Sushi chef faces uncertain future after tsunami
- 12 years ago
When Japan's March 11th tsunami swept through the coastal port of Ofunato, anything shorter than three stories tall was engulfed in its fury.
The waves left over 400 people dead or missing in the town and hundreds of buildings destroyed.
Sushi chef Sanichi Niinuma was able to escape from the rising water, his shop was not so lucky.
He had hoped to re-open his shop but it is now slated to be broken down due to its location.
Taking his craft with him, Niinuma has moved to Tokyo and though about staying for good.
(SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 47-YEAR-OLD SUSHI CHEF SANICHI NIINUMA SAYING:
"There was definitely the feeling that I had lost a place to go back to, and so there was a moment where I thought that I may just stay in Tokyo."
He says that he hopes to return before retiring but that if the city is not ready to support his business then there is no point in going back.
(SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 47-YEAR-OLD SUSHI CHEF SANICHI NIINUMA SAYING:
"I'll end up being 60 soon and so I hope to return in about 5 years, but one has to think about it's possible to go back or not. In other words, whether the disaster areas are ready to start having this kind of sushi again."
In the neighboring city of Rikuzentakata which had over 3,000 buildings destroyed by the massive wave, deputy mayor Takashi Kubota explained that the city is working to keep its residents employed until the city can recover.
(SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) RIKUZENTAKATA DEPUTY MAYOR TAKASHI KUBOTA SAYING:
"If people don't have a job, there's quite a few who can't wait until the town gets back on its feet. As there's alot of people who lost their jobs during the disasters, how to create those jobs is a topic that the city has to deal with."
The city of Rikuzentakata has seen over a thousand people move away compared to the previous year.
Ofunato has also seen over 600 leave the city in search of what their now devastated hometown can't provide.
Chris Meyers, Reuters.
The waves left over 400 people dead or missing in the town and hundreds of buildings destroyed.
Sushi chef Sanichi Niinuma was able to escape from the rising water, his shop was not so lucky.
He had hoped to re-open his shop but it is now slated to be broken down due to its location.
Taking his craft with him, Niinuma has moved to Tokyo and though about staying for good.
(SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 47-YEAR-OLD SUSHI CHEF SANICHI NIINUMA SAYING:
"There was definitely the feeling that I had lost a place to go back to, and so there was a moment where I thought that I may just stay in Tokyo."
He says that he hopes to return before retiring but that if the city is not ready to support his business then there is no point in going back.
(SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) 47-YEAR-OLD SUSHI CHEF SANICHI NIINUMA SAYING:
"I'll end up being 60 soon and so I hope to return in about 5 years, but one has to think about it's possible to go back or not. In other words, whether the disaster areas are ready to start having this kind of sushi again."
In the neighboring city of Rikuzentakata which had over 3,000 buildings destroyed by the massive wave, deputy mayor Takashi Kubota explained that the city is working to keep its residents employed until the city can recover.
(SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) RIKUZENTAKATA DEPUTY MAYOR TAKASHI KUBOTA SAYING:
"If people don't have a job, there's quite a few who can't wait until the town gets back on its feet. As there's alot of people who lost their jobs during the disasters, how to create those jobs is a topic that the city has to deal with."
The city of Rikuzentakata has seen over a thousand people move away compared to the previous year.
Ofunato has also seen over 600 leave the city in search of what their now devastated hometown can't provide.
Chris Meyers, Reuters.