The Tasukeai Center“JUNTOS News!”
2015.11.13

JUNTOS means“Together with”
in Portuguese”
英語版

Special edition
for 1 month

JUNTOS provides rooms , serves as a regional exchange
center, works on a daily basis for consultation about
troubles you might have, and also rents tools for cleaning
up so that you can restore your lives and the Joso area
may be reconstructed. ～ There is nothing different
between nationalities. JUNTOS stands by you.～

Special Topics
About The Center for Helping Each Other “JUNTOS!” Up to now and our future plans

We are all affected by the disaster
Who would have thought that our city would be struckby such a huge natural disaster? Supply of the power,
water, and gas were stopped. Our cars and workplaces
were damaged. Even after the power came back, electric
appliances washed damaged by the flood water were notavailable able to be used any longer. Many people haveno choice but to live in houses that they just cleaned ofmud. In the wake of the disaster, we were at a loss what
to do to get overovercome this situation…

We lost a lot. But there was a hope
Our office was completely sunk under waterflooded. We used to have education programs forchildren there. Everything stopped working. and Wwe have lost lots of precious things. Butvolunteers came here from all over Japan to help us. We can’t thank enough to these people
enough. People who stayed in shelters helped each other, sharing foods, emergency aid supplies
and information. Scenes of such mutual support have been seen many times. We lost a lot. But wehave a the hope to build a new community full of compassion in the wake of this disaster.

Our role in the community – encouraging encouraging
mutual support
Restoration of Joso City has just begun. In fact we have a lot of things to do.
First we must restore the basics of our daily life, and then we will go on to rebuild theenvironment around us. We need support not only from the local government, but also fromfriends from all over Japan. This This supports would will encourage us to help each other and getoverto overcome the difficulties. We hope that someday this disaster will be recalled as theturning point of Joso City. Let’s work together and make our city better than ever.

Tasukeai Center JUNTOS！
■Support for foreigners■Publishing “JUNTOS News”

JUNTOS has been helping foreigners who live inJoso city with by publishing “JUNTOS News” andproviding information on “Radio JUNTOS” at
89.2 MHz.

Right after the disaster, we published “JUNTOSNews” almost every day. Now it is twice a week.
You can get the paper at convenience stores orsupermarkets in the Mitsukaido district and at
shelters in Joso City.

■Joso City Flood Disaster
Response NPO Conference■Opinions to Joso City

Every evening, 60 support groups which workfor the flood struck area in Joso City, gather andhold a meeting at the JUNTOS office. In themeetings, they exchange information about theactivities to promote cooperation among thegroups.

We have been attending the Joso City Flood
Disaster Response Task Force. On Oct 10th, wesubmitted a report on problems which appeared
through the support of evacuation centers andthe assistance to the affected people, based on
the opinions of the Joso City Flood Disaster
Response NPO Conference. From now on, wewill submit a report to Joso City if necessary.

Two white boards equipped for the conference arealways filled with information collected during themeetings.

■Lending equipment and materials, coordinating volunteers
We are loaning out useful equipment and materials such as light trucks,
hand trucks, high-pressure-washers, wheelbarrows,
high power cleaners, from the 1st floor of the JUNTOS office.
We are coordinating volunteers.
There might be change in the inventory of materials for loan.
When you want to borrow something, please contact us in advance.

Here are the activities of JUNTOS, since it was established on
September 17th. Coming activities and future plans are also
summarized below.
■Transportation support■Car sharing

Many people lost their cars in the flood. We
offer transportation support for those who want
to go out (for shopping, to schools, hospitals,and so on), but have difficulties findingtransportation.

Car sharing is to share and use one car by agroup of people. It is common not only in an
urban area where the running cost of a car israther high, but also in areas such as Ishinomaki,
which was hit by the Great East Japan
Earthquake and where many people lost theirown cars.

If you want use this service, please make areservation in advance. The fee is 100 yen peruse.
(TEL:090-5804-5542,JUNTOSTransportation Support)

移動支援の受付の様子■Surveyof needs
In the wake of the disaster, many people haveno choice but to live in their damaged houses
under very difficult conditions. We found someelderly people who needed help for preparing
meals but who lived alone. We also founddisabled people who have difficulties in going up
the stairs but live on the second floor of theirhouse due to the damage downstairs. Suchdifficult situations are found in many houses.
To correctly understand the present situation ofdisaster affected people living in their homes,
JUNTOS has been conducting a survey. The
results will be summarized and submitted to thelocal government. Based on the survey, we will
make an appeal to the local government foradditional support for the disaster affected
people at home. We will also try to make it surethat equal support will be provided to all thepeople in shelters and at home.

JUNTOS is preparing the system of car-sharing inJoso City. If you are interested in this project,please contact us, JUNTOS Transportation
Support. (TEL: 090-5804-5542)■Creating events for thelocals
The situation of our lives will be changing as
restoration from the disaster continues. We areplanning to hold events like food distribution
and “Salons” to encourage communication andmutual support between people in the disasterstruck area.
Let’s build a new Joso City by ourselves.

Looking back on the past month
Looking back on the past month since “the Kanto-Tohoku Torrential Rain Disaster in
September 2015”
JUNTOS since 2015.9.16
September 10th : the flood hit Joso City

September 16th : preparing “JUNTOS” was started.
September 17th : “JUNTOS” was opened. We started with lending
high pressure cleaners. The first issue of “JUNTOS News” waspublished. The first meeting of the Joso City Flood Disaster
Response NPO Conference was held at the JUNTOS office.
September 18th : “JUNTOS News” in Portuguese was published.
September 19th : we cooperated in the consultation for foreigners.
September 20th : the first food distribution was provided in front ofKita-Mistukaido Station
September 21st : multi-lingual versions of “JUNTOS News” wereprepared in Spanish, English and Chinese, and then published.
September 22nd : Radio radio JUNTOS started broadcasting at 89.2
MHz. 81 volunteers contributed, which was the largest number
since the station started.
September 19th – Wednesday, 23rd (Silver Week): A lot of college
students and high school students came to help with volunteer
work.
September 30th: we participated in the meeting of the Joso City
Flood Disaster Response Task Force.
October 4th: cleaning up of the area in front of the Kita-Mistukaido
Station was conducted (this activity has been continuing since then).
A seminar on various disaster aid systems was held with invitedlecturers from the Japan Society for Disaster Recovery andRevitalization.
October 5th : JUNTOS Transportation Support started

October 10th : we made a flowerbed in front of Kita-Mitsukaido
Station with local people. We submitted a report on problems toJoso City.
【Public Relations】 The activities of JUNTOS have been reported byIbaraki Shinbun, Mainichi Shinbun, Tokyo Shinbun, Kyodo-Tsuhin,
and NHK Radio Station 1.
Publisher: JUNTOS Tasukeai Center
TEL: 090-6568-9930(10:00AM to 4:30PM)ADDRESS: 4346-3, Mitsukaido, Morishitamachi, Joso-shi, 303-0005.
LAND MARK: Kitamitsukaido(North-Mitsukaido)Station on Kantotsudo-Joso line.Near “COCOs” at 357 Prefectural Road.