Good things about Kesennuma (from a veteran immigrant who has lived here for 27 years) Part 4

In this corner, we will have a Kesennuma resident appear as our teacher. Our teacher this time is Hiroyasu Yamauchi, director of the Rias Ark Museum of Art. Yamauchi, a "veteran immigrant" who has lived in Kesennuma for 27 years, will talk about the charms of Kesennuma and the reasons for continuing to live there, under the theme of "The Good Things About Kesennuma."
Thank you very much, Professor Yamauchi!

Conclusion: 10 years later, back to beloved Kesennuma

A lot has happened, but I've been living in Kesennuma for 27 years now. In the course of that time, I experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake in 17, my 2011th year living there, and the great disaster caused by the Sanriku tsunami in the Heisei era. The 10 years since then have been filled with notable events that have greatly changed the lives of many people. My own house was washed away and I lost my beloved pet. I also lost all my belongings. Some friends and acquaintances also died. I lost so many important things. My hometown, Ishinomaki City, was also hit hard, and the area where I spent my childhood was gone, and is now a memorial park for the reconstruction of Miyagi Prefecture. I was shocked at the time to see that more than half of the memories I had accumulated over my 40 years of life had disappeared from this world.

▲Akaiwa Port in Kesennuma City on March 2011, 3.

Immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake, I talked with some of my trusted friends in Kesennuma about the future of the town. How to proceed with recovery and reconstruction from an earthquake disaster requires a lot of time and strong resolve to reach a conclusion. Therefore, it is usually not possible to reach an answer in the short period of time required by the government. However, the people of Kesennuma were different. Everyone who gathered shared a vision of the town's future as if it had been decided from the beginning. "We will continue to live with the sea as we have done until now." That was the conclusion. The people of Kesennuma are resolved. Tsunamis will continue to come. They know that if they do, there will be great damage again. However, the people of Kesennuma never try to move away from the sea, and they never try to keep the sea away.
Since 2011, a huge number of people have been coming and going to Kesennuma. Many people from other areas have moved here to support the recovery and reconstruction of the disaster-stricken areas. Most of them left the area after completing their planned work. "They have other places to go back to... They are completely different from us. We have no other place to go..." I often had such conversations with my wife, who had been living here for 13 years. Of course, we have no intention of criticizing the supporters. However, the fact is that the gap cannot be bridged.
Shortly after the disaster, people close to me said to me several times, "Maybe it's time to leave Kesennuma." There's nothing bad about that, and nothing to be ashamed of. You should make a decision after thinking about your own life and your family's future. I think that's right. However, I completely rejected such opinions from the bottom of my heart. "There's no way we can leave this place now, in this situation." My wife felt the same way.

The reason is simple. There is no way I could leave those people behind. It's not just because of Kesennuma, but because there are so many people who have shared the good times and the bad in Kesennuma with me, and who are now facing the greatest hardships, and there is no way I could leave alone. I felt that I had to protect Kesennuma together with you all.

It is said that about 7% of the residents of Kesennuma are somehow connected to the sea through fishing or the marine industry. In that sense, I may belong to the remaining 3%. In other words, I am not the type of person who can live anywhere but Kesennuma. Still, I have no intention of leaving this place.

I can live without the sea. But I can't live in a place without people who share my heart. Kesennuma is home to many wonderful people who share the same values, and they love the town of Kesennuma from the bottom of their hearts. The charm of the town is in the charm of its people.

Finally, a word to those who are not yet familiar with Kesennuma.
The best thing about Kesennuma is the people. Why don't you try living in Kesennuma? It's fun!

(End)
This article was published in four parts.
"Good things about Kesennuma (from a veteran immigrant who has lived here for 27 years)"
Part 1: "Encounter with Kesennuma"
Part 2: "The entrance to the deep world of Kesennuma"
Part 3: "Kesennuma's treasures, its unique people"

We will have Kesennuma citizens appear as teachers.
You can view the "Teach me, Mr./Ms. XX!" series here.

https://kesennuma-kanko.jp/category/marumarusensei/

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Person who wrote this article

Hiroyasu Yamauchi

Hiroyasu Yamauchi Born in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture in 1971. Curator at the Rias Ark Museum of Art since 1994 (currently director of the museum/resident of Kesennuma). Since 1994, he has held numerous solo and group exhibitions as an artist. He has also participated in numerous stage productions as a stage designer and costume designer. Winner of the Miyagi Prefectural Art Encouragement Prize New Artist Award (art/sculpture/Miyagi Prefecture) in 15; Winner of the Tanahashi Prize in 29 (Japan Museum Association); Director of Slow Food Kesennuma; Director of the Kesennuma City Planning Support Center, a general incorporated association.

• Teach me, teacher
• Kesennuma
• Emigration

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