No.12 Visit to the disaster areas of Miyagi Prefecture and Fukushima Prefecture

(Inagi Newsletter October 15, 2012 issue)

On August 24, 2012, I visited Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture during a joint training session of the Tokyo City Mayors' Association.
In Sendai City, a vast flat area of 4,633 hectares in the coastal region suffered tsunami flooding damage. I climbed to the rooftop of an elementary school in the severely affected Arahama district and looked around, but it was hard to imagine that the vacant land covered with endless summer grass was once a newly developed residential area.
While collective relocation and facility restoration are still ongoing, the removal and processing of debris have progressed significantly. Originally, there was a large equestrian facility along the coast, which allowed that location to be used as a temporary storage site, facilitating smooth intermediate processing from sorting to incineration. Since there was no radiation impact in Miyagi Prefecture, scrap metal could be sold for 25,000 yen per ton, generating an annual income of 700 million yen, indicating that recycling is also progressing.
During a major disaster, the removal and processing of debris can impact subsequent recovery, so I believe securing temporary storage sites is a challenge for Inagi City as well.
After the on-site inspection, I received a lecture from Mayor Emiko Okuyama. Her specific insights, having taken command on the front lines during the 3/11 disaster, will be useful as a reference for future disaster prevention measures.
On the following day, the 25th, I separated from the mayor's association and entered Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture. We signed a mutual support agreement for disaster response last June, and we are currently dispatching civil engineering staff for one year to support recovery efforts. I visited Mayor Hideki Tachiya to encourage the staff and presented a donation.
In Soma City, the damage in coastal areas such as the Isobe district is also severe, and recovery is still ongoing. I was relieved to hear that the Soma Nomaburi, which had to be scaled down last year, was able to be held this year at nearly the usual scale, attracting many tourists.
Through this visit, I was pleased to learn that the disaster-stricken areas are gradually regaining their vitality. Let us continue to provide support within our capacity going forward.