HIROSHIMA-FUKUSHIMA-KUMAMOTO

[President Obama’s speech in Hiroshima]

On the evening of May 27, 2016, President Obama was at the Atomic Bomb Museum in Hiroshima. He had his staff bring in two Origami cranes, in white and light pink with plum and cherry blossom patterns. President Obama said that he folded them with a little help and presented them to two school children. (http://sharetube.jp/article/2733/）

This event was broadcast on the 9pm news on May 28, 2016. Many were moved to tears by President Obama’s act of giving the paper planes and what this signified in relation to world peace.

President Obama laid a wreath, paused for a moment with his eyes closed, then made his 17-minute speech at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.

Seventy-one years ago death fell from the sky and the world was changed. Their souls speak to us. They ask us to look inward, to take stock of who we are and what we might become. And at each juncture innocents have suffered, a countless toll, their names forgotten by time. And yet the war grew out of the same base instinct for domination or conquest that had caused conflicts among the simplest tribes; an old pattern amplified by new capabilities and without new constraints. In the span of a few years, some 60 million people died – men, women, children no different than us, shot, beaten, marched, bombed, jailed, starved, gassed to death. We are most starkly reminded of humanity's core contradiction; how the very spark that marks us as a species – our thoughts, our imagination, our language, our tool-making, our ability to set ourselves apart from nature and bend it to our will – those very things also give us the capacity for unmatched destruction. The scientific revolution that led to the splitting of the atom requires a moral revolution as well. That is why we come to this place. We have a shared responsibility to look directly into the eye history and ask what we must do differently to curb such suffering again.

Define our nations not by our capacity to destroy, but by what we build.

And perhaps above all, we must reimagine our connection to one another, as members of one human race. We can learn. We can choose. All men are created equal and endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The irreducible worth of every person, the insistence that every life is precious. The radical and necessary notion that we are part of a single human family – that is the story that we all must tell.

That is why we come to Hiroshima. So that we might think of the people we love – the first smile from our children in the morning; the gentle touch from our spouse over the kitchen table; the comforting embrace of a parent – we can think of those things and know that those same precious moments took place here seventy-one years ago. Ordinary people understand this, I think. They do not want more war. They would rather that the wonders of science be focused on improving life, and not eliminating it.

When the choices made by nations, when the choices made by leaders reflect this simple wisdom, then the lesson of Hiroshima will be done.

A future in which Hiroshima and Nagasaki are known not as the dawn of atomic warfare, but as the start of our own moral awakening. (Asahi Shimbun May 28, 2016)

After I listened to his speech, I felt like a great mentor of life came from above. I felt like it is our responsibility to manifest President Obama’s message. Our time is limited. With President Obama’s words as our common motivation, we have to work hand in hand to make our country peaceful. We must learn a lesson from the sacrifice of the Hibakushas (Atomic bomb victims) of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, instead of wasting it.

A picture of President Obama warmly hugging a Hiroshima survivor, Shigeaki Mori, touched so many Japanese people. There is a saying “Children grow up to see the back of their parents”. I think that compassion, kindness, and sincerity are important human qualities in this modern world. I would like to be someone who can give warmth and peaceful energy to the other people.

[Voices of Fukushima evacuees]

– In Katsurao village –

• The evacuation advisory was lifted for most of Katsurao village on June 12, 2016.

• “The newspaper said that it is the mayor of Katsurao’s decision, but that is not true. It is the national government’s unilateral decision.  There was no detailed briefing session on this. After they decided the June 12 date there was only a notifying meeting. I tried to ask some questions however, they cut me off because they said that they didn’t have enough time for Q&As.”

• “For the past three years we villagers were never able to obtain the correct information. We rely on the newspapers and the radio. We sometimes find information on the internet, but it gets deleted quickly.”

• “This place is still highly radioactive. I sometimes see measurements that are three times as high as the national report. They are deceiving us.”

