"My Thoughts on the 12th of the Great East Japan Earthquake"

It has been 12 years since that day. Every time March 11th comes around, I look back on what happened during the earthquake.　

The Events of the Earthquake

My hometown is Futaba Town in Hamadori, Fukushima Prefecture. At the time, I was a first-year high school student in Minamisoma City. While attending an class at school, I felt such a severe shaking that I couldn't even sit on my chair. I had no idea what was happening.

At 2:46 p.m., along with my classmates and our teacher, we rushed outside to the schoolyard. What we saw there was an unbelievable sight. The streetlights standing on the schoolyard's soil had significantly bent.

Later, the students from Minamisoma returned home. However, several teachers and students who commuted from Futaba were unable to contact their families for a few days and stayed at a hall in the school. Fortunately, the hall was well-equipped, and they were able to use water and electricity, cook meals, and make beds by helping each other.

However, during those few days, there were countless worries. The hall had a television, and that was how they learned about what was happening around them for the first time. I remember my hands trembling uncontrollably.

"Is my family safe?"
"What will happen to Futaba Town?"
"What should I do from now on?"

When I went to a nearby convenience store, there was almost nothing left, and my cell phone communication was cut off. I finally realized that I was in the midst of an unprecedented situation that I had never experienced before.

A few days later, still unable to contact anyone, my father came to pick me up in his car from high school. He confirmed that the whole family was safe, but when I asked about the situation in Futaba town, I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"I don't know when we can go back."

Not being able to return to my hometown, my home, was something I never imagined could happen. I got in the car and headed to a shelter in Kawamata. There were long lines of cars at gas stations, empty supermarkets and convenience stores, and traffic jams everywhere. The scenery around me was different from usual, but I was relieved from the bottom of my heart that my family was safe.

From there, we moved to a shelter in Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture, and lived in an apartment we rented in Yonezawa for a few days. We moved from place to place.

During this time, I had to decide what to do next. I had to decide which high school to go to... After thinking and worrying about it, I decided to transfer to a high school in Fukushima City, leaving my parents, sister, and home behind.

It was my first transfer, and I started a new life in Fukushima City, living with my grandmother. I gathered the courage to take the next step and went to my new high school. For the next two years, I attended that school, made many friends, and had a fulfilling life.

However, I never forgot about my hometown, even in the midst of all of that.

Background on My Decision to Become a Teacher

The Great East Japan Earthquake claimed many lives and caused a significant shift in the lives of a lot of people. I was no exception.

After graduating from university, I only had a vague idea that I wanted to return to Fukushima and find a job. During my time at university in Tokyo, I had job hunted there but nothing seemed to click in my mind.

Eventually, I found employment with a private company in Fukushima City, got married, and started to seriously consider my future prospects.

"I want to pass on my experiences and lessons learned to the next generation for the sake of my hometown Fukushima."

That was the thought that came to my mind first, and the job that I thought of was "teacher." It was a profession that I had never thought of pursuing, and during my university days, I even dropped out of a teacher-training program. So when the idea of becoming a teacher came to me, I was surprised at myself.

It took me about two years to decide on becoming a teacher. While working, I attended a correspondence university to obtain a license to teach English and managed to pass the teacher recruitment exam in Fukushima Prefecture.

Since last spring, I have been standing in front of a class as a teacher, and I feel grateful for becoming one. In the future, I hope to set higher goals and continue on my journey as an educator.

12 Years Later: Reflections on My Experience

There are two things I have come to realize in the 12 years since the earthquake.

The first is the importance of valuing both the life I had before the disaster and the life I have now. Prior to the earthquake, I lived in Futaba town with my family, and we spent our days together there. However, after the unprecedented earthquake, we were forced to live apart, and we have not returned to Futaba since. I was happy during my time in Futaba, where the connection between the residents was warm. Even in the difficult and frustrating times following the disaster, I always thought of my hometown. Nevertheless, I was able to stand up from adversity and become who I am today, experiencing life in Fukushima city and Tokyo and feeling the warmth of the people I met there. I want to love all of the life I have lived, including the changes that occurred after the disaster.

The second is to pass on what I have learned from the disaster to the future. I am currently working as a teacher, and I want to share what I have learned from my experience with the children who will shape the future. Through that experience, I learned that people can stand up from any hardship and the importance of challenging oneself towards their dreams and goals. Even if someone has not yet found their goals or dreams, I hope they will take their time to find what they love and pursue it. To live a satisfying life in our lifetime, it is important to follow our own intuition and do what we love. For me, that meant becoming a teacher. Age does not matter when it comes to having new dreams or goals. I hope to see more people who can walk a life they can be proud of and challenge themselves to various things.

It has been 12 years since the earthquake, and I have written about my experience at that time and what I think now. I hope to continue passing on these lessons and experiences to the future.

※ This article is translated by ChatGPT.
※ 日本語記事はこちらです。