TOMODACHI Summer 2012 BEYOND Tomorrow
U.S. Program- Reconstruction and Planning -Our Lessons in the U.S. for Tohoku rebuilding1

Masashide
Chiba

Ayaka Ogawa

Masahiro
KikuchiMorioka

Kamaishi
Sakae
Onodera

OfunatoTomohiro Kamisawa

Rikuzentakata
Kesennuma

Minori Endo

Ishinomaki

Ayaka
Goto

SendaiAnna Kumagai

Souma
Fukushima
Tsubasa Sugeno

Hiromi
Meguro2Our Program – Learning Reconstruction and Rebuilding Orientation
June 29 – July 1 - Introduction to Urban Planning- Why go to the United States- Voicing from Tohoku in English

At the foot ofMt. FujiU.S. Program
August 7 - 10-

Visits to organizations and individuals who led
post-Hurricane Katrina rebuilding
Cultural exchange programs

New Orleans, LA

August 11 - 15- Visits to organizations and individuals who led 9.11
response- “Meet-a-leader” sessions

New York, NY

August 16 - 18

- Academic program at Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology- Cultural exchange programs

Boston, MA

August 19 - 20- Session with Arlington Fire Department- Courtesy visit to Japanese Ambassador Ichiro
Fujisaki- Closing reception

Washington DC-3

2 Presentations
1. What we want America to know about Tohoku

2. Our learning in the U.S.

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2 Presentations
1. What we want America to know about Tohoku

2. Our learning in the U.S.

5

What happened on March 11?
Personal Stories

67

Our Tohoku Favorites

8Fantastic Festivals

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Food

10

Tourism

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Gratitude to America

12We are grateful to the United States13

2 Presentations
1. What we want America to know about Tohoku

2. Our learning in the U.S.

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Our Approach

1. Setting a goal
What is our ideal
hometown?

2. First-handlearning
What did we hearand see in the U.S.
that would help
achieve our goals?

3. Lessons for
TohokuWhat are thelessons we should
and can take backto Tohoku andapply to ourhometowns?

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Our Approach

1. Setting a goal

2. First-hand learning

3. Lessons for
Tohoku16

1. Setting a Goal : Our Ideal Hometown
Current Situations-

Safe & Secure-

Lack of systematic plans
to prepare for anotherdisasterLack of leadership toprovide a sense of security

Sense ofCommunities-People had to evacuatefrom their hometowns,
leaving their neighborhood

EconomicViability-Fishing industries areseverely damaged andmany jobs were lost

We want to makeTohoku a place
everyone wants
to return to17

Our Approach

1. Setting a goal

2. First-hand learning

3. Lessons for
Tohoku18

2. First-hand learning in the U.S. – New Orleans

Safe &Secure--

Sense ofCommunities

Economic
Viability-Strong leaders to take actions
e.g. Father Vien, Flozell Daniels
Drill programs: best practice
sharing with other disaster areas
around the world

Information sharing: brochures forpeople not literate in English
Platform for interaction: Market,church, etc.

“We have regular Skype meetings withother disaster communities to improvedrill programs”
University of New Orleans“We make sure people who don’tread English are integrated”
University of New Orleans- Community-based industries
e.g. Market Umbrellae.g. Aquaponics“We helped each other bydeveloping aquaponics together”
Tap Bui, Mary Queen Vietnamese
19Corporation

AQUAPONICS

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2. First-hand learning in the U.S. – New York-Safe &Secure-Abilities to take decision
based on both facts andintuition
Information sharing
among different
organizations“Firefighters were trying to save people in theTower, but I quickly decided to order myresources to evacuate from the tower as myintuition was telling me that”
Joseph W. Pfeifer, New York Fire Department
Survivors andvictims’ families
were working as
docents in the WTC
Tribute Center-9.11 Memorial and WTC
Tribute brings people
together in an effort toprevent people fromforgetting-Large companies and small
companies help each other toensure the economy grows as awhole
Attractive cultures such as fashionand music make the economy inNY viable

Sense ofCommunitiesEconomic
Viability-“Because of NY’s great work infashion and music, people loved NY
and did not leave even after 9.11”
New York City Economic
21
Development Corporation

Our Approach

1. Setting a goal

2. First-hand learning

3. Lessons forTohoku

22We have 3 action plans to propose:23

3. Lessons for Tohoku – Action Proposal 1
To Build a Mobile Tribute Visitor Center
We should create a Tribute Visitor Center to commemorate the tragic event andthe loss of many lives•To build a Tribute Visitor Center in Tohoku with an exhibit of theearthquake and tsunami experiences•

Survivors and victims’ families and friends play roles as docents•

The Center will be mobile and rotate from one city to anotherannually•

We will actively promote the Center to American people so theycan visit Tohoku to learn about the disaster24

3. Lessons for Tohoku – Action Proposal 2
To Leverage Tohoku Culture for Economic Revitalization
We should make Tohoku a tourist destination with creative festival plans•

Festivals that introduce Tohoku’s local food and language•A place for people to meet and interact – not only for locals butalso for people from outside Tohoku and Japan•

Active partnerships with both large and small companies tomake the festival dynamic•

A way to bring people from 3 affected prefectures together andprovide a platform for various information sharing25

3. Lessons for Tohoku – Action Proposal 3
To Build Strong Leadership

We were impressed by American people taking initiatives on agrassroots level:
We should make ourselves primary actors of Tohoku rebuilding“Ask not what your country can do for you ask what you can do for your country“
Our new slogan:“Ask not what Tohoku can do for you ask what you can do for Tohoku“26Thank you!

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