AshleyWard

Today is our last day traveling through disaster zones. We took a train, then a taxi into Sendai, Japan from our hotel. The taxi driver drove us into a business complex, located near the ocean in Sendai. Buildings were demolished to the ground, only a handful of structures survived. Driving through the streets we saw bicycles mangled together, a trumpet laying on top of debris, jeans displaced and a statue that survived the tsunami. The statue formed into a shrine created by locals. People came to the shrine and left a small porcelain Japanese cup with tea inside it, green tea I believe. Also, two fresh and vibrant bouquets of flowers were placed on the floor of the shrine, a stuffed animals and other items people placed. A bouquet of wilted flowers laid amidst the debris, ... read more

Yesterday our journey was such: after breakfast at 7:30 a.m. we went and caught the 8:56 a.m. train to Sendai. From Sendai we went on bus, which took two hours from Masushimakaigan to Ishinomaki. Matsushimakaigan had minimal damage from the tsunami and earthquake. We had about an hour before the bus came so we walked to the beach (with my heavy backpack strapped to my weak and struggling shoulders and back) and then took a two hour long bus ride to Ishinomaki. Along the ride we saw bits of the disaster. It was my first real look, ad preview, of the disaster and what it did. I saw its destruction of rice fields, which had cars, boats and trash gathered in the fields. Cars stacked on top of each other, forming piles. The bus ride was ... read more

We arrived thirty minutes early in Tokyo on May 30th. The 16-hour time difference and 11-hour plane ride switched us over into the next day, Monday. I walked off fairly confused by the Japanese and part English and Chinese labeled signs. I was able to find my way to immigration by following the crowd and had paperwork filled out and interviewed by customs. Why did you come? Where are you staying? How long? Once I made it past the interview, I pushed through the doors to find Fukiko standing and smiling at me. She rushed her petite body over to me and hugged me. I made it. ... read more