Ishinomaki is a town just north east of Sendai which was, like many other coastal areas of northern Honshuu, very badly affected by the tsunami that occured after last month's earthquake. When we got back from Osaka, Mirabel and I went volunteering there.
The parts of Ishinomaki that weren't completely washed away look like this, up and down every street. Basically everything that was at ground level has been ruined, and is now piled at the sides of the roads for some eventual collection. Cars, boats, appliances, bits of destroyed buildings are strewn about and covered in mud.
We went to three houses to help pick up and throw away the ruined contents and to dig out the inches of thick black mud that coated the floors.
In one house we even found a fish, who was probably quite surprised to end up in someone's hallway under their shoe rack.
Here's the band of volunteers being transported to the next job, and there will be plenty of work to do for weeks, months and years to come in Ishinomaki and other towns. We are very lucky to live where we do in northern Sendai, high above sea level and away from the coast.
Still, even the mud and debris couldn't stop spring from showing through in little spots here and there. There's hope yet.
