Team Effort: Student volunteers help on the earthquake-hit Noto Peninsula

Student volunteers were crucial to the relief efforts following the earthquake that rocked the Noto Peninsula, providing vital manual labor as well as emotional support to evacuees. We follow one of the groups sent to the area and hear from members of support organizations who are coordinating the cleanup and rebuilding efforts.

Words of advice

We followed the activities of a group of young volunteers from the Tokyo-based Nippon Foundation Volunteer Center during relief efforts in Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture. The members, part of Group 6 of the NFVC, participated in an online handover meeting before undertaking relief work at the site. During the meeting, one of the students from the group that was participating in disaster relief work for the first time asked if there was anything participants should avoid doing in the disaster area. A young woman from the fifth volunteer group advised workers to refrain from asking survivors questions that might bring back bad memories, but she stressed that it is important for volunteers to ask themselves what they can do to help, and act accordingly. Having previously done disaster relief work as a Group 1 volunteer, her experience provides valuable guidance to new volunteers.

The members of Group 6 had never met at NFVC before, but they worked closely together as a team. (© Kodera Key)

NFVC staff arrived in earthquake-affected areas on the Noto Peninsula on January 4, three days after a 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck the area. They helped with emergency road repairs and searches for missing people, while also collecting information before sending in volunteers from 17 January. Volunteers primarily provide support to the Nippon Foundation Disaster Relief Team and other non-profit organizations working in the area, providing assistance wherever needed.

Suzhou, near the northern tip of the Noto Peninsula, was one of the worst affected areas. More than 3,000 homes were destroyed in the city and another 2,500 were severely damaged. Given the distance from populated centers such as Kanazawa, relief and reconstruction work is progressing slowly. When we visited the area in mid-March, water and electricity had not yet been restored in many places.

A collapsed house in Takujima (© Kodera Kei).

The stark reality of the disaster zone

Members of Group 6, who were deployed from March 11 to 16, mostly worked alongside staff from Rescue-Assist, a non-profit organization operating out of an evacuation center in the Oritomachi district of Suzu. More experienced staff from the non-profit organizations maintained homes, operating heavy machinery and other equipment, while students cleaned the interior of the residences and removed debris.

Volunteers perform debris removal and other tasks that do not require special skills. (© Kodera Key)

One student clearing the rubble described his experiences: “The reality you see here is very different from the impression you get online and from TV news.”

The building may appear relatively intact from the outside, but stepping inside reveals rooms with upturned furniture and scattered glass. Noto is very humid in the winter due to the heavy snow it receives, and most houses have mud walls which help control humidity but also create clouds of dust when they collapse. More than half of Suzhou's residents are elderly people, and since many of them live alone, it is almost impossible for them to clean their homes without help. Seeing this reality firsthand, students became more motivated to help.

Kawashima Hiroyoshi of Rescue Aid, who managed the volunteer work at the site, shared a letter he received from the daughter of an evacuated couple living far from home. “She told us that she hopes she can ease her parents’ suffering after they return home from the evacuation center,” he explained. “I hope students commit to the relief effort by empathizing with these feelings.”

Kawashima Hiroyoshi (second from right) gives instructions to student volunteers. (© Kodera Key)

Listening to the needs of elderly survivors

One student on her second volunteer assignment described the difference between her two visits. “Last time, our main task was food distribution and footbaths,” she says. “The needs are constantly changing, and the mood at the evacuation center has completely changed as well.”

Construction of temporary housing is still ongoing, but many people have moved into temporary housing in Kanazawa and elsewhere. The evacuation shelter, which initially housed nearly 500 people, had only 50 evacuees when we visited.

A volunteer demolishes a broken wall with a sledgehammer. (© Kodera Key)

The longer evacuees stay in the shelter, the more anxious they become about their homes. Even buildings that sustained minor damage quickly fell into disrepair without maintenance. Repair and strengthening works as well as cleaning are necessary before residents can return.

In one of the damaged homes near the fishing port of Noroshi, an elderly woman describes how she left the residence in Kanazawa a few days ago and returned to the shelter, declaring, “I was worried about my home.” The shelter was built on a hill, out of the reach of a potential tsunami caused by constant aftershocks. Only a 10-minute walk for an able-bodied person, it is difficult to reach for many elderly residents. “My husband’s legs are weak,” the woman sighs. “So when we came to check on the house yesterday, it took us an hour and a half to get back to the shelter.”

A house was destroyed by the 4-meter high tsunami that struck the area. (© Kodera Key)

Student volunteers were tasked with repairing and cleaning the second floor and stairs of the house. Clothes and books were scattered from cupboards and overturned bookcases. Mud fell from the walls and the floors were badly damaged. Fortunately, there was no major damage requiring heavy equipment. Students gain speed as they become accustomed to the work and often complete their assignment in half a day.

The homeowner expressed his gratitude, saying: “I am very happy, because I expected it would take days. It makes me happy to have these guys around.”

Student volunteers dust the books before putting them on the shelf. (© Kodera Key)

The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake of 1995 is considered to be the beginning of the volunteer movement in Japan. After the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, many young volunteers, including students, traveled to the affected areas to assist in the reconstruction efforts. But people who did not adequately understand what was needed often became a burden on the organizers, and sometimes there were too many volunteers. Hence, a belief arose in some circles about the necessity of staying away from inexperienced people.

Kawashima disagrees with this view. “Everyone starts as a beginner,” he declares. “There are a lot of tasks in the disaster area that do not require special skills, just manual labor on deck. I hope more people will respond to calls from knowledgeable organizations like the NFVC and come to help.”

The footbaths provided by student volunteers at the shelter are greatly appreciated. Life in a cramped evacuation shelter in the cold of winter presents challenges. Foot baths promote blood circulation, which may prevent colds and deep vein thrombosis. One footbath recipient described the experience, saying: “I feel warm to the core – I will sleep well tonight,” while another commented: “The little ones light up the atmosphere at the shelter.”

Shōin Elementary School serves as a local shelter. Initially, there were more than 500 evacuees, including those who slept in their cars. By the time of our visit, temporary housing had been built on the sports field, and fewer than 40 people remained in the school building. (© Kodera Key)

Things young people can do

In fact, foot baths have another effect. Many survivors are reluctant to speak out, despite feeling anxious and uncertain about what the future holds. But the foot bath allows them to relax, and as they chat with the young volunteers, they begin to open up, providing valuable information about survivors' needs that government officials and experts in support groups may miss. NFVC staff share extracts of information collected by students with relevant bodies, allowing them to provide better assistance.

A woman in her 70s commented: “Young people always leave Sozo. It was great to talk to someone of that age again.”

An evacuee receives a gentle hand massage from a young volunteer. (© Kodera Key)

Everyone was once a beginner

One of the group's final missions was to recover the contents of a badly damaged shed at a house located on a hill in Noroshi.

The shed leans precariously to one side, threatening to collapse. (© Kodera Key)

The students, first ensuring the stability of the shed, work efficiently while checking with the owner about what needs to be disposed of. When he sees them carrying his long-forgotten audio equipment, the homeowner, who is in his seventies, fiddles with the record player. “I can't get rid of this. It cost me half a year's wages when I was younger.” Three students carry him to the main house as he wishes.

In a valuable interaction, the man shows the astonished students how a record player works. (© Kodera Key)

“Young people who come here for the first time go home with a greater sense of initiative,” Kawashima tells us, having supervised the work. “I hope these kids will come back to help again at some point.”

The people who volunteered as students to help after the Great East Japan Earthquake are now in their mid-30s. Although many of them had work and family commitments, a number of them dropped everything to help on the Noto Peninsula after the earthquake, providing valuable advice to the student volunteers. Kawashima asserts: “Japan is a nation of disasters. The experience we gain here at Noto will be useful in future disasters.

He points out that he himself was also once a disaster relief novice. But as the years passed, he became a valuable member of the land. “While I'm doing what I can do, people tell me they appreciate it. It means a lot to me.” He encourages anyone who wants to be of help in the area affected by the disaster to come forward, and hopes that some will eventually become leaders themselves.

Volunteering is all about the heart

On their final night, student volunteers gave each inn owner a foot bath to show their appreciation. The husband is moved to tears at their impending departure, and his wife asks them to come back again. They answer: “We will certainly do that.”

Foot baths, shoulder massage and hand massage. (© Kodera Key)

In the closing meeting, students reflect on their experiences at length. “At first, I was reluctant to touch people’s possessions, such as books and photo albums full of precious memories,” says one volunteer. “I tried to do my best, sensing the unique character and story of each home,” describes another. “Volunteering is all about the heart,” comments a third.

In just one week of volunteering, beginners become experienced, and repeat volunteers become leaders. Everyone has become wiser: they have learned to think about what they can do, and put it into practice.

(Original text in Japanese. Translation from English. Banner photo: Student volunteers perform footbaths at the evacuation center. © Kodera Kei.)

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