We can be a shelter

For a second, we thought life in our community would get back to normal... But it was just for a second.


Last night, Hijiori Onsen decided to receive 100 victims of earthquake for 1,000yen per night, with 3 meals. This was informed on TV, and our village office is having too many inquiries.

I was at the meeting. Some were skeptical about it, saying that we might not be able to receive victims when we don't even have enough fuels or food. 


But most were up for it. One guy said that our situation is far better than those who are sleeping on the cold floor of school gym, without much food, spending days without bath. 


We have plenty of empty rooms in the Ryokans, electricity (so far), and even great hot spring. We should do what we can do for the people who are in much worse situation. 


I totally agree with him!


The situation is changing minute by minute. 

As everyone knows, the nuclear power plant in Fukushima had a leak. Today, about 300 people moved into Yamagata to evacuate. Tomorrow, probably more. 


One family arrived at Hijiori last night from the city by the power plant. 9 people in a van, they brought everything they could take out of their house. They are staying at one of the Ryokans. 


In my Ryokan, last night arrived an old couple from Miyagi. Their house was far away from the coast, but they still don't have electricity or water. They expected that we had enough petrol in Yamagata, but they went to the gas station in Hijiori, only to find that they had stopped selling petrol the day before. Their stay might extend... 


Today, a family from the coast of Miyagi arrived. A  young couple with small children, and their grand parents. They said that the shop they own is destroyed. Their house was OK, but they live on the 11th floor of a building. And no electricity means no elevator! There is no water so they had to have many rounds of carrying water to 11th floor!!


We can be a shelter for them. 


But the electricity shortage is serious. Tomorrow, we'll have a scheduled blackout. 


Since Yamagata and Akita and part of Aomori were not affected as much. These areas will have blackout for 3 hours/day to save electricity in Tohoku.  


Solidarity!

Report from my sister in Sendai

My sister works in Sendai. She is ok, and she has been looking how she could help. She just wrote to me so I want to share it.



"Today (March 13) I went to my workplace but the building was closed and I couldn't go in. But I got to meet all my colleagues. They are all safe. I went home and took a nap since I couldn't sleep last night. 


After that, I went to a nearby elementary school where people are evacuated. I helped making Onigiri. I handed out the masks I had at home and asked each person if he/she needed anything. They all had horrible experiences, and wanted to share their stories with me. They kept talking as if talking itself was a console. Some people were weeping and they brought me tears...


I took some people's thermos bottles home to fill them with hot water. I cooked rice and made more Onigiri for them. 


I know being there (Yamagata) would be harder than being here because here I can actually help people. I can imagine how hard it must be to watch all this on TV and not being able to do anything. 


I can work for the people because I know all my family is safe. I'll do what I can do on your behalf."


   

Earthquake!

This is Rimiko. Internet is finally back. I checked my facebook and found many messages from my friends all over the world, worrying about me. They made me cry... 

In my hometown, Hijiori, (in Yamagata prefecture, west of Miyagi) the electricity came back last night. Until then, we depended all information on radio. We were hearing that many towns were completely destroyed but it was just surreal and couldn't imagine what was happening. 


Finally we can watch TV, and I've lost words. I was working in Sendai last year, and I was actually in Sendai the day before the earthquake. I have a lot of friends in Miyagi, and Fukushima, and I haven't been able to contact many of them....


At 14:45 on Friday, I was working on the event we were planning for Saturday, on the first floor of my Ryokan. All of a sudden my cellphone rang. It was an alarm for the earthquake. About 5 seconds later, it started shaking. I waited for it to end, but it didn't and it got even stronger. 


I rushed outside. It was snowing heavily. I could see the buildings shaking with loud noise. I saw electric wires moving like jumping ropes. 


But the buildings were OK and nobody was hurt in Hijiori. 


My sister lives in Sendai. At night, finally we got to contact her. She was OK. but her apartment was a chaos. She said all the dishes in her room were shuttered, TV and microwave fell and everything in her fridge fell out. She evacuated to a nearby elementary school. 


We spent a night in a candle light. It was cold but we had a heater that didn't use electricity, plus my Ryokan had Onsen poring out so we were OK.


My 6 year old nephew was very shocked. He couldn't stop crying. He brought out all his stuffed animals to cheer himself up. He fell asleep, crying... 


He keeps asking "Is earthquake coming again?" But the electricity is back so my nephews seem to feel much better. 


Being next to Miyagi, I feel like I should be there to help. But the reality is, I don't know what to do. 


My friends in Sendai are saying that the shops are empty, and there are long　queues in front of convenience stores so if I cannot secure my own food and shelter, I cannot go there. 


Also, gas is a big problem. The only gas station in my hometown is selling only 10 liter of gas per person. 


They are saying that we might have another huge earthquake within 3 days. This morning, we had quite a big one, and we keep feeling the ground shake...


I'm praying for all my friends in Miyagi and Fukushima. I don't know the whereabouts of many of my friends yet. Please be alive!!!!! 

Gassan Shizu Onsen!

I (rimiko) went to Gassan Shizu Onsen today. Gassan is the name of the mountain by my hometown, Hijiori Onsen. Gassan(月山) literally means "moon mountain". Romantic, huh?


It's called that way because it's shaped like moon... And it is a very sacred mountain. Many pilgrimages climb Gassan every year... 


Hijiori is at the northern foot of Gassan, and on the other side, is another famous TOJI Onsen town called "Gassan Shizu Onsen"


They had a Snow lantern festival. We also have the festival in Hijiori, but I must say that their's is a lot better. They work with 60 art students to convert the gigantic snow walls (6m tall!!!) into restaurants, an ice bar, and even a hotel (where my bosses stayed last year and almost died)


The whole street was lit with dim candle light and it was extremely romantic!


I got to steal a lot of good ideas for our snow festival next weekend. 




But soon it was too cold to stay outside... We stayed in a nice Ryokan called "Yukishiro" http://www6.ocn.ne.jp/~yukisiro/


They served such gorgeous mountain dishes!

They were so yummy and I felt like my body was being cleansed by eating all the mountain vegetables picked in a sacred mountain.


We drank a lot of Gassan Beer and Gassan Wine as well (they are also for cleansing our soul :-b  ) 


Tanoshikatta! (I had fun!)

Volunteer Needed for Snow Festival

We have just finished a thrilling Snow Digging World Cup in Hijiori Onsen, but we have more events liked up in March

March 14 (mon)- 21(mon)
New Sake Matsuri
Every year, in March, Sake breweries in Okura mura produce Sake of that year, cold climate makes Sake taste so good!!
During the time, all the liquor shops in Okura mura, offer FREE SAKE TASTING!!


March 19 (sat)
Okura Snow Festival
 18:00 -
Okura mura is famous for the heavy snow fall! In 1995, the village made a HUGE snow man (30m tall!) who was recorded in Guiness World Record! However, in 2008, community of Bethel, Maine, USA made even bigger snow "woman" who beat our Okura-kun :-(


We still make a huge snow man every year and have a snow festival around him. 


This year, we'll have fireworks, Huge snow house, Free Ama-Zake (Sweet Sake) and Tama Konnyaku (round soy sauce taste snack made of potatos)


Every house of Okura mura will make its original snow lantern and light it in front of the house. 


We are looking for VOLUNTEERS who can help us make snow lanterns, and also to decorate the snow walls with candles. 


If you are interested, please e-mail rimiko@gmail.com  I could organize cheap accommodation as well :-)


Snow Festival + Fireworks + Free Sake + Lantern Festival + Wonderful ONSEN wouldn't hurt ;-)

Snow Digging World Cup MOVIE

Now you can watch Snow Digging World Cup in Hijiori 2011 movie on youtube!


Check it out! It's hilarious but you'd be moved to tears :-)

SNOW DIGGIN' WORLD CUP!

Snow Digging World Cup was held in Hijiori Onsen on Feb 27 (Sun). It was sooooo much FUN!!


We organized a tour, and from our tour, two teams have participated. "Team Yamagata Caravan" and "Team International" We wanted to recruit foreign participants to make it a real "World Cup", we had some inquiries but at the end, KC from NEPAL decided to participated! Dannyabad KC!


There were 14 teams. Some came from Hokkaido and Sendai!



The height of the snow was about 2.7m. On the snow filed, there are 14 red circles for 14 teams. We had a sleigh competition first,  and the winner got to choose the spot. 


Snow Digging Rule is very simple. Just dig the snow with shovels and what we call here "snow dump", until you hit the earth. If you reach the earth, take the piece of earth to the goal!  


It might sound like a simple game but it was extremely hard and extremely exciting!!


We started digging digging, and the after a few minutes, the local young people's team already started running towards the goal! "What!?" "Already!?" At that point, our snow hole was only 1m deep. 


One after another, we could hear the scream of joy and we started feeling pressure. We don't wanna be the last one!!

Finally, our shovel hit the earth!!! We all ran together to the goal!!!! Yeah!!!! Wow, I had never felt like that since my Jr.high school sport event. 


It turned out that it took us 29minutes to finish. It took the last team 45 minutes to reach the earth! The first team,,, only 6 minutes. They are amazing!!


Next year, we hope to have even more participants from all over the world!!ちょうおもしろいよ！