Tome - Tsunami

While we were in Sendai, Sanpei-san thought it was important for us to see the destruction that was caused by the earthquake and tsunami. Tome is in the heart of the hardest hit areas and although we had all seen pictures on TV & online nothing can prepare you for the feelings of sadness and awe of the sheer power of nature that you feel when you see the extent of the damage first hand. Sanpei-san was very clear that this was not a sightseeing trip, because unfortunately many people do want to travel to these areas to see the damage first hand and while they mean no harm in doing so, it is very difficult for the residents who have lost everything to watch "tourists" walk through the remnants of their city taking pictures on the weekends. Due to this we never stepped foot outside of the car, and made no effort to stop for "photo opportunities." The pictures that follow simply show what we saw as we drove through what used to be a small town on the coast of Japan.

We are traveling on a small road behind the Sanpei family farm. The mountain range ahead of us is all that separates their farm from the ocean, both protecting them from the destructive forces of the tsunami and hiding the unimaginable destruction that occurred on the other side.

The view as we first enter the coastal area coming down out of the mountains. There used to be buildings lining the streets

Now all that is left are foundations and the shells of buildings

Boats are seen deposited all over what used to be residential areas, and even can be found resting on the roofs of a few buildings that remain

The debris is slowly being sorted by type, cars in one area, wood in another, concrete and masonry, metal, etc.

The hospital

This car was washed onto the hillside by the tsunami which gives you some idea of how massive it was

You can see the damage on the 3rd floor of this building, which again demonstrates the enormity of the wave that rushed through the city

The damage is unbelievable and as you can see even after a year basically all that has been done is the initial clean up and sorting of debris. It is sad that it is often only through events like this that we learn to appreciate what we have and value how precious our time together is.

Tome New Years

We traveled north to spend New Years with Yuri's family in Tome, which is just a bit north of Sendai

Sanpei-san demonstrates the traditional technique of rolling the "straw" left over from the rice harvest into something like a rope which is then used to weave intricate new years ornaments that are hung around the house and temples to please the gods

Snow bunnies made by the neighbors which are being shrunk by the sun

The traditional wall surrounding the family house

This house has been in the family for generations. The oldest room is almost 400 years old, and as is the tradition the house has grown around the family.

In traditional Japanese style the house is designed around sliding doors both on the exterior and interior allowing rooms to open up into each other as well as allowing the house to be opened to the surrounding gardens. This provides great flexibility to create small intimate spaces or open the house up for large gatherings. It also helps keep smaller rooms warm in the winter, but allows the house to be open in the spring. fall, and summer to maintain a nice interior climate without the use of air conditioning

The formal family room of their house. This is where we spent most of our time sitting around the large table in the middle of the room eating, drinking, and talking. Sanpei-san had this part of the house rebuilt some years ago, but made sure to have everything retain the traditional character and materials of the region

Sanpei-san took us to the most popular temple the day before the new years rush so that we could enjoy seeing it without having to navigate the hundreds of people who would pack into it on New Years Day.

This is the traditional ornament that Sanpei-san makes to hang on the gateway into their home. The shape references a shrimp, and has been passed down for generations

Pretty cool entrance to a house if you ask me

Another ornament which is placed on the well to provide good water in the coming year

The dinner spread - a huge plate of sashimi (fresh from the ocean), and tara-nabe (cod hot pot). We went to the fish market to get the cod that morning and it was delicious!

Sanpei-san, his father, and his wife (who is an incredible cook and explains where Yuri learned all of her tricks)

Konpai!!!

Special Deserts

Hanging out with Ojiisan (grandfather) is the family room watching TV

Everyone is entranced by the New Years Eve music show. Every year NHK (one of the big networks) has a special that features all of the big names in Japanese music (including some international acts like Lady Gaga), and they compete, men against women, to see who puts on the best show. Something fun to do while you count down to the new year

Yuri's sister, Mitsuko makes sure everyone is stuffed by making tako-yaki, which are grilled octopus dumplings. Kind of like a ball shaped pancake (or less dense hush puppy) with octopus in it. Soooooooo good covered with mayonnaise and sauce (Japanese fruit sauce - used on so many things it simply is referred to "sauce" and anything else is specified by its specific name)

New Years breakfast and osetchi - special traditional dishes prepared for the New Year which are intended to last for 2-3 days. Thus it takes a lot of time to prepare everything, but once it is made the family can relax and enjoy the first few days of the new year together, eating and drinking.

Mitsuko's pet turtle

Walking to the local temple after New Years breakfast

The entrance to the temple. The intricate ornament hanging from the gateway was made by Sanpei-san.

Another one hangs from the door to the temple

The stone to the left of the little shrine was carved by an ancestor of the Sanpei's hundreds of year ago. It is an amazing experience to be part of a family that has such a long history tied to one specific place