Who You Are Supporting

Who You Are Supporting:
There are four families who will be receiving the funds raised by this fundraising.

Yuki and her family:

Even though Yuki and I became friends in high school, I've known her since we were 13.  We both played basketball for the school team, and our team played against each other often.  She was short and small but she was fast and quick. We became good friends in high school, played basketball for few months together till we both quit at the same time.  Just like Hitomi, she was one of my good friends I kept in touch.  I thought she would be the first one to respond to my e-mail after the earthquake.....so I was really shocked and just could not believe it when my other friend told me that she was missing. 

She married to her husband in Nov. 2009 and just had a baby in late November 2010.   She and her husband built a brand new home in Minato area in Ishinomaki last year, but that house was also destroyed by the tsunami.  They just moved in to the new house on Feb. 26, 2011.  They lived in the new house less than 2 weeks before it was destroyed.

Yuki's family has been searching for her every day since March 11th.  Despite the effort, they still have not found her.  Her baby has been taking care of by her sister and mother and her husband's parents while her husband works and search for Yuki.

友紀と彼女のご家族：
友紀とは高校で友達になったけど、実はお互いバスケ部で、練習試合をよくしたこともあり、中学校から顔見知りでした。彼女は痩せてて小さかったけど早くてスピードのあるガードで, 高校でも一緒に辞めるまで数ヶ月バスケ部でした。
彼女とは高校を卒業しても仲良くしていたグループの一人で、本当は地震の後無事の確認のメールの返答をくれるのは彼女が一番初めにくれるだろうと思っていたので、他の友人から彼女が行方不明と聞きショックも倍でした。

友紀は2009年にご主人と結婚し、去年の12月には赤ちゃんが生まれたばかりでした。また、家も新築で去年立てたばかりなのですが、立てた場所は湊地区で被害も大きかったようです。

ご家族はあの津波の日以来毎日彼女を捜しに行っているようですが、まだ見つかっておりません。彼女の赤ちゃんはご主人がお仕事や友紀の捜索に行っている間は友紀のお姉様やお母様,
ご主人のご両親に見てもらっているようです。



Kanako and her family:
Kanako and I grew up in a same neighborhood and we've known each other since we were little.  She and her husband have two daughters (7 and 4).  Up till March 11th, 2011, they lived in an apartment in Kazuma area in Ishinomaki.  The tsunami reached to her apartment and everything they owned was destroyed.  Fortunately, they were not home when the tsunami reached their apartment.  Like many other cases in the area, the insurance company won't cover the loss since it was caused by the tsunami.  She is now staying at her parents house with her husband and daughters.  **Her husband has not been able to work since March 11th because the company he works for was also destroyed by the tsunami.  His company sells parts for the ship/boat manufactures and ship/boat owners.  Kanako told me that they have applied for the temporary housing that the government is building, but they are uncertain about the future living arrangement. 

**I received e-mail from Kanao on May 23rd and she said that despite the loss/damage, her husband's company is now open for business.


Kanko's oldest daugher, Aoi.  加奈子の長女、アオイちゃん

Kanako and her youngest daugher 加奈子と次女のシオリちゃん

Hitomi and her family (Fuse Shoten):

Hitomi and I went to the same high school together and just like Yuki, she is one of my good friends I kept in touch after graduating.  Her family owns a family business (Fuse Shoten which makes various seafood products) and their processing plant was destroyed by the tsunami.  Their house which was build in 2001 was also destroyed (they now live on the 2nd floor of the house without the electricity, water or gas.  Everything they had on the 1st floor is either washed away or destroyed).  Hitomi was in Sendai visiting her sister on March 11th 2011, but since she was temporary staying at her parents house (she was in the process of transferring the job), she lost everything she owned including her car.  She lives in Watanoha area in Ishinomaki, where most of the area was devastated.

Her father was on the national radio show in April discussing about the future of his business.
You can listen to the interview here (Japanese).
こちらから放送されたラジオ（久米宏のラジオなんですけど）の内容が聞けます。（だいたい１８分２８秒頃から対談が始まってます．）

Click here to see the picture of Fuse Shoten's product:

One of Fuse Shoten's products. ラジオでも紹介された布施商店の商品の塩辛。

Eri and her family:

Eri is one of my best friends and I've know her since we were in 1st grade.  She was working in downtown Sendai at the time of the earthquake.  Though her apartment survived the tsunami, her racing car didn't (she is an amateur racer).  Her grandmother lives by a small fishing village on the bay and the entire village was completely washed away.  Her grandmother and some of the neighbors evacuated to the higher ground quickly so they survived. Eri has been helping grandmother since the tsunami and also her friends who lost everything.  Eri was the first one to let me know that my family survived.  She drove from Tagajo(where she lives) to Ishinomaki to check on my family on March 12th.  Since no one in Ishinomaki had a cell phone reception, she was the only one I was able to reach (there was a better reception in Tagajo) for the first 10 days after the tsunami. 

Eri told me to give her portion of the funds to other friends, but I'd like to have her the funds so that she can help those who needs help including her grandmother.