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Interview with Ryoichi and Yayoi Suzuki : part2 (Life at the Evacuation Centers)
Having got through the night, we tried to find a place to evacuate within 5-litres of gas.
We set out on the street because it was empty. We found Kabanomachi Primary School under our noses.
I found a place to go. We took shelter there for 14 days.
The principal and community members were considerate in that they separated rooms for those with pets from those without pets.
There were different rules in different evacuation centers.
Some schools banned pets.
I'm not sure if it was left to the discretion of the principal or communities...
...but classrooms exclusively for the disabled, elderly and those for families with pets were prepared.
The rest stayed in the gym.
Oil stoves and other equipment were set up in each place.
We were happy that we could spend time with our pets in a warm place for 14 days.
Relief supplies
What we appreciated most was a variety of relief supplies.
For example, underwear. We had no underwear.
Even though we wanted to buy some, no stores were open.
We had nothing but the clothes we had been wearing for the first two weeks.
When I heard that underwear had been delivered, I took them no matter what pattern or size they were.
As I hadn't washed myself, I quickly changed into new underwear.
I threw away my old ones.
It was tough for me, all the more so for women.
We couldn't take a bath for a week or 10 days.
Perhaps on the 10th day, curry rice and soup were served at the gym.
They were the first hot meals we had since the quake. The rice was hot and so was the curry and soup.
Until then we 'd eaten bean-paste bread, hardtack and dried food.
We only ate cold food. So when I ate a hot meal, I was moved wholeheartedly.
Yes, hot meals always touch our heart.
Till then I had been tense. But eating hot meals relieved all my tension.
In retrospect, hot meals were something to be grateful for.
I really appreciated them.
Moving to the Wakabayashi Gym
Kabanomachi Primary School was damaged by the quake. Because it was dangerous to stay there, we were told to move to the Wakabayashi Gym.
Those of us who had lived in Arahama moved into the gym.
We were not allowed to stay with our pets there.
So we spent nights with my dog in our car.
We asked the local government to allot us a room to stay with our pets or...
...give us a room to share among pet owners to stay with our pets from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m.
But they rejected our request.
It may have been because of some regulations or rules. I'm not sure.
But staying with our dog made us tired.
There is a shower room in the gym.
Men used it on odd days and ladies on even days, if my memory is correct.
There were only 4 or 5 showers. Men and ladies took turns to use them.
- How many people used them? - 300.
300? With so many people, when could you take a shower?
We could use spas in the Akiyu hot spring resort area as part of the assistance efforts.
There was a transportation service to and from hot springs in Akiyu or Yamagata.
We were informed of the bus schedule to the hot springs.
People who wanted to go took the bus. The bus service was available both in the morning and afternoon.
Our lives were like this.
How long did you stay in the Wakabayashi Gym?
- How long? - From March 21 to May 7, right?
We moved to a temporary house on May 8. So we stayed at the gym more than a month.
Life at the gym was tough. We had no privacy.
But we were happy when we moved into a temporary house.
Although it 's small, we have walls so I don't need to change my trousers in front of a neighbor any longer.
We don't need to see a neighbor changing his underwear any more.
A change in emotion
When I watched images of the tsunami on TV one after another, I thought I 'd had enough.
I wanted TV stations to shift the topic of programs to the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster.
Because the images of the tsunami reminded me of my house being washed away.
Footage of areas ravaged by the tsunami were broadcast.
I sometimes thought that's enough. But as time went by, there were ups and downs in my emotion.
When things settled down, I was able to watch it calmly sometimes.
I find it interesting that I felt good when we stayed at Kabanomachi Primary School for 14 days.
I was excited. Although I am normally talkative, I talked a lot.
I talked at machinegun speed.
I assume that I tried to forget the hardship of losing my house in the tsunami.
Then my tense feeling gradually tapered off.
When we moved to the Wakabayashi Gym, I got excited again.
Because people around us had the same sorrowful experiences, we naturally talked about our sufferings to each other.
I got excited so that I could forget everything.
When we moved to a temporary house, I was relieved.
When things settled down, we didn't want to see horrible images. And we started thinking hard about our future.
What should we do? Should I take out a mortgage?
Ideas occurred to me which had never hit me during the stay in the evacuation center.
Shall I ask my child to take care of us?
When I had such ideas, I got depressed.
I had been overexcited but suddenly I became depressed.
Continue to "Entering a Asuto Nagamachi temporary house and community-building"