• “There are some hotspots with radiation levels of 3.5 microsievert per hour. After I am exposed to this I get so tired. The fatigue persists even if I take a rest on Saturday and Sunday. I had cold-like symptoms such as sneezing, a runny nose, diarrhoea, and a 98.6°F fever. One time, I had nose bleed and all my body hair fell out. When I went to a public bathhouse with my co-workers they were shocked to see the body hair floating in the bathtub. Literary all of my body hair fell out. The same thing was happening to my co-workers. Some of them had white spots in their skin, too.

• “We don’t want to go back to a highly radioactive place, but the Japanese government will not listen to us.”

• In Miyakoji village –

• “On April 22, 2016, there was the second trial in case of Tokyo Electric Power Company failing to pay compensation to the evacuees. The court judge asked for the actual measured data of radiation, instead of verbal expression of “highly radioactive”. So I teamed up with my lawyers in order to measure radiation level at 200 houses, rice fields, and mountains in Iwaisawa area. The local governing body did not help us. Neither did my friends, since they have to work. I was the only one who could do it. So, I took time off and measured the radiation levels with 3 or 4 lawyers for 16 days. Only on Sundays could my friends help me.

The next trial date is set to be on July 1, 2016, followed by another one two months later. There are more people suing TEPCO in different towns. There have been 10 trials in two years, but things don’t seem to move forward. They say it might take 10 years. I never imagined how hard it would be to file a lawsuit. It costs money and I have to take days off because of it. I am tempted to end this process due to the hardship, but I must continue for the sake of the villagers and our community.”

[Regarding the great earthquake in Kumamoto]

Please don’t allow a repeat of the same suffering as the people in Fukushima felt after the great eastern Japan earthquake.

• I sincerely ask the government to increase the number of workers who visit homes and evacuation houses to create disaster victim certificates.

If private companies are capable of this kind of survey, then why can the government not do the same? I think that it is their obligation, especially when natural disasters happen.

The disaster victims are very tired and in bad health, putting up with an unthinkable level of anxiety, sadness, fear, and sacrifice. Some are very old or handicapped; some may not have money for transportation. Please don’t make these people travel long distances or keep them waiting in hard chairs or standing under the scorching sun. I would like to ask the government officials to think and act as if they were the affected people. Please make things less stressful for the victims. Provide them with the disaster victim vouchers, support materials, evacuation housing, and polling centres when there is election.

• I would like the financial aid and the compensation funds to be based on the evacuees’ needs. Whether their houses are completely damaged or half damaged, I hope they receive support to rebuild their houses where necessary.

[Fukushima evacuees]

• In Fukushima, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) is in charge of compensation for the evacuees, not the national government. TEPCO simply certified the nuclear disaster victims within a 13 mile radius of the crippled nuclear power plant, but not based on the actual radiation levels. They also excluded the tsunami and earthquake as a cause of the evacuation.  So, there are many people outside the 13 mile zone who lost their houses to the tsunami, or whose houses are too radioactive to live in. However they are not entitled to receive compensation money. I would like to ask the Japanese government to take the initiative and support these people financially, instead of leaving everything to TEPCO.

• I heard that the evacuation houses are made to last for two years. However, this is the 6th year since some of the evacuees moved in. Those houses were not well built in the first place. Cold air enters through the cracks, and there are humidity and mould issues. After they received the keys to the houses, they only had 10 to 20 days to move in. They even had to pay $6000 for basic amenities such as curtains, lights, air-conditioners, and gas stoves.

• The nuclear disaster evacuees in Fukushima have been instructed to return to their own homes by the end of March in 2017. Those who lost their houses to the tsunami will move in the evacuation houses. The current temporary housing for the evacuees are being dismantled gradually. The voices of the evacuees are not being heard by the government. People are naturally fearful of the radiation, however they are being forced to move back to highly radioactive areas. They will stop receiving compensation money in March of 2018. After that, they will have to pay their medical costs and taxes on their own.

[My recommendation]

• Singer songwriter, Shihei Umehara

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE4iJJW6BkU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjLvgCGlYBA

http://www.pulana.net

• Author, Kosuke Hino

https://www.amazon.co.jp/原発棄民-フクシマ5年後の真実-日野-行介/dp/4620323616/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1466968854&sr=8-3&keywords=日野+行介

• Author, Yoshimi Kusaba

https://www.amazon.co.jp/世界でいちばん貧しい大統領からきみへ-くさば-よしみ/dp/4811322487/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466969015&sr=8-1&keywords=くさばよしみ

<Contact>

Momoko Fukuoka

Email: f.mom.1941@ezweb.ne.jp　　

Cell: 080-5547-8675   

Fax: 047-346-8675 　
Please call me 11:00 am through 5:30 pm (Japan time).

Thank you.

This English version was translated by “able” volunteer translation team:

Translation: Tony Sahara

Editing: Miles Desforges

Testimony of the lead plaintiffs suing for compensation

     What I saw while watching TV on April 4^th was so devastating that I froze in place; it was a boat full of packed refugees who had barely escaped with their lives just arriving in Greece from Turkey, only to be turned away and sent back. I could not help but feel sadness and I cried, “Oh God, what a world we are in!” I clasped my hands and raised them up, asking God, “My Lord, you must be observing with sorrow what is going on now. Your thoughtfulness, does it really touch the hearts of others?”

     Try to put yourself in those refugees’ shoes. How do you feel?  Their hometowns were destroyed by war and they have nowhere to go. This world has many issues to resolve and solving them will be no easy task. This planet requires not one unilateral approach by a single nation, but rather multilateral global solutions that hold human life in high esteem and pay attention to, and learn from, various nations’ differing systems. I strongly believe that this is what we should do as modern citizens of the world. Of course it is important to secure your own nation’s rights and to increase its economic gain. That being said, I must question anyone who dares to do this at the expense of the lives of other people, regardless of whether they are people inside or outside of their own country. In the case of Japan, I really want people to realize that our government is not working seriously to protect the lives of our citizens.

 

[Miyakoji Class Action Suit: The lead plaintiff’s oral argument]

     I would like to share with you [a translated version of] the original text that the lead plaintiff read to the court. His group is called the “Society to Protect Disaster-Affected People” and is suing the Japanese government and the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) for unpaid compensation to the affected people in Fukushima. It took place at the Civil Affairs Division of the Koriyama Branch of the Fukushima District Court.

     The first session was held on the 22nd of February and the next one will be on April 22nd.

     Here is the layout of how people were sitting at the court: five TEPCO representatives on the right and 30 plaintiffs from Miyakoji on the left. There were five judges. First the chief judge said, “Court is now in session. Please refrain from using cameras or from video recording.” Then the attorneys presented their cases, after which the lead plaintiff read his prepared document. That was it. There was no time allowed for the other affected people to express their opinions. The chief judge simply announced, “The next session will be on April 22nd..Court is now adjourned for the day.”  The whole thing was done in a mere 30 minutes. The lead plaintiff was left hoping to receive some reply on April 22nd….

 

     The following is the document read to the court by Mr. Nobuyuki Imaizumi, the lead plaintiff representing “The Society to Protect Disaster-Affected People.” (I received approval from Mr. Imaizumi for using his full name on my blog.)

＊snip＊

 

 

Statement of Opinion by Mr. Nobuyuki Imaizumi, lead plaintiff of the Miyakoji Class Action Suit, first oral argument

 

1. Life before the accident

 

      I have lived in Miyakoji since I was born. At the time of the accident, I was living with my mother, wife, eldest son and his wife, and two grand-children, as a household of seven all together.

     Located in the Hamadori region of Fukushima, Miyakoji used to be a village until about 10 years ago when it merged into a single township together with Tokiwa, Ohgoshi, Takine, and Funabiki. Close to the beach and surrounded by big mountains and rivers, the abundance of nature used to provide us with mountain vegetables and mushrooms, and we could fish in the rivers for cherry salmon and mountain trout.

     With our pristine water and air, Miyakoji’s fresh fruits and vegetables used to be regarded as high-quality produce, and buyers came from places as distant as Tokyo to purchase items from our village’s two produce stands..

     Although we were not professional farmers, we used to grow  scallions, cabbages, eggplants, cucumbers, tomatoes, and rice at home; we were almost completely self-sufficient, only needing to purchase meat and seafood and growing all the rest.  We would commonly exchange our home-grown produce and rice among our neighbors and families.

     Miyakoji people are very cheerful. We enjoyed many local events: cherry blossom parties in April and May, a lantern festival in August, cultural and athletic festivals in October, and the fall harvest festival in November. Each area had its own children’s society, and these would plan sleep-over trips and such.

    My hometown Miyakoji used to be a cheerful town, full of the happy laughing voices, both young and old.

 

2. Our Life After the Accident

 

     Everyone insisted that the nuclear power plant was absolutely safe. So we had believed that and lived near the plant for several decades, until one day there was an explosion there and we received an evacuation order.

     During the night of March 12, 2011, we the residents of Miyakoji evacuated the village together, assaulted by both the severe cold and a pervasive feeling of fear.  Suddenly finding ourselves caught up in this catastrophic and irreversible situation, we were struck by a strong feeling of despair. After the evacuation, we lived in an emergency evacuation shelter for about 4 months. My aged mother, however, was not able to cope with the severe life at the temporary shelter and had to join an intensive-care old people's home called “Tokiwa-so.” after 2 months.

     For me, more than the horrible life at the shelter, the growing sense of despair and insecurity was unbearable. I think everyone at the shelter at the time felt the same. A man in his 60’s, who was deeply respected by the people of Miyakoji, ended his own life less than a month after the evacuation.

     In July, 2011, my wife and I relocated to a temporary housing unit which, on top of being very small, has almost no privacy; one can easily hear next-door neighbors’ voices, and this has made interactions with our neighbors somewhat awkward. Soon after this relocation, my wife started to avoid seeing people and began visiting doctors for her anxiety.

   At the end of August, 2011, while we were living in this state of never-ending anxiety, the evacuation order for towns within a 30 kilometer radius was lifted. Without knowing the level of invisible radiation that remained, many returned to Miyakoji after this announcement. This ultimately tore apart the local community; we became split into those from within the 20 kilometer radius and  30 kilometer radius, those who returned and those who remained, those afraid of radiation and those not, those young and those old. In this way, the close sense of unity residents of Miyakoji once felt was totally destroyed.

    In September 2012,  compensation for  residents within the 30 kilometer radius was ended. This decisively split the community in  two between those who lost all government support and those within the 20 kilometer radius zone whose compensation was still in effect.  We were one of the households within the 30 kilometers radius, and we became troubled by financial difficulties. Shortly after that, on October 29th, my wife committed suicide. In order to make  ends meet, I had had to leave her home alone and go out to work. As a result I was unable to be there when she needed my help. I still feel a strong sense of guilt, but nothing can change what happened.  Currently my family consists of my 99-years-old mother, my son, his wife, and two grand-children, but we are all split up and living in different places.

     Since first evacuating our home, we have been unable to go back to our self-sufficient lifestyle. The radiation level in the mountains and rivers remains high, which prevents us from harvesting mountain vegetables or mushrooms. No one fishes the cherry salmon or mountain trout anymore.

     All of our local events and festivals have been canceled. In August, 2014, the lantern festival finally resumed, but nothing else.

 

3. What we want to appeal to the court

 

On March 11 2011, we experienced an earthquake of unprecedented scale and a disaster which affected a wide area. However, if the disaster had been only the earthquake, if no nuclear accident had happened, Miyakoji would have recovered much sooner and I believe our lives would be back to normal by now.

   In the reality, however, the ocean, the rivers, and the mountains, which once supported our daily life, are still contaminated with radiation. The national government has been insisting that they would put everything back to normal. However, the difficulties we have had to face have only gotten worse. Those who returned to Miyakoji are mostly the elderly. Young families with children are too afraid to come back; Surrounded by mountains, Miyakoji tends to accumulate high radiation even after the radiation level is temporarily reduced by decontamination work. I do not think households with children will ever return to Miyakoji. In several decades our town will be full of only the elderly, and will eventually disappear completely.

     Ever since compensation for the emotional pain of those who are within the 30 kilometer radius was lifted, the relationships between residents in the 20 kilometer radius zone and those within the 30 kilometer radius zone have been completely destroyed. This stems from the fact that, despite the radiation level remaining about the same in both areas, one area keep receiving compensation but the other one does not, even though both areas are in the same village. Unequal treatment for residents of the same community does not make any sense at all.

     I want you to understand what he have one through as the very first residents in the prefecture whose evacuation order was lifted  under the national government’s recovery project. Please listen to our distressed voices and help us receive compensation for the emotional suffering and pain that we have endured.

 

Thank you

 

[Tomorrow It Could Be Me]

 

     Ladies and gentlemen, were it not for the radiation from the nuclear accident, the people in Fukushima could have already returned back to living normal lives these past five years. They would be able to support themselves, and living together again as families and as communities, thriving and developing goals together. However, the nuclear accident has destroyed everything: towns, people, industries, and everything else. Also, nothing will be able to erase their worries about the future as a result of their exposure to radiation.  It is time for us to think about the fact that their situation could be ours in the near future. We must think carefully about the issues of reopening reactors and about nuclear power in general. The first and the most important issue that Japan has to resolve is to help the affected people rebuild their lives. It angers and embarrasses me that the Japanese government has had TEPCO and local administrations undertake this task. I feel that the national government itself should be accountable for this undertaking. Our government is planning to have all residents return to their home towns by the end of March 2017, except for a very limited area. Within a year, they plan to tear down all temporary housing units. Please lend your voice and help us! Please help us advocate for the affected people in Fukushima!

 

[News]

 

On January 20th I received a call from CNN’s Tokyo bureau saying, “CNN TV’s news programs have been broadcasted in the U.S. and in 200 nations globally. We’ve read your blog both in Japanese and the English translated version. We thought that you seemed like the one whom we should contact with the following request. Would you please introduce us to someone in Fukushima? We would like to report on the reality of the affected areas in Fukushima.” Thus the following reports were made:

 

[TV report on Fukushima] http://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2016/03/08/japan-fukushima-energy-future-ripley-pkg.cnn
Web report and its video

http://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2016/03/08/japan-fukushima-survivors-ripley-pkg.cnn

Web Report and photos (on people who live in Futabacho and their comments)

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/09/asia/fukushima-survivors-portraits/index.html 

 

[For questions]
If you have any questions about the evacuees or would like to offer help, I would be more than glad to introduce them to you. Please contact me. Thank you.

Momoko Fukuoka
Mobile:  f.mom.1941@ezweb.ne.jp      080-5547-8675
Fax:  047-346-8675

(Please contact me only between 11:00a.m. ~ 5:30 p.m., Japan time. Sometimes I cannot reply right away but please do not get discouraged.  Please try again later.)

    

This English version was translated by “able” volunteer translation team:

Translation: Rachel Clark

Editing: Karen Carina Rogers

The Nuclear Power Plant is taking away Peoples’ Happiness

I assume that this summer’s scorching heat must have made it difficult for many people to lead normal lives. Whenever I meet someone, they wonder whether or not they are the only one constantly feeling tired and run down. However, the truth is that everyone has been experiencing this. And now, the temperature has dropped suddenly, making it easier for people to catch cold.  I would like for all of my friends to take good care of themselves.  Also, as it is typhoon season, please take extra care. 

[Our Lives are Still being Wasted]
It’s the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. Through many TV programs I have learned the history of the war: the lives of the Japanese suicide attackers, the tragedy of the atomic bombing, and the anguish of people in Okinawa. I have come to realize that today’s Japan was built upon so many sacrifices, and I pray for the victims as well as their families.
Former prime ministers, mayors, and many others have given us their pledge that these historic atrocities will not be repeated. I have seen and heard this same scene play out year after year. But why haven’t any of these life-threatening issues been resolved yet? I haven’t seen any indication of movement toward solutions and many people’s lives are being neglected. I feel as if not only Japan, but the entire world is slowly headed on a downward spiral, as if being dragged down by evil forces. I would like us all to wake up to this reality.

The power of each individual might be insignificant, but when people join hands, they can form a large circle. What started out as “a tiny spark” turns into a big movement. I would like you to join me in making the earth a peaceful place where each life is respected and well-nourished, without suffering.

[Inspiration from a book]
My mentor recently gave me a book, titled The Dwellers of Arayashiki. It’s a photo essay by photographer/movie director Seiichi Motohashi that introduces the people living in the Maki settlement in Kotani village, deep in the mountains of the Japanese Alps of Nagano prefecture. The Maki settlement’s history goes back to the Edo period (1603-1868 CE), but it was abandoned in 1972. There are still five old thatched-roofed houses which can only be accessed by mountain trail and not by car. Mr. Shin Miyashima of “Jiyu Gakuen” has a community there, where ordinary people live side by side with the physically and mentally handicapped. Jiyu Gakuen is a school that was established by Motoko Hani, and its motto is: “Living is education”. The photo essay is filled with pictures of this community.

There was also a feature documentary film about the Maki settlement which was shown in theaters in May of 2015. At first, I felt disconnected from those people’s liveliness and the spirited sparkle in their eyes – it felt like they lived in a completely different world from me.  But after looking at the photos a while longer, I was reminded of the things that we have lost in our modern society, and my eyes were suddenly opened. The book reminded me of countless things currently lost from everyday life – having a loving heart and a noble spirit, peaceful coexistence with others, a close relationship with nature, pureness and warmth of heart, kindness, appreciation of life, respect for others, an appreciation of diversity, etc. etc.  This book, which reminded me of all these lost values, became a treasure to me and it also made me think of the people in Fukushima.

[Peaceful lives destroyed by the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant] 
Kawauchi village, Miyakoji, Katsurao, and Tsushima villages are all located at  altitudes between 670 to 800 meters (2,198 to 2,625 feet). Once snow falls in December, it is considered dangerous to descend from the villages until it melts in the spring. The inhabitants of these villages were caring and patient. They lived there in harmony with nature and families worked together to create communities committed to serving others. Since there is no public water supply, people drank natural spring water. The river water was crystal clear, and had plenty of fish in it. The villagers used to make a living by raising silkworms, making wood charcoal, growing Shiitake mushrooms and flowers, and cattle farming. One of the evacuees told me that though there weren’t many stores and hospitals nearby, he still thought it was the best place to live.

Then the nuclear accident changed everything, robbing the inhabitants of these villages of their happiness. They lost their villages and some evacuees will never  be able to step foot back into their own homes ever again. The once peaceful villages now look like a battlefield after World War II.  Some houses are in ruins, covered over with weeds. The nuclear accident separated families and friends who used to support each other, and the villagers have lost their livelihoods.

But, no one has taken responsibility for the accident. The national government set March of 2017 as a goal for the declaration allowing the evacuees to return to their homes. However, it is not actively working on compensation for the evacuees to help them cover living expenses, nor paying to move forward the radiation decontamination effort. The national government has left these issues up to local governments and TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company), and the Ministry of the Environment has been left in charge of regulating the disaster-stricken areas. I heard that if local governments don’t comply with the policies set forth by the national government, they will receive reduced subsidies. The local governments thus have no choice but to follow national government decisions because of their tight financial situation. I feel sorry for the workers at local government offices. They ended up serving the Japanese government, instead of their own local citizens, struggling under a situation which gives them no opportunity to discuss local issues. Under these circumstances, who can help the evacuees in Fukushima? Who can stand up to the many obstacles that are making it difficult to truly change their situation? Isn’t it sad to think that many people may just dismiss this situation, thinking that eventually time will heal everything or that the evacuees should help themselves?

[A message from His Majesty the King of Bhutan]
Their Majesties the King and Queen of Bhutan visited Japan from November 15th to 20th, 2011.  They were the first state guests to visit Japan after the earthquake and tsunami. I am personally fond of Bhutan for its national philosophy, founded on the idea of valuing GNH (Gross National Happiness) over GNP (Gross National Product).  97% of its population of 700,000 say that they are happy. Here are a few quotes from his Majesty: “Let’s begin by taking care of each other. We must respect the fundamental values of humanity: empathy, nobility and a sense of justice.” “I want you all to study hard, but even more than that I want for you to be good human beings.” (from a speech given at Keio University in Tokyo) “A dragon called “character” lives inside each of our hearts.  Feed your dragon.  Take good care of it.” (at Sakuragaoka Elementary School, Soma city, Fukushima) His Majesty visited the Haragama region, which was devastated by the tsunami and said, addressing himself to those victims who were not physically present,  “We offer our sincere condolences. Our hearts and thoughts will always be with you.”

[Evacuees entering worst period of suffering yet]
It has been four and a half years since the huge earthquake and tsunami of 2011, and the evacuees are more psychologically distressed than ever.  They have been abandoned by the national government they once trusted, have received no support, are still separated from family members, and are still without permanent homes to live in. They have become extremely mentally and physically distressed, which has in turn negatively affected their health and wellbeing.  The king of Bhutan was quoted as saying about the evacuees, “Our hearts and thoughts will always be with you.” I hope that all of you would have a heart like the king of Bhutan and reach out to offer your continued support for them.  

[For questions]
If you have any questions about the evacuees or would like to offer help, I would be more than glad to introduce them to you. Please contact me. Thank you.

Momoko Fukuoka
Mobile:  f.mom.1941@ezweb.ne.jp      080-5547-8675
Fax:  047-346-8675

Life and Love are the Most Important Things

Why don’t the citizens’ tears reach the rest of the country?

On July 6th, I was extremely surprised to see Mayor Yukiei Matsumoto on television along with a public announcement that the evacuation order for Naraha will be removed on September 5th. In my blog entry from June 29th, I wrote about the anguish and reality of the situation of the residents of Naraha. The area has still not been sufficiently decontaminated, mice have taken over the houses, and mold covers the interiors of buildings that have now been empty for four-and-a-half years.

Almost all of the houses need to be either reconstructed or restored, and all of the furnishings and furniture need to be disposed of as well. However, there are not enough construction materials or carpenters at the disaster site. Because of this, the victims cannot return home.

Even though we’ve heard that recovery housing will be built for the sake of Naraha victims whose homes were washed away by the tsunami, work has not been completed. Stores, hospitals, and other buildings necessary for daily life have also not been re-established.

Temporary accommodations for the thousands of workers who have come from other parts of the country to decontaminate the area have been built. This has caused concern because of increased crime and made it so that some residents don’t feel safe in their homes. In my most recent blog post I wrote about this.

Why aren’t the victims’ tears, grieving voices, and pleas for help reaching the rest of the country?

Please listen to the word of God

Who controls our lives? Isn’t life the greatest gift that every human being is given? No one, no matter how powerful or influential, should ever impinge upon this gift that has been bestowed on each and every one of us.  Today I have decided to talk about my experience as a Catholic Nun.

Others have kindly written about me on the internet, but today, I would like to talk to you about my own personal experiences relating to “The Word of God” and what God wants from us in the world today.

I entered a Catholic convent at the age of 22, and left at age 54. I had a revelation that God wanted me to go and make a place to help heal other’s souls, so I left the Catholic order where I had spent 32 years of my life. At that time, God said to me, “I only want one thing from mankind:  that you love one another and respect life. Beyond that, nothing is of importance.” Then, just when I was passing through the gate to leave the convent, God spoke to me again. He said, “You will come to experience many things. Through those experiences, you will make true friends.” God changed my life by telling me those things. It was as if I had been reborn. God also told me, “From now on, you do not need to promote the teachings of the faith. Please just focus on making your home a place where others can find solace and healing, so that they may leave with newly acquired strength and energy.”

Once I understood that life and love were the most important things, my soul felt free. I began to sense the preciousness of life in even the smallest beings and to feel a communion with everything; not only people, but even insects, grass, stones, and the wind. I began to think of all living things as my dear brothers and sisters. Then I started experiencing something unusual.  My heart became truly able to greet everyone that I met equally, regardless of race, nationality, religion, social status, or even how well I knew them.  Also, even though I tend to be shy, I became brave enough to say the things that I felt needed to be said. This is because I understood what God meant when he said:  “The most important things are life and love, nothing else is as important.”

God, who gave each one of us life, loves us more than anyone else, and values each individual life. Therefore, he is more saddened by our pain than anyone else could ever be. So he says to us: “Why do you treat life with such disrespect? Don’t you care about the suffering of others? I am the one who gave you life. To me, every person is an irreplaceable son or daughter.” Also, “Please do not be vain. Be modest.” “Who will be judged favorably? To the weak, debased, and oppressed, my repayment will be manifold. Those who suffer in this world will triumph and become radiant. However, those who show no compassion and do not value life will be required to take responsibility for their actions” “Treat the small and weak with kindness and respect” “Do not turn a blind eye to the victims of Fukushima. They are bravely paying the price for sins caused by others, just as Christ did when he died for the sins of humanity. Please work together to help the victims of Fukushima get their lives back. Learn from their patience, strength and modesty.  Restore this world to one of “peace and happiness”, rather than one of destruction. Let the world be reborn as a place of peace, respect, kindness and love.”

The above are God’s messages for all of us. God also sent me this final message: “Every person in this world who is suffering or oppressed - victims of war, refugees, all the downtrodden - you are like Christ, because you are also paying for humanity’s sins.”

What Each and Every One of Us Can Do

It is up to each and every one of us to make a better Japan (and world). Government representatives are only human too. Humans make mistakes; they have their limits. Even wise men are sometimes naïve. But there is also greatness inside of seemingly “insignificant” people.  Even humble individuals can do great and brave things. We need to ask ourselves: “ What is happiness for humanity?” Won’t you please reevaluate and change your lives, change Japan, and change the world? Business and money are not all that is needed for happiness. Life and our time on this Earth are precious and irreplaceable things. If everyone worked towards respecting and caring for each other, a new system would naturally arise from this way of thinking -  a way of living that would make everyone radiant, and envelope each family, society, country, and finally the whole world in happiness. Don’t you agree?

In order to help the victims of the nuclear accident in Fukushima, you must acknowledge the reality of their suffering. From there, please spread your knowledge of the situation to others. You do not have to do anything too big. In my next blog post, I would like to offer you more ways to help.

It is currently very humid, which can easily cause health problems to arise. Please take care of yourselves.

[For questions about how to offer help]

Momoko Fukuoka

Mobile:  f.mom.1941@ezweb.ne.jp      080-5547-8675

Fax:  047-346-8675

(I would like to request that calls be made between 11:00 AM – 5:30 PM

local time in Japan.  Depending on my health, it may take some time

for me to respond, but I promise that your call will be returned)