How are my family? Young Fukushima evacuee

Kasumi is 14. She drew the house where her great grandmother, father and brother are still living in Nishi Aizu, north west Fukushima. She is looking down on them and wondering how they are, as she misses them and the countryside. Kasumi evacuated to Hiroshima with her sister Narumi and mother. Kasumi is a good volleyball player.
Scroll down for writing by her mother

Her situation

Although levels in Nishi-Aizu were a little lower than areas very near the plant, long-term risk from radiation is a concern for parents. Nishi Aizu receives heavy snow each year. This is hard work to deal with, and there is an avalanche risk. There is occasionally extreme rain and flooding, for example in July 20ll. There is now extra worry because this heavy snow and rain washes down radiation from a large mountainous catchment area and can concentrate it in rivers, drains and rice fields as time go by. Irradiated tsunami debris and incinerated sewage ash from Nakadori were secretly dumped in an area that drains into the river that flows through Nishi-Aizu. It is hard to find food from safer areas, as shops stock local produce from Fukushima – and schools serve it. It is expensive to order food from less contaminated areas.

Her mother wrote:

昨年九月、私たち家族はバラバラ生活をスタートしました。
年をとった祖母、病気の夫、高校入学目前の息子は、自宅に残り、
私と、二人の娘は、広島へ引っ越して来ました。
お金が必要でした。先の見えない不安定な生活を続ける余裕もなく
生きて、家を回して行く責任が、私にはありました。

雪、雨、地震、次々襲う天災が、私たちには耐えれなかった、
もう、未来が見えませんでした。
頑張るから、離れても、家族だから・・・

月日は、どんどん過ぎていきますが
田舎でしか暮らしたことのない子どもたちは、なかなか慣れません。
いつも、福島に心を寄せています。
いつかきっと・・・

今、多くの人たち、暖かい広島の街に支えられて
夜勤の仕事をしています。
辛いこともたくさんありますが、前向き元気に頑張ります。
いつかまた、家族六人で暮らせる日が来ることを信じて。

　　　　　　　　　　にしあいづ町より　広島へ

"My family began living separately in September 2011.
My elderly grandmother, my husband who is ill, and my son who was just starting high school, stayed at home in Fukushima prefecture. My two daughters and I moved to Hiroshima.
We needed money. I had a responsibility to look after my family and to live. We could not afford to keep living such an anxious life.

Snow, rain and earthquakes; we could not keep on enduring the natural disasters which kept happening. I could not see our future.
Even though our family has separated, still we are family.
I will do my best.

Time is passing, but my children are still not accustomed to living in Hiroshima. They have only lived in the countryside before. They constantly miss Fukushima. I believe one day we will be……

We are now supported by warm-hearted people in Hiroshima and I work night-shifts. I have so many difficulties. However I am going to be positive.
I believe that we, all six of us, can live together again one day.

From Nishi-Aizu to Fukushima"

I can eat cake now! Young Fukushima evacuee

Narumi is 15. Her picture celebrates feeling safe to eat lots of cake - her favourite is Tiramisu.  She evacuated in 2011 to Hiroshima city from Nishi-Aizu in western Fukushima with her mother and sister

Her situation

Although levels in Nishi-Aizu were a little lower than areas very near the plant, long-term risk from radiation is a concern for parents. Nishi Aizu receives heavy snow each year. This is hard work to deal with, and there is an avalanche risk. There is occasionally extreme rain and flooding, for example in July 20ll. There is now extra worry because this heavy snow and rain washes down radiation from a large mountainous catchment area and can concentrate it in rivers, drains and rice fields as time go by. Irradiated tsunami debris and incinerated sewage ash from Nakadori were secretly dumped in an area that drains into the river that flows through Nishi-Aizu. It is hard to find food from safer areas, as shops stock local produce from Fukushima – and schools serve it. It is expensive to order food from less contaminated areas.

I am a Kite - Fukushima child and mother

Shusei is 4 and lives in Fukushima City, north west of Fukushima Daichi. He really liked a kite from Aomori, so I painted his face into the kite. Shusei painted the wind blowing the kite.See below for an image and words by his mother

His situation The levels of radiation are so high in Fukushima City that some parents and schools are not allowing children to play outside at all. They usually wear long sleeves and face masks when outside, and avoid the rain. They try to be careful about food and water. 

 

Drawing solely by Shusei's mother

 

 

 

This picture is by Shusei's mother Kaori. It shows Fukushima Daichi, radiation and the tsunami at the top. She has drawn the whole family below. Scroll down for her words

 

 

 

By Kaori, Shusei's mother
3.11　福島市で被災
3.14　原発事故があった日、
私たちは放射線が舞っているとは知らずに、水をもらうための行列に並んだり、食料を買うために店に何時間も並んだり、自転車で出かけたりしていました。原発から1.5kmに自宅がある大熊町の友人は、一晩だけの避難と思って出て3.11に家を出て以来、戻れていません。

私たち親子は避難生活はしていませんが、休日の度に、身体を休めるよう環境放射能の低い地域に行っています。 福島のお母さんは、そのような方が多いと思います。

原発事故以来、家族が遠く離れ離れになり、子どもは外遊びを控え、土は汚く危険なものと教えざるを得なくなりました。祖母の育てた野菜を子どもが口にすることはできません。子どもを外で遊ばせることができる暮らし。畑で採れたものを食べられる暮らし。私がしたいのはふつうの暮らし。

でも運命に、屈してはならないと思います。立ち上がる希望が明日を切り開くのだと思います。 世界中のみなさん、福島を応援してください。 そして、原発なんかいらない世の中を作りましょう。

"3.11: We experienced the earthquake disaster in Fukushima-city.
3.14: The nuclear accident followed.

We did not know about the radioactive fallout. We were standing outside in queues to get water, queuing outside the shops for hours and going around by bicycle.

My friend from Okuma-machi (which is 1.5km away from the plant) left their home. At the time the friend thought it would be for one night, but they have been unable to return home since March 11th.

Since the nuclear accident, our family has become separated, with some going away to live. My child has to avoid playing outside, and I have to teach him that soils are dirty and dangerous. He cannot eat the vegetables that are grown by his grandma.

We have not evacuated, but we go to places where the radiation is low each holiday to rest. I think that many Fukushima mothers are doing the same thing as us.

I just want to live an ordinary life where he can play outside and where we can eat vegetables from the allotment.

However we should not give up. Standing up with hope will open up tomorrow.

Everybody in the world, please support Fukushima.
We will make a world without any nuclear power plants."

The road to my dream - Fukushima child evacuee

Sato is 9. She evacuated with her mother and sister from Minamisoma, 25km (16m) north of Fukushima Daichi, without waiting for official instructions. Most of Minamisoma was later declared an official evacuation zone. 1,500 people from there are dead or missing as a result of the tsunami and earthquake.

Her writing on the picture:
My Dream (top leftt),
The road to my dream (by pink bird)
Shall we go with confidence? (Sato on a sheep)
Courage (yellow writing under the heart)
Hope (the flower in the middle)
Smile (pink writing, bottom　right bottom)

Click for writing by Sato, her sister Ami, and their mother in English and Japanese.

The giant runner: Fukushima evacuee child 天才ランナー：福島から避難した子ども

「私は走ることが好き。なわとびも好き。連続で100回以上跳べると思うよ。一輪車にも乗れる。学校では英語の授業が好き。超簡単だもん！」
9歳のコハルちゃんは2011年3月11日の災害が起きた当初、福島第一原発から33キロ離れたいわき市に住んでいた。震災後、彼女は家族と共に自主避難した。

"I love running! And I like jump-rope, too. I think I can jump over a hundred times without stopping. I can ride a unicycle, too.  In school, I like my English classes - they’re super-easy!"
Koharu is 9. She was living in Iwaki, 33km south of Fukushima Daichi at the time of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear diaster of 11th March 2011. Her family self-evacuated.
                                      
母親からの言葉：
「いわきに住んでいる頃、コハルは新体操をしていたんです。それでトレーニングの為にいつも走っていました。だから髪を後ろで一つにしばるのが好きなんです。新体操をするときの髪型でもあります。コハルは新体操の大会で、東北のトップ10選手にも選ばれたんですよ。彼女に新体操を教えていたコーチは私なんです。私自身、体育大学を卒業していて、彼女の厳しいコーチでもあります。東京に来てからはどこのチームに属していないけれど、コハルはすぐに教室を見つけ、また演技をしたいと願っています。コハルはスポーツでも勉強でも、とても負けず嫌いで、何をするにしても全力を尽くす子です。お父さんがいわきから東京に訪ねてくると、コハルは頑張っている姿を見せようとします。本当はとっても寂しがっているんですけど、そういうところは見せないんです」

Her mother's words:
"Koharu used to do “Shin Taisou” (Ribbon Gymnastics) when we lived in Iwaki--that’s why she was always running: for training.  And that’s why she likes her hair pulled back tight, too. That’s the style for gymnastics. Actually, she placed in the “Tohoku Best Ten” in her event in a competition!  And her coach was....me!  I’m a graduate of a Sports University myself and I was very strict as her coach. Here in Tokyo, Koharu is not on a Gymnastics team, but she hopes to find one soon and get back in the game. In any case, Koharu hates to be beaten at anything, whether it’s sports or school. She goes all-out in whatever she tries. Whenever her father comes to visit, she shows him her best side; in reality, she misses him very much, but she doesn’t show it."

彼女が置かれた状況：
コハルちゃんはお兄ちゃんと母親の三人で、お友達のモモちゃんやワカちゃんと一緒のアパートに住んでいる。いわき市にいた頃はお互いを知らなかった彼女たちだが、今ではすっかり仲良し。コハルの母親は大学時代を除けば、これまでいわき市以外の場所に住んだ事はなかった。しかし、震災後、彼女は二人の子供を連れ、金沢、小田原、横浜と転々とし、最終的に東京に落ち着いた。しばらくは東京に落ち着くことができればと願っている。別の地域に住むのは構わないが、どれも短期的なものでしかないのが辛い。毎回移動する際に、最低限の荷物しか持っていけないのも悩みの種である。子供達の父親は一人でいわき市の家に残って会社を設立し、家族のために安定した収入を得ようと頑張っている。父親は震災前までは漁業の仕事に携わっていたが、今は完全に辞めてしまった。彼が震災後に離ればなれに暮らす家族に会えたのは、これまでにたったの6回。子供達は父親に再会する時はいつも強がって元気に振る舞い、決して泣いたりしない。それでも、彼がいわきに戻っていくと、子供達も母親も寂しくて落ち込んでしまう。「三人でパパが使った枕を嗅いで、パパの匂いを思い出しているんです」子供達の母親はそう言った。

Her situation
Koharu lives with her mother and brother in the same apartment building as her friends, Momo and Waka. They didn’t know each other at all in Iwaki, but  are mutually happy to have found such a good friendship now. Until the quake, Koharu's mother had lived in Iwaki City all her life, apart from University in Tokyo. After the disaster, she and her two children moved from place to place: from Iwaki to Kanazawa, Odawara, Yokohama, and then finally to Tokyo, where she hopes they can settle for a while. The other cities were fine, but living arrangements were always temporary, so it was very hard. It was also hard that they could only take a small amount of luggage with them each time. The children’s father is staying alone in their old house in Iwaki, which stands on its own, trying to establish a business and keep their income steady. He was in the fishing industry before the disaster, but has left that profession for good now. He has only been able to visit his wife and children six times since the earthquake, and each time the kids acted tough and strong around him, refusing to let themselves cry. Every time he returned to Iwaki, though, Koharu's mother admits that she and the children felt depressed. “We smelled his pillow to remember papa’s smell,” she said.

Protecting his family: Fukushima evacuee child 家族を守って：福島から避難した子ども

「ボクはボールを投げるのが好き。少林寺もやってるけど、まだ上手じゃない。近くに遊べる公園があったらいいな」

"I like throwing balls. I’m doing “shourinji” (a form of karate) too, but I’m not very good at it yet. I wish there was a park nearby where I could play..."
Miroku, 8.

母親からの言葉：
「ミロクは女の子にとっても優しいんです。いつも妹のコハルやお隣の女の子達と仲良く遊んでいるから、たまに学校でからかわれるほど。お父さんが福島にいて不在にしているので、父親の代わりに家族を守ろうとしているんでしょうね。父親が訪ねてくると、いつも強がってみせるんですよ」                     　　　　　　
His mother wrote:
"Miroku is really gentle and nice with girls. He plays so well with his sister and the two girls next door. It’s to the point where he sometimes gets teased at school for being nice to girls!  His father is away in Fukushima now, so I think he’s trying to protect his family in his Dad’s place. When his father comes to visit, he always puts up a brave front."


彼の置かれた状況：
ミロクくんは2011年3月11日の災害が起きた当初、福島第一原発から33キロ離れたいわき市に住んでいた。震災後、彼女は家族と共に自主避難した。現在ミロクくんは、モモちゃんやワカちゃんが住んでいるアパートに住んでいる。いわき市にいた頃はお互いを知らなかったが、今ではすっかり仲良し。コハルの母親は大学時代を除けば、いわき市以外の場所に住んだ事はなかった。しかし、震災後、彼女は二人の子供を連れ、金沢、小田原、横浜と転々とし、最終的に東京に落ち着いた。しばらくは東京に落ち着くことができればと願っている。そのように別の地域に住むのは構わないが、どれも短期的なものでしかないのが辛い。毎回移動する際に、最低限の荷物しか持っていけないのも悩みの種である。子供達の父親は一人でいわき市の家に残って会社を設立し、家族のために安定した収入を得ようと頑張っている。父親は震災前までは漁業の仕事に携わっていたが、今は完全に辞めてしまった。彼が震災後に離ればなれに暮らす家族に会えたのは、これまでにたったの6回。子供達（特に長男であるミロクくん）は父親に再会する時はいつも強がって元気に振る舞い、決して泣いたりしない。それでも、彼がいわきに戻っていくと、子供達も母親も寂しくて落ち込んでしまう。「三人でお父さんが使った枕を嗅いで、お父さんの匂いを思い出しているんです」子供達の母親はそう言った。母親は、ミロクくんが父親に代わって妹やお友達を守っているのだと感じている。

His situation
He was living in Iwaki, 33km south of Fukushima Daichi at the time of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster.  His family have since self-evacuated to Tokyo. Miroku lives in the same apartment building as his friends, Momo and Waka. They didn’t know each other at all in Iwaki, but  are mutually happy to have found such a good friendship now. Until the quake, Miroku's mother had lived in Iwaki City all her life, apart from University in Tokyo. After the disaster, she and her two children moved from place to place: from Iwaki to Kanazawa, Odawara, Yokohama, and then finally to Tokyo, where she hopes they can settle for a while. The other cities were fine, but living arrangements were always temporary, so it was very hard. It was also hard that they could only take a small amount of luggage with them each time. The children’s father is staying alone in their old house in Iwaki, which stands on its own, trying to establish a business and keep their income steady. He was in the fishing industry before the disaster, but has left that profession for good now. He has only been able to visit his wife and children six times since the earthquake, and each time the kids acted tough and strong around him (especially Miroku, as the eldest son), refusing to let themselves cry. Every time he returned to Iwaki, though, Miroku's mother admits that she and the children felt depressed. “We smelled his pillow to remember papa’s smell,” she said.  She thinks that her son Miroku is taking on his father's role by protecting his sister and her friends.

Clever girl in mother's hands: Fukushima evacuee お母さんの腕に抱かれたお利口さん：福島から避難した子ども

サヤは一歳三か月の女の子。彼女の肖像画に母親が「世界中の子ども達が皆幸せでありますように…」と書き加えてくれた。
Saya is 15 months old. On the picture her mother wrote 'I wish for the happiness of all the world's children.'

彼女の置かれた状況：
地震、津波、原発事故の三次被害が起きた時、サヤちゃんは福島第一原発から33キロ離れたいわき市に住んでいた。震災後、家族はまず大阪、栃木へと自主避難し、そして東京に移ってきた。この日、サヤちゃんは母親に連れられて、東京で開催された福島避難者対象のチャリティイベントにやってきた。

Her situation
She was living in Iwaki, 33km south of Fukushima Daichi at the time of the triple disaster.  Her family self-evacuated, first to Osaka, then to Tochigi, before getting to Tokyo. Her mother brought her to a support event for Fukushima evacuees in Tokyo.

母親からの言葉：
「サヤはメロンが大好き。とても大人しくて優しい子です。彼女は家のお手伝いが好きで、鍵を持ってきてくれたり、丸めた紙屑をポイッと投げてごみ箱に捨ててくれたりする。その紙屑がゴミ箱から逸れても、それを丁寧に拾って捨ててくれるんです。サヤは一歳になる前には歩くようになって、今では走り回るのが大好き。今はスペースがあまりなくて、サヤを自由に走らせることができなくて残念です。」

Her mother's words
"Her favorite food is melon! She’s a calm and gentle baby. She loves to do “お手伝い”、or helping around the house. For instance, she can bring my keys to me or throw balled-up paper into the trash.  If she drops a bit of trash, she always picks it up neatly and puts it in the bin. She learned to walk before she was a year old, and now she loves to run. We are cramped for space right now, and Saya misses being able to run around freely."

Using the roped off swing, Fukushima

 

ブランコに乗って外で元気に遊びたいなあって思った。ブランコに乗るのは楽しいから好きだけど、今は外で遊べないから、ブランコの絵を描いた。ブランコに乗ると、風景がいつもと違ってキレイに見えるよ。

Hanako is 6 years old and lives in Fukushima City, Fukushima. She felt very intensely about her picture and was very upset when she thought she had run out of time to finish it. Her friend helped her to finish it later.

Hanako's mother wrote these words (Japanese below):

"I live in Fukushima with my husband, 6 year old daughter and 1 year old son. The earthquake on March 11 caused the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident and high levels of radiation have been leaking since then. We can still detect cesium in many areas around Fukushima.

Every morning, when my children leave home for school, I remind them to carry tissues, a handkerchief and a face mask. In the nursery school yard there are lots of sunflowers*. And there is a rope barrier around the climbing frames and slide to prevent the children playing with them.

Our family have decided to keep living in Fukushima even under these conditions. When people say "All mothers in Fukushima, be brave and evacuate from there!" I feel pain.  I just cannot make that decision because I read about Fukushima residents who evacuated to somewhere else and the children got bullied by local children. Also,
I can't help being concerned about work, money, and the stress that might be  caused by starting life in completely new place as a stranger.

However, there is a good side to remaining in Fukushima too.
I received 2 dozen bottles of water with the message "Please use it to make milk for your baby."  I also had a chance to meet people who really care about children in Fukushima. I am touched by the warm-heartedness of many people.

We all have no idea how Fukushima children’s health will be in the future. However, Fukushima children have infinite possibilities. We all believe that. My wish is that we adults lead children towards a great future shining with hope.

*grown to try and remove radiation from soil

今、私は福島市に住んでいます。
主人と６歳の女の子、１歳の男の子と住んでいます。
３月１１日の地震で、福島原発から高い放射能が漏れ、
いまだに福島市の多くの土地からセシュウムが検出されています。

朝、子どもが小学校に出かける時、
「ハンカチ、ティッシュ、マスク、持った〜」と言って送り出します。
保育所の庭では、ジャングルジム、滑り台にロープが張ってあり、
たくさんのヒマワリが咲いています。

我が家は、避難する事なく福島市に住み続ける事に決めました。
「福島のお母さん、勇気をだして避難して」と言われると
苦しくなります。
転校をした学校でいじめにあった記事を読んだり、
仕事の事、お金の事、新しい土地でのストレスを考えると、
どうしても．．．

でも、悪い事ばかりではありません。
「赤ちゃんのミルクに使ってね。」と２ダースの水が届いたり、
福島の子どもたちの事を真剣に考えてくれる人たちと出会えたり、
人の温かさに触れる事ができました。

これから、福島の子どもたちの健康がどうなるかは誰もわかりません。
けれども、福島の子どもたちの可能性は無限です。
それはみんな、わかっています。
子どもたちの未来がキラキラと輝けるものとなるように
私たち大人が導いていけたらと思っています。

A prayer for my children 我が子らの為の祈り

3歳のハルトは三人兄弟の末っ子。家は福島第一原発から33km南の福島県いわき市にある。彼はお気に入りの色でオレンジと線を描いた（絵右側）。ハルトくんの母親は祈りを込めて自身の両手と、息子を包むように広がる宇宙を描いてくれた。
ハルトの母親は、3月11日の地震と原発事故の体験を以下のように綴ってくれた。

私は、福島県のいわき市に住んでいます。
３月１１日のあの日から生活は一変しました。
あの日、私は家にいました。とても大きな揺れを感じ
３歳の息子を抱え、急いで下校途中の娘のところへ走りました。
家を出てからも揺れはおさまるばかりか激しく揺れ続けました。
それは、歩けないほどでした。
５歳の息子を幼稚園に迎えにいき、家に戻ると雪が激しく降って
きました。不気味な天気でした。
いつでも逃げられるよう、荷造りをして家族みんなで同じ部屋で
余震におびえながら数日をすごしました。
ラジオやテレビからは、震災の被害が次々と映し出され、原発からは
信じられない状況が目に飛び込んできました。
私たちは混乱しました。ガソリンスタンドは長蛇の列。お店はどこも
開いていない。まちの広報車は、窓はもちろん換気扇、エアコンも
つけないよう、極力外に出ないように、路地野菜は食べないようにと
広報して走っています。水もでないのに、外にも出れない。ありえな
い状況でした。
放射能の事は全く知識がありませんでしたので、何が正しいのかも
判断できませんでした。
それから私は、いろいろな講演会に行ったり、インターネットで調べ
たりしましたが、どれがベストなのか、いまだにわかりません。
でもわかったこともあります。それは、原発はもういらないという
こと。原発の問題だけではなく、農薬、大気汚染などの問題。　　
私たちは生活を見直さなければならないということ。
いろいろな人に支えられて生きているということ。
私たちに、日本中、世界中のかたが温かい手を差し伸べてくれていま
す。本当に感謝でいっぱいです。
こどもの未来を思うとどれが正しいのかわかりませんが、私にでき
ることは地球がかがやきを失わないよう、祈り、自分に出来ることを
続けて行きたいと思います。

Haruto is 3 and lives in Iwaki, Fukushima, 33km south of Fukushima Daichi with his brother  and sister. He chose his colour and drew the orange and the lines on the right. His mother drew her hands in prayer and the universe around them.


His mother wrote the following about the family's experiences of March 11ths earthquake and nuclear disaster:

"I live in Iwaki, Fukushima. Our life has completely changed since March 11th.  I was at home that day. When I felt the massive tremour, I hurriedly took my 3 years old son in my arms and dashed to meet my daughter who was on her way back home from her school. The shaking became even bigger after I left home, so that I could hardly walk properly. Then I went to fetch my 5 year old son from kindergarten. When I returned home, snow started to fall heavily. It was disquieting weather. I packed essential things so that we could run if something happened. We gathered together as a family in one room and slept together for several days, scared by the continuous after shocks.

Dreadful scenes kept being reported by the media every day and the nuclear power plant was in an unbelievable state. We were panicked. People made long lines for petrol and no stores were working. A car with a loudspeaker was going around telling residents not to open windows, not to use ventilation fans or air-conditioners, and also not to go out or eat garden-grown vegetables. We were not able to go out, even though the water supply had stopped. It was an impossible situation. Since we didn’t have accurate information about radiation, we had no idea how to make the right decision about what to do.

Since the 3.11 disasters, I have been attending many different lectures to try to learn about the nuclear issue and radiation, and also through the internet, but I still don’t know what is correct. What I learned from the disaster is that we do not want nuclear power plants any more. We do not want pesticides or air pollution too. I learned that we all have to reconsider our life style. I learned that we are supported by many others. Many people in Japan and people from all over the world have given us help and warmth. I am overwhelmed with gratitude.

I still don’t know what the best decision is when I consider my children’s future. However, I would like to keep praying for the earth to stay clean and do what I can towards that."

In memory of a much loved baby 愛された子供を追悼して

 

福島から避難した母親の言葉

福島県楢葉町はありふれた田舎の町です。
人よりも木々が多い。
秋には山々が紅葉し、冬には葉を落とす。
春の淡い若葉、夏の潮風。
東北の海の色は少し暗い。
子どもの数は少なくて、元気なじぃじゃばぁばがいっぱいいます。


そこを地震が襲いました。
地震は津波をよんで、津波は原子力発電所を襲い、
大きな災厄をもたらしました。
自然を予測することは難しい。
千年に一度の出来事だったのです。
誰かを責めるより、今は頑張ってくれている人を応援したい。
そして、いつかありふれた故郷に戻りたい。
私達の悲しみが未来の糧となりますように。
この出来事が子ども達の未来を、よりよくしていくきっかけに
なればいいと思っています。

*******************

 この母親が住んでいたのは福島第一原発から数キロの地点。現在は東京の赤坂プリンスホテルに避難している。彼女は私に地震前に肺の病気で亡くなった赤ちゃんの絵を描いてくれないかと依頼してきた。赤ちゃんは生涯をずっと病院で過ごしたので、医療器具が装着された写真しか存在しないのだと言う。彼女は携帯電話に記録された小さな画面を見せてくれた。私は彼女に「この赤ちゃんを抱っこしている写真はありますか？」と聞いて、そのような一枚を描きましょうと提案した。彼女は、温かく愛情を感じるからと暖色を選び、その色を使って私は母子の肖像を描いた。亡くなった直後に撮られた写真の赤ちゃんは目をつぶっていたが、絵の中では目を開き、その小さな手でお母さんと手を握っている。

Written by the mother above who evacuated from Fukushima:

Naraha-cho in Fukushima prefecture is just an ordinary local town.
There are more trees than people.
In autumn the mountains change colour, in winter the leaves fall.
In spring young delicately coloured leaves come, in summer the sea breeze.
The colour of Tohoku’s ocean is a little dark.
There are only a few children, though there are many energetic elderly men and women.

This is where the earthquake attacked.
The earthquake caused the tsunami, and the tsunami attacked the nuclear power plant.
The result was an overwhelming disaster.
It is so very difficult to predict nature.
It was a once in a thousand years incident.
I don’t want to accuse anyone, but I do want to support people who are giving everything for us
Someday I want to go back to that ordinary local place.
I hope that our sadness will nourish the future.
I hope what has happened will be become a chance to start making a better future for our children.

About the drawing
This mother was compulsorily evacuated from a few kilometres away from Fukushima Daichi and was staying in emergency acommodation at the Akusaka Prince Hotel in Tokyo. She asked if I could draw a nice picture of her small baby who had died of lung complications before the disaster. They only had pictures with medical equipment. She showed me a small mobile phone picture. I asked if she had any nice pictures of her holding the baby, and suggested that we make one. She chose colours that she felt had a warm loving feeling. I opened the baby's eyes and drew them holding hands.