By Cathy Hirano

Sorry for the long delay in posts. The series of earthquakes, tsunami and nuclear events has made it more than a little hard to concentrate. Neither Takamatsu nor I were directly impacted by those events. In fact, Takamatsu is located so far away that we have suffered no physical effects at all. But it has certainly impacted our souls, reminding us that life on this physical plane is not forever and never certain. I was asked to write this blog to share with English speakers what I love about living in Takamatsu and Kagawa and hopefully to encourage you to explore it. Today, rather than a place or an event, let me share a few glimpses of the Takamatsu and Kagawa that have inspired me to carry on through the grief and that give me hope for the future.



I volunteer with a local NGO called Second Hand, an organization founded 17 years ago by Yasuko Nitta, who was only in her twenties at the time. The NGO raises funds through charity shops and uses the proceeds to support reconstruction efforts in Cambodia. Second Hand has also always helped raise emergency funds for natural disasters so when this one hit so close to home the organization sprang into action. Fundraising began immediately as did a search for reliable groups and NGOs that could help us make sure supplies reached people in need. The drive for donations of goods began as soon as a route was established and the response was phenomenal. Within less than 3 days we had enough supplies for several truckloads.　From March 17 to April 2, we have sent 6 truckloads one of which was accompanied by a group of people who set up a temporary kitchen and cooked hot meals for the local people for several days.



I was lucky enough to be able to help sort and repack goods and to load one of the trucks. This allowed me to see firsthand the generosity and compassion of my local citizens. Maybe someone somewhere in Takamatsu is saying, “It doesn’t concern me. It’s too far away.” But not the ones I met. Young couples with small children carried in boxes of everything that anyone with small children would need in an emergency situation. Elderly people came and offered exactly what they knew someone caring for the elderly would need. A young woman with her mother and two little ones told me that she herself was a refugee from one of the less badly affected areas. She had obviously scraped together whatever supplies she could from home to share with people in greater need. Another “refugee” pitched in every day and rounded up his friends to help as well. And many of the people who came to donate stayed on to volunteer with sorting the goods.





Second Hand is only one small organization. There are many organizations and many individuals in Takamatsu who have arisen to help in whatever way they can. The city is darker at night than usual because everyone is trying to save power and people are wrapping up instead of using their oil heaters. Perhaps saving power will not directly increase the supply of electricity in the northeast but there is a sense of not wanting to enjoy what others cannot. And we are learning that we really need much less than we think.
Every day we hear stories of small acts of heroism and compassion from the disaster areas. And every day I see small acts of kindness from those around me. Which brings me full circle to the title – disaster relief. When the disaster first happened and the reality of it began to unfold, the worst part for me was the feeling of helplessness, the inability to physically be there for those who had lost so much. It is therefore a tremendous relief to realize that no, we are not powerless, that yes, there are things we can do regardless of the distance, and that yes, every little act of compassion counts, no matter how small. So please keep Japan and its people in your thoughts and prayers. It really makes a difference to know that people care.

For those of you who live overseas and want to help more concretely but aren’t sure how, check out this website:
http://www.toddswanderings.com/
And the Second Hand English page: http://2nd-hand.main.jp/index.php?English