Seven staff members of the Japanese Educational Centre (JEC)—based in Vancouver, Canada—went to Tagajo City, Miyagi Prefecture, from July 21 to 23 to join in disaster relief efforts. The group was led by Mr. Kozo Manome, vice president of JEC as well as head of Joyous Mission Station.
The group based itself at Tagajo Branch Church. Accompanied by Rev. Gunki Saito, who is head minister of this church, the seven members paid a courtesy visit to the mayor of Tagajo City and entrusted him with the relief money they had collected at JEC’s Japanese language schools. The group then moved to disaster-hit areas and worked to remove debris from two houses.
“I see a sign of recovery in the city,” says Mr. Manome. “As I talked with local people, however, I came to realize how deeply they had been wounded by the disaster. We would like to continue doing our best to do what we can do for those people.”