Volunteer Activitis

Place: Fukushima Prefecture Minamisoma
Date: Feb. 25－Mar. 7, 2014

Master’s student
Kota KAWAI

Participating in volunteer activities of the Volunteer Center, I have served cleaning of indoor and outdoor, tidying, and garbage separation/trashing at a house in Odaka-ku, Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture which was damaged by the Fukushima nuclear accident. Since the restricted Odaka-ku district was released in April, 2012, the residents can go in and out freely the area, but are permitted only to temporarily go home, not allowed for accommodation. The warning caused due to the nuclear accident was lifted a year later, but there are still many things which were destroyed by the Great East Japan Earthquake itself and furniture in the house which fell into decay by rain leaking, etc.. I felt a useless administration by knowing the current situation while the furniture is left to be rotten due to not affording, those that are not corrupt are led to be discarded.

Minamisoma City has announced that the reconstruction work is carried out so that the residents can inhabit Odaka-ku in April, 2014. However, they are most worried about the recovery of life lines (water, etc.) and only less than half of them want to come back.