JENESYS 2017 Programme - Day 4

September 22, Kuji Iwate

            We are heading to Yokonuma Fishing Port and arrived there by 9.20am. It was a beautiful day and perfect day for fishing. We have been given the briefing about the earthquake and how the earthquake happens. There are so many information that we obtained from there and also got a chance to ask the fisherman about their experiences during the earthquake and how they loss their children and still they have survive and keep on living. Moreover, we were given the opportunity to have the experience to fishing with the fisherman on a boat. It was relaxing to be able doing it and enjoyed the view of the sea and be able to feel the breeze from it. Not only that, we are able to help the captain (fisherman) pulled out their catches for that day and be able to see the sea urchin and also taste it freshly and it was the best experience ever when you have an opportunity to go to this fishing port. 

At 11.45am, we having our lunch and moved to the Kuji Shopping Center and be able to spent one hour there buy souvenir for family and friends. Next, we moved to Kuji JC Park, Monument of the Great East Japan Earthquake. This monument was built as the symbol of the ascension for the victims of the tsunami. The black monument, ‘Tane-no-Ireihi’ is the seed that symbolizes citizens’ will to overcome the disaster and look ahead for the recovery. While the white monument, ‘Mebae-no-Tou’, illustrates the sprout growing from the seed. Moreover, the height of the white monument is 8.4 meters, which is the exact height of the 2011 tsunami wave that struck the Yuriage area.

We appeared in the Japan newspaper as the tribute to tsunami victims in the memorial park

After that, we all separated to our own foster family by bus. Once arrived, we introduced ourselves to the family and having a conversation to get to know each other better. On that evening, the mother took us to have a walk in the residential park and I discovered that the place is so clean and safe plus there were so many beautiful flowers and I discovered that this area they do love gardening and there were plants all over their houses. 

For bathing etiquette, you can't go into the water with your dirty body, that is only after you finished cleaning and have rinsed all the soap off your body, enter the bath tub once more for a final soaking. After leaving the tub, the water is usually left for the next member of the house. It is to keep the bath water clean for all members of the house that washing and rinsing is done outside of the actual bathtub. For more details just click on this link https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2002.html

At night, we were having dinner together and chit chat till late night just because we only have one day together with them and tomorrow we will be leaving. :(