In the pool with my friends - Fukushima child

 

Fuyuka is 6 and lives in a small village in Minamiaizu, western Fukushima. She painted her friends in the pool with her, as it is what she likes do best. There are towels in the shape of hearts on the fence at the top.

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.