JAPAN: Santa Claus from Finland brings Christmas cheer to children evacuated from their homes in Fukushima after Japan's nuclear disaster

Record ID: 215935

  • Title: JAPAN: Santa Claus from Finland brings Christmas cheer to children evacuated from their homes in Fukushima after Japan's nuclear disaster
  • Date: 7th December 2011
  • Summary: KISAI TOWN, SAITAMA PREFECTURE, JAPAN (DECEMBER 7, 2011) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF KISAI HIGH SCHOOL WHERE EVACUEES FROM FUKUSHIMA ARE SHELTERED
  • Embargoed: 22nd December 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan, Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA4MVXGG0MSJF0PA91U4LHRREYN
  • Story Text: With the holiday season quickly approaching, a Santa Claus from Finland on Wednesday (December 7) brought the joy of Christmas to Japanese children still living in evacuation centres following the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster.
    Timo Pakkanen, "certified" by the Santa Claus Federation of Finland, came to Japan for the second time this year to meet Japanese children temporarily living in a high school in Saitama prefecture, just north of Tokyo.
    Around 30 children including orphans living in the shelter welcomed the Finnish Santa Claus, who arrived in Japan last month and has been visiting schools and refugee centres for nearly a month to spread the Christmas spirit and bring smiles to the faces of children.
    "I really wish you a very very merry Christmas and a better New Year and all the best in the future," Pakkanen, 67, clad in the classic Santa Claus costume, said.
    Many of the refugees at Kyokisai high school are from the Futaba Town in Fukushima prefecture, a village located within the 'unsafe' range around the crippled Fukushima Daichi nuclear power plant.
    As Japan's nuclear crisis lingers, Santa Claus said he hoped they would be able to return to their hometown before next Christmas.
    "I hope that by next Christmas you can already live in your former places in Tohoku," Pakkanen said.
    Children were thrilled, especially when he presented them gift bags - full of chocolates, candies and cookies.
    "I'm glad," Hiroto Kobayashi, 8, from Futaba said.
    "I'm glad," chimed another 8-year-old from Futaba, Kouki Satou.
    But as with every Christmas, there will be some who are disappointed with Santa's present.
    "I'm a little bit disappointed. It's not a toy or video game, the present I expected," said nine-year-old Tomoya Matsuda.
    Santa Claus said the children could use some presents to lift them from their gloomy reality.
    "Christmas is a time of peace. Everybody gets present... yes, for sure. Especially these children, they will get lots of present; they need them," Pakkanen said.
    The Finnish Santa who started his Japan tour in Nagoya has visited Osaka and Mie prefecture in central Japan, on his way to Tokyo.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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