that tell us about the earthquake. As the townscape continues to recover, Mr. Kuramoto hopes that the children who see the Jizo here will have an opportunity to learn about and think about the earthquake by exchanging words with Mr. Kuramoto and others who know about the disaster. I'm thinking about it.

Kuramoto:

``I put it up in my temporary housing when I was evacuating from the tsunami.''

Children:

``So you made it so you can see where your home is.''

``It looks like a charm.''

I swear to my father this year too

And this year, March 11th. Mr. Kuramoto visited the graves of his wife, Shikiko, and his father, Eisei.

His wife, Shikiko, said

, ``I think the reason why (my husband) works so hard to do things that only he can do and what he wants to do is because he sees his father as a figure for him.''

Kuramoto

: ``I feel like I'm starting to resemble my father more and more.Even though I'm older than my father, I want to give back to my hometown for what I've been able to do.''

On the site of the former Otsuchi Town Hall, 30 plum trees, the same type as the sacred Tobiume tree received from Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, have been planted by Mr. Kuramoto.

Spring has arrived this year, and the buds are beginning to bloom.

Mr. Kuramoto, who has worked hard to rebuild the area, says that this plum tree is also a local treasure.

Mr. Kuramoto

: ``I want to brighten the hearts of people in the town by having plum blossoms.I also hope that even a few people from outside the town will come to see the plum blossoms and the number of people interacting with each other will increase.This year, 2 This is the second time the flowers will bloom, so I'm looking forward to seeing how beautiful they will be."

(Broadcast on March 13th on “Obansuiwate” in Iwate Prefecture)

=Postscript of the interview=

Mr. Kuramoto, who works ``for the sake of the town,'' has a great influence on those around him, and it seems that not only the results he has achieved, but also the people around him become positive.

During the interview, I was truly humbled to hear about some of the many activities that can be described as ``love for one's hometown'' toward the recovery of Otsuchi, the town where he was born and raised.

Since August last year, I have been living in Kamaishi City, which is adjacent to the south of Otsuchi Town, and am reporting from there. As one of the residents, I would like to continue reporting on the progress of the region's recovery 13 years after the earthquake, while feeling it firsthand.

Morioka Broadcasting Station Kamaishi branch cameraman

Yuta Shoji Joined the station

in 2019

After working at the Nagoya and Morioka stations, started working at the Kamaishi branch in August 2023

Focusing on the Great East Japan Earthquake

Originally from Fukuoka Prefecture