Memoir of a Visit to Fukushima – The Resilience of Women
Commemorating the Month of International Women’s Day
Today marks the 11th year after