Kamaishi and Otsuchi in Iwate prefecture: August 20-21, 2016 (off Tokyo)

Nearly five years and six months have passed after the Great East Japan Earthquake. I visited the quake-hit areas several times after the disaster. I traveled again to the Sanriku coastal areas of Iwate prefecture, which were severely hit by the tsunami disaster.

I first visited Unosumai district in Kamaishi City, where more than 500 people were killed or missing. The construction works are under way everywhere. The lands are being raised. (see also the 3rd photo from the top)

New school is being constructed.

Still, many temporally houses remain.


There are more new houses and shops built than November 2015, when I visited here last time. Rebuilding the hardware elements of infrastructure -- lands, roads and houses -- seems to be moving ahead.

Questions remain. Even if they build new residential areas, it is not sure whether people come back to live here. The future prospects of local communities and economic recovery are not clear.

People’s ties are more important than before, many people say. Local community activities are reviewed. 

Traditional performing arts play important role.

I attended one of the gatherings and talked with local people. We enjoyed Tiger Dance together (see the top photo)

The situation of Otsuchi Town is similar. 

The town hall was washed out by tsunami and many people, including the town manager, lost their lives. 

The ruin of the town hall still stands. It is not determined whether to preserve the building as a monument or to clean it up.

There are construction works in many places. Construction machines are everywhere.

New roads have been built at the higher places. 

The question of "yes, rebuilding hard infrastructure is going ahead, but redeveloping soft infrastructure is far behind" also remains here.  

I visited a small garden at a side hill of a mountain. The “Bellgardia” garden was developed and is owned privately by Mr. Itaru Sasaki.

He built a telephone box after the disaster. 

The line is not connected. People come here to talk to the victims or to talk to themselves. It is called “the telephone of window” (see also the 2nd photo from the top)

He also opened a micro library called “the liberally of the woods”. The community’s children come here and read books.

The place works as an information center and a gathering place of the community. It is not open to the tourists.


Again, I have learned quite a lot in my visit to Iwate.






See also


Sendai, Ishinomaki@Tohoku; Sept 17-18, 2011

Save Iwate @ Morioka and Sanriku Coast (off Tokyo): May 10-11, 2014

3 years after the quake @ Iwate (off Tokyo) : May 10-11, 2014

Four and half years from the quake: Sanriku, Iwate: Oct. 31-Nov.1, 2015

Autumn Scenes @ Iwate Prefecture: Oct 31- Nov. 1, 2015

Traditional performing arts of Tohoku @ Zojoji Temple: March 12, 2016

Budapest: August 4-6, 2016 (off off Tokyo)

I visited Budapest for the first time in about 20 years. I found many changes –- political shift, economic reforms and the integration into the EU -- during the period

The Danube River flows between Buda and Pest, two main regions of the city. The Chain Bridge is the oldest one which linked the both sides. It was built in 1873.

People enjoyed a summer evening on the Freedom Bridge, which also links both sides of the city. 

I saw tourists and local people walking in the riverbank along the river.

The river flow slowly under the bridges..

Buda Castle is a complex of palaces, churches and other buildings on a hill in the western side of the river. It was first built in the early 13th century. (see the top photo)

The Matthias Church is probably the most famous building. The roofs were covered with modern ceramics. They were renovated around 2000.

The scene from the hilltop was beautiful.

The Pest part has many historical buildings including the parliament and St. Stephan Cathedral.

The Vaci street in one of the main shopping streets. There are many fashionable shops and restaurants with western European brands. It seemed to symbolize the economic integration with the EU.

Hungary was ruled by the Ottoman Turkey about 150 years (1541-1699) and by Austria (Habsburg family) more than 200 years (1699-1918). It was practically controlled by the Soviet Union after the World War 2.

The Hungarian Revolution in 1956 was crushed by the tanks of the Soviet Union and its allies.

There is a monument of the move just in front of the parliament building (see the 2nd photo from the top). The statue of Prime Minister Nagy Imre, who supported the revolution moves and was later executed, stands near the parliament. 

Europe faced a serious refugee crisis in 2015. Hundreds of thousands of refugees arrived in Hungary last year. The stations were overflown with them. Many pictures of the crisis were delivered from Budapest to the world.

The inflow of the refugees decreased this year because of EU’s stricter regulation and cooperation with Turkey.

Still, the problem remains unsolved. Hundreds of refugees stayed in the Eastern Station of Budapest. (see also the 3rd photo from the top)

Prague: August 2-4, 2016 (off off Tokyo

It was my first visit to Prague in about 20 years.

I found many changes which took place in the last quarter of the century. The political system has converted from the communist regime to democratic system. The economy has integrated into the EU economy. Many companies have come to the Czech Republic from western European countries.

The Old Town Square is the center of the old city. The Town Hall, churches, palaces and other buildings stand around it. There is a statue of Jan Hus in the center of the square.


Musicians were playing musics and tourists were enjoying their days.

The astronomical clock of the town hall is especially famous.

The Charles Bridge over the Vltava River links Prague’s old city and the Prague Castle. It is more than 600 years old (It was built between 1357 and 1402). It is 515 meters long and there are 30 statues at the sides of the bridge.

The bridge was full of tourists. There were many painters: some of they were drawing the landscapes; others were drawing the facial cartoons of the tourists. (see the top and second photos). 

The Plague Castle is a huge complex of buildings including the palaces and churches. It is more than 500 meters long.

The buildings are in various architechtual styles.

The St. Vitus Cathedral is in the Gothic style.

There are buildings of the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Art nouveau styles.

One of the buildings was used as a regional headquarters of the Nazi SS and is now used as Foreign ministry.

Prague is the home town of Franz Kafka. His birthplace is now a coffee. I enjoyed a meat there. (see the 3rd photo from the top)

There stands his sculpture in front of Spanish synagogue in the Jewish area. It is in mysterious design. 

It is banned for buses to go into the central part of the city. Instead, trams are popular.

The Václavské náměstí (Wenceslas Square), in the central part of the new city, was a stage of the Prague Spring in 1968 and the Velvet Revolution in 1989.

The square was crowded with business persons and tourists in the evening. I found a monument of the victims.

The Czech's history is full of glory and tragedy. The country is cultural rich -- these are parts of what I have learned in Prague.

I watched the Mochovce nuclear plant in Slovakia when I flew from Prague to Budapest. 

It was so impressive that I post the photo in the blog.

Warsaw: July 31-August 2, 2016 (off off Tokyo)

I visited Warsaw for the first time in about 20 years. My last visit was just after the end of the Cold War. I found many changes which took place in the last quarter of the century. I was also struck with Poland’s complicated history and culture.

Poland was practically ruled by other countries most of the time after the late 18^th century. It was divided into three parts and ruled by Russia, Prussia and Austria from late 18^th century to the end of the World War 1 (1918). The country was invaded by Nazi Germany in 1939. It was controlled by the Soviet Union after the World War 2 under the Communist regime.

It is famous that Warsaw’s old town was completely destroyed by Nazi Germany in 1944 after the Warsaw Uprising and reconstructed as it had been after the World War 2.

The Old Town Market Place locates in the center of the area. Medieval-style buildings are built around the square. There stands a mermaid sculpture in the center of the stone-covered square. 

I saw there were many tourists enjoying their days in the place. Kids were bathing in the fountain around the mermaid. (see also the top photo)

The Castle Square in front of the Royal Castle also attracted tourists.

Some enjoyed cycling there.

I saw many shopping stores and coffee shops from western Europe countries. H&M and Zara were crowded with shoppers. Costa Coffee, Café Nero and Starbucks Coffee are in many places in the city.

They use ATM machines which have same functions with those in Western European countries. The prices were written in both Zloty and Euro in many shops. These examples tell the reality of economic integration with the EU. 

Anxiety for the national security seemed to be strong.

August 1 is the 72th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising in 1944. People prayed for the victims of the events and put flowers for them.

There was a demonstration.

At the President Office, I found the NATO flag flying with the EU's at the sides of Poland's flag. (see the second photo from the top)

Special exhibitions were held at the Krakowskie Przedmiescie (Krakow Suburb) Street, near the Castle Square.

There is a statue of Nicolaus Copernicus at the side of the Nowy Swiat (New Street) in the center of the city.

The Holy Cross Church locates about a hundred meters from Copernicus statue. Frederic Chopin’s heart is placed in the church. 

The influence of the Catholic church looked strong. The pictures of Pope John Paul 2, who serves from 1978 to 2005, were found in many places. He was born in a city of Wadowice, near Krakow, in 1920.

Nearly 400 thousands Jewish people lived in Warsaw before the World War 2.　It was the second largest Jewish town after New York. The Jewish people were forced to move by the Nazi Germany to a narrow space, known later as the “Warsaw ghetto”. Most of them were then sent to the concentration camp (including Auschwitz) and were killed.

I joined a free walking tour in the old city. The guide told us various aspects of history, culture and life of Poland. It was so good.