JAPAN: Life continues to be temporary for many Japanese struggling to survive a year after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami

Record ID: 466099

  • Title: JAPAN: Life continues to be temporary for many Japanese struggling to survive a year after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami
  • Date: 23rd February 2012
  • Summary: OFUNATO, IWATE PREFECTURE, JAPAN (FILE - MARCH 2011) (REUTERS) DOWNTOWN OFUNATO IN THE AFTERMATH OF TSUNAMI
  • Embargoed: 9th March 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan, Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Disasters
  • Reuters ID: LVA7A35L093SRBPEJ1TAYJ6DNDUO
  • Story Text: While the city of Ofunato has cleared its streets of rubble, and started the cleanup from the devastation wrought by last year's tsunami, thousands of its residents don't have a permanent place to live.
    There are over 50,000 temporary homes built across Japan to house those who had theirs washed away, with many more living in rented apartments and houses.
    One of those who lost their home when the massive wave swept through the town was 82-year-old Mieko Niinuma who now lives in temporary housing only a fraction of the size of what she used to own.
    Sitting atop a hill above the devastation below, she lives in the two bedroom, one kitchen temporary house with four other family members.
    Niinuma is unable to move around freely due to her health problems and is stuck inside the small apartment-sized house for many days.
    "It's makes one crazy to think about it too much, as I was living in that sort of house. I was at my grandchild's house for a month but after that, I came here as I thought it's rude to do that to them. For someone like me it's tiring to be here, it's hard on the heart," Niinuma said.
    While she hopes to move out with her family she said chances are low, due to the aftershocks still occurring.
    "There are still earthquakes happening, so you can't rebuild. So I don't know when it's possible to rebuild. If you build back and then just have it knocked down that's a problem as well. If you can't go back you can't rebuild, even though it was a great piece of land," she said.
    The tsunami also washed away many businesses, leaving many without the basic infrastructure that most living in modern society take for granted.
    Temporary housing built out of prefabricated boxes were set up around the town.
    In Ofunato, The "Ofunato Yataimura" or "shopping street" is a collection of shops meant to give the thousands living in prefabricated housing nearby a place to visit.
    While the tenants include many resuming their livelihoods before the tsunami, it also provided an opportunity for those who wanted to try something new.
    "Neither of us originally did this line of work. But my partner had done this sort of thing some years ago and had wanted to do so again but had never got the chance. So with this shopping street being made in the aftermath of the disaster, it gave us a chance to start up and try," said 48-year-old Miyoko Sugano as she served customers in the shop she runs with her partner.
    Sugano originally worked in an office and her partner drove a truck, which was washed away in the tsunami.
    Ofunato city's recovery plan places emphasises more on cleanup than rebuilding until 2013, which means that, for those in temporary housing their stay may last a lot longer.
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