- Title: JAPAN: Buddhist temple in quake-ravaged town in Japan takes in tsunami survivors
- Date: 17th March 2011
- Summary: MINAMISANRIKU TOWN, MIYAGI PREFECTURE (MARCH 16, 2011) (REUTERS) FIREFIGHTERS WALKING PAST DEBRIS ON ROAD MORE OF FIREFIGHTERS WALKING DOWN ROAD DOWNTOWN OF MINAMISANRIKU TOWN EXCAVATOR DRIVING DOWN ROAD DESTROYED BUILDING AND DEBRIS FIRE ENGINE DRIVING IN FRONT OF DESTROYED BUILDING BACK HOE FLIPPING OVER CAR MORE OF BACK HOE FLIPPING OVER CAR RESCUE WORKERS LOOKING FOR BODIES IN EXCAVATED CAR VARIOUS OF RESCUE WORKERS LOOKING FOR BODIES AREA SWEPT CLEAN BY TSUNAMI WITH DAOJI TEMPLE IN BACKGROUND SMOKE COMING OUT OF DAOJI TEMPLE ELDERLY PEOPLE WALKING UP SLOPE TOWARDS TEMPLE TEMPLE WITH PEOPLE STANDING AROUND FIRES BUDDHA STATUE WITH PEOPLE STANDING IN FRONT OF FIRES IN BACKGROUND MORE OF BUDDHA STATUE 83-YEAR-OLD TAKESHI SASAKI STANDING IN FRONT OF FIRE (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 83-YEAR-OLD MINAMISANRIKU RESIDENT TAKESHI SASAKI SAYING: "It's familiar here, my younger sister is always coming here, so I came here right after, with everyone being Buddhist. I wasn't in my house when the tsunami hit, since I was out to pick up kids from school." SASAKI AND FELLOW EVACUEES GATHERED AROUND FIRE TO COOK FOOD MORE OF PEOPLE COOKING PEOPLE GETTING FOOD FROM POT PEOPLE EATING INSIDE TEMPLE MINAMISANRIKU RESIDENT SACHIKO SAIJO EATING ELDERLY WOMAN EATING (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) MINAMISANRIKU RESIDENT 58-YEAR-OLD SACHIKO SAIJO SAYING: "The people at the temple gave us a lot of things, and this has become a sort of evacuation area. They've helped give us food and whatever else we may need." PEOPLE GATHERING WITH DOG AROUND FOOD COOKING AREA DOG IN FRONT OF TEMPLE
- Embargoed: 1st April 2011 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Japan, Japan
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes,Religion
- Reuters ID: LVA6RYONZ8LQD5XE3MMNF2PGDVEM
- Story Text: Amidst the rubble and debris left in the wake of a devastating earthquake and tsunami in northeastern japan, one temple has survived to open its door to those in need.
The town of Minamisanriku in Miyagi prefecture, has a population of 17,000, nearly half of whom are still unaccounted for and most of the buildings in the town have been washed away.
But the Daoji Temple survived the onslaught.
The tsunami managed to charge by the temple without causing any major damage, although debris was left less than a meter from the temple entrance, marking its path.
Once the tsunami waters abated, people like 83-year-old Takeshi Sasaki found their way to the temple hoping to find shelter.
"This place is familiar to me because my younger sister always come here. I came here right after -- everyone is Buddhist. I wasn't in my house when the tsunami hit, since I was out to pick up kids from school," said Sasaki while warming his hands over a small bonfire.
The temple had a store of food for the priests living there and the priests have been sharing these supplies with the 30 evacuees.
"The people at the temple gave us alot of things, and this has become a sort of evacuation area. They've helped give us food and whatever else we may need," said 58-year-old Sachiko Saijo who made her way to the shelter with her husband.
Most of the people of Minamisanriku town have been evacuated to an elementary school on an embankment overlooking the town.
More than 1, 250 people have been confirmed dead in cities throughout Miyagi prefecture but local authorities fear more than 10, 000 people may have perished in that prefecture alone. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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