2. Otsuchi was a fishing village on the coast of Northern Japan in the Iwate Prefecture. The beautiful town had a population of 16,000 people. With the same latitude as Fort Bragg, the village of Otsuchi became Fort Bragg’s Sister City.
3. Every year, our students have the opportunity to be involved in the Fort Bragg Otsuchi Cultural Exchange Association. In this program, students from the Fort Bragg High School and Middle School act as hosts to students from Otsuchi. The next year, our Fort Bragg students go to Japan for two weeks and stay with their host families in Otsuchi.
5. An 8.9 magnitude earthquake destroyed Northern Japan on Friday afternoon, followed by a 30 ft. tsunami that tore cities to pieces. Otsuchi was one of the hardest hit villages in Japan. Out of the 16,000 people who lived in the town, and after 6 days of searching for survivors, only 6,000 survivors have been found.
6. We have only heard that 3 of our exchange families in Japan are alive and safe. Moe Takada and her family have not been found. All four of these students have lost everything they have ever owned, including their homes.
7. Yamazaki-San, the coordinator of the exchange in Japan, has been missing since the earthquake hit. There is no way of reaching people in Otsuchi by direct contact. The little girls who were once peering from the doorway are now nowhere to be found.
8. This is what is left of the town of Otsuchi. Above is the comparison of the devastation at the Buddhist Temple in Otsuchi between World War II and the earthquake last Friday.
9. While we are at school, people are getting pulled out from underneath their own houses.
10. Fires broke out in Japan, burning everything that was left standing.
11. As time goes on, resources in Northern Japan are running out. Food is being depleted in the grocery stores. Because of radiation from the nuclear meltdowns, much needed relief packages are not getting delivered. Many fresh water reserves were ruined by the salt water of the tsunami, leaving little drinking water for survivors.
12. We were all lucky enough to wake up in a warm bed this morning. Some people in Japan don’t even have a single blanket to keep them from freezing. The winter is bringing snow and freezing weather to Japan. Many survivors who haven’t been found are stuck outside in the storms.
13. People are being forced to make fires outside of their destroyed homes for warmth and to cook the little food that they may have.
14. Hundreds of people, even if they were lucky enough to survive, have lost their entire families. Survivors are forced to live on the side of the road, with no place to go. Some salvage the little that they can from their old life.
15. Please help our friends in Otsuchi, Japan. They are in need of necessities that we take for granted everyday: food, fresh water, blankets and clothes. Even donating $5 will help people get the necessities they need. Remember: every little bit counts. Donations will take place Friday March 18 th in homeroom. There is also a box for donations in the front office. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/8383268/Japan-tsunami-Otsuchi-Japans-worst-hit-town.html If every person in the school donates just $2, we would be able to send over $1,000 for much needed supplies.
