Spirits are still strong here in Takko-Machi! It’s been nearly
one week since the big earthquake hit, but Takko life is slowly
returning to normal. We continue to experience aftershocks daily,
but none too strong to interrupt routines.
Dear Editor,
Spirits are still strong here in Takko-Machi! It’s been nearly one week since the big earthquake hit, but Takko life is slowly returning to normal. We continue to experience aftershocks daily, but none too strong to interrupt routines.
The Tohoku region was originally planning on launching scheduled rolling blackouts, but many of them have been canceled, which I believe is partially due to the communal effort to save energy. In Takko, some businesses have shut down operations temporarily to save energy, kerosene oil, and in the case of the Garlic Center, to save food supplies until we can expect more. However, Garlic Center will be reopening for business starting this Saturday with shortened hours. Those businesses that have remained open are using fewer lights, cutting back on heating, and closing early. As a community, we hope to completely avoid the rolling blackouts and have the power restored to needier areas such as Iwate and Miyagi.
School and school graduations have been going on as scheduled. Next Thursday will mark the beginning of their spring break before the new school year begins.
A big thank you goes out to Brittany Smith, 2010 GTSEP participant, and the Gilroy High School ASB in their fundraising effort to raise money to send to the relief effort here in Japan. The GHS ASB has distributed around 50 jars around the school asking for donations. Although Takko has been very lucky through all of this, we are gravely concerned for our Japanese neighbors in the east coastal towns and cities that were devastated by the earthquake and tsunami.
As Takko starts to fall back into its routine, efforts to support the earthquake and tsunami relief in the prefectures south of us have begun here as well, as some locals were inspired by the efforts of our Gilroy brothers and sisters. Takko’s Garlic Center has put out a box asking Takko locals for donations to send down south. Thank you Keiko Sato!
We are all very grateful for the good thoughts, well wishes, and prayers that have been coming our way since Friday. Those of us living in Takko with Facebook accounts have been doing our best getting the word out here in Takko that Gilroy has been a big support for us.
Will continue to send those updates!
Jessica Brewka, Coordinator for International Relations
