With the thought of the torch, the thoughts of the runners

With the thought of the torch, the thoughts of the runners January 19 16:32

On March 26, the Torch Relay of the Tokyo Olympics starting from Fukushima Prefecture.
The torch goes around 858 municipalities nationwide in about four months, taking 121 days.
The runners are coming to the Torch Relay with a variety of thoughts.

"I want to deliver the image of disaster-stricken areas going to reconstruction" -Iwate-

Miki Honda, a junior high school student in Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture, affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. I applied for a torch runner at my father's recommendation and received a job offer in December last year.

"I was really surprised at first, but I'm really happy because I don't think there's a chance like this again."

His father, Masahiko, says he recommended that he apply for the torch runner because the theme was "reconstruction."

`` Recovery is now a theme, so she was really small at the time of the earthquake, but there were many people who took care of me, so I ran while showing that these people were so big I hope we can get it. "

"I didn't feel painful"

Honda was five years old at the time of the earthquake.
She was shaken while she was at home with her family and evacuated to a nearby shrine on a hill.
So I witnessed Miyako's town swallowed by a black tsunami with a slang.
He says that the scene is still burned into his mind.

"I remember that rubble and garbage washed away by the tsunami and various cars were scattered."

The family was evacuated and safe, but his home was completely destroyed.
It is said that evacuation at a nearby elementary school lasted for almost two months, but when asked about his feelings at the time, a surprising answer was returned.

"I didn't feel particularly lonely or harsh when living in a shelter."

His father, Masahiko, showed me pictures of the time.
It was a picture of a young Honda who had people living in an evacuation life playing with beanbags as well.
The survivors continued to live in the evacuation centers, supporting each other, despite the fact that each had lost their homes and were exhausted.

Mr. Honda, now a junior high school student, says that he has come to appreciate the Miyako people who lived side by side at the evacuation shelter where they were not young.

"I had a lot of people teach me beanbags, fold origami together and play with them, so I don't have any memories that it's hard, but I still have a lot of memories that it's fun. It is full of

My favorite grandfather's death

Nevertheless, in prolonged evacuation life, there were many sad events.
His grandfather, Hisashi Hirashi (80 at the time) was bedridden at the evacuation center, and died four months after the earthquake.

Mr. Honda said she loved to chat while holding her on her grandfather's lap. He wanted to show his growing up to his grandfather who died in the earthquake.

"I can do anything about it or whatever, but now that I've grown up, I've wanted to talk to my grandpa. I wish I could grow up and show me that I was doing well. I will. "

Give back to those who supported me

Last month, Honda walked around the local torch relay course in Miyako City.
The old city hall was damaged by the tsunami and is now being demolished.
Michi-no-Eki, also hit by the tsunami, was a place that my family often visited after rebuilding, and Honda, who was young, said he always asked his parents for ice cream.
Miyako's course, which tells about the scars of the earthquake and how the city is rebuilding, was also a place for memories of Honda's nine years of growth after the disaster.

He has not yet decided which course he will be in charge of, but says he wants to spread the world of the town that has been moving toward recovery despite the damage of the earthquake.

"I think that Miyako is good at recovering from damage even if it is damaged. I think that Miyako's roads and buildings will also change, but I hope that such goodness does not change, I want other people to know the goodness of Miyako. ''

It is nine years since the Great East Japan Earthquake. "Reconstruction" is still in the middle of the road, but Mr. Honda wants to thank those who supported him and want to repel the souls of those who died.

"I've grown so far with the support of various people, and I want to run with pride as a torch runner."
(Interview: Morioka Broadcasting Station Miyako Branch Reporter Shoichiro Shimogyo)

"I want to convey" Obrigada ~ Thank you ~ "" ~ Gunma ~

Noguchi Bruna, 21, was selected as a torch runner in Gunma Prefecture.
Noguchi is a Japanese Brazilian woman who came to Japan at the age of four. I grew up in Oizumi, Gunma Prefecture.
Oizumi-cho has a population of about 40,000, of which 10% are Brazilian. There is a Brazilian town where Brazilian restaurants and supermarkets line up.

Noguchi is a temporary worker in the town. I work as a Portuguese interpreter. It's "trilingual" because I can speak English.
Noguchi said with a smile that she decided to be the torch runner of the Tokyo Olympics, saying, "I'm really excited. I'm glad I was selected and I want to run a special run as Oizumi."
In her eyes, I felt something like a strong will.

Behind the smile

Noguchi was born in Brazil and came to Japan to work for his parents.
His grandfather went to Brazil and grew up in Brazil until his parents' generation.
After moving to Oizumi-cho, at home, I spoke with my family in Portuguese and my meal was Brazilian.
I attended a local elementary school, but I was puzzled by language and cultural differences.

"At school, I was bullied or bullied just because my name was katakana. Parents have also seen living in a language that is not good at Japanese."

“Thanks a lot”

Even so, Noguchi did not stop smiling.
During high school, he joined the basketball club and participated in national tournaments as a regular.
For Mr. Noguchi who lived in the dormitory for three years, the support of his teammates was indispensable.
The words written in the club activity graduation textbook are "Thank you so much."
I wrote my thoughts for the Japanese people who supported me.

"In high school I really supported me, no matter how hard it was. I always have a person who can help me wherever I go."

I would like to thank Japan for raising me.
Mr. Noguchi entered a general torch runner recruited by Gunma Prefecture and was selected by Oizumi Town alone at a magnification of 130 times.

Delivered to the affected area!

Until May of last year, Mr. Noguchi had been in contact with many victims for a year and a half, working as a listening volunteer in areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake such as Fukushima Prefecture.
When you report to the SNS that you have been selected as a torch runner, you will receive many warm messages, such as "Wonderful!"

"I've heard many stories about losing a daughter of the same age as me, grandpa and grandmother. I can't do much, but at the Torch Relay, running with a smile I want the affected people to be a little bit better. "

Thinking step by step

Chosen as a torch runner, Noguchi runs nearly three kilometers every day, going to and from his workplace and at local gymnasiums.
The torch runner runs only 200 meters.
I want to convey it in the 200m run.

"Sports can impress people. I think they will show up in their faces and serious eyes. It's a good opportunity to show that you grew up in Japan as a Japanese Brazilian. I want to show my appreciation. I want to run and cheer you up. "

Even for a short distance, Noguchi-san is the only one.
I felt that I was trying to embark on "Thank you for Japan" and "Thoughts from the stricken area" at each step.
(Interview: Asa Watanabe, Maebashi Broadcasting Station reporter)

"Illusion of the Illusionary Olympic Representative"-Miyagi-

Kenichi Senda (63) lives in Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture.
He was a fencing athlete selected for the 1980 Moscow Olympics in Japan. For Mr. Senda at the time, he said that the Olympics were "the biggest goal of the active era."

"I've been fencing since my 5th grade, and my teacher always said," The goal is an Olympic athlete. "I was so happy to jump up when my dream came true. I was praised when I was selected to represent the Olympics. ''

However, Senda did not stand on the stage of the Olympics.
Japan boycotted the tournament against the backdrop of the Cold War in the east and west. All I got was the Japanese national certificate.

From Kesennuma to the world

Four years later I was inspired by the humiliation ... but Mr. Senda didn't have time. "The next dream" was waiting.
That is to become a teacher in my hometown Miyagi.
Due to age restrictions on the eligibility for the exam, Senda chose to give up the Olympics and become a high school teacher.

Mr. Senda, who was fond of the regrets he had tasted, has been eager to foster the future.
He led his disciples many times to Japan in high school.

"I wanted to grow from Kesennuma, an athlete who can leap in the world. The students worked hard together to make it the top of Japan, and it was wrong to turn into a teacher in his heyday. I think it wasn't the road. ''

Earthquake that hit hometown

Ms. Senda, who survived the "boycott" suffering, suffered a great deal of hardship again. The Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011.
Kesennuma City was also catastrophically damaged, and about 1,000 people were evacuated to Kesennuma High School, where he was the principal.
Mr. Senda worked hard to secure accommodations for students who could not go to high school from home, and to take care of those who evacuated to the gymnasium.

"The only thing left is to turn forward and rebuild the damaged Kesennuma. There's no other way. I'm going to work hard with my students and do whatever I can to do my best. I think we were able to get over it. ''

A silver medal that encouraged Kesennuma

One and a half years after the earthquake, the 2012 London Olympics.
News that encourages Kesennuma has jumped in.
Kenta, a student of Senda and his son, participated.
Japan has won the silver medal in the men's fleet organization of fencing, beating the world's powerful one after another.

Players including Kenta comforted Kesennuma in the stricken area immediately after returning to Japan. Mr. Senda says that he felt the power of sports anew.

"The citizens were pleased, and the whole Kesennuma was excited. Sports made everyone happy, gave them courage and energy. I thought the power of sports was great."

I want to send the power of sports and the current of Kesennuma

Senda was selected as the torch runner of the Tokyo Games running in Miyagi Prefecture.
Through the torch relay, they will be informed of the current state of the stricken area, which is still undergoing reconstruction, nine years after the earthquake, and will thank for the support received from all over the world and tell the excellence of sports that unite the world. I would like to.
Forty years have passed since the Moscow Games where participation was not met.
Ms. Senda is on a “dream stage” as a torch runner, though the shape is different.
(Interview: Sendai Broadcasting Station reporter Yosuke Kawada)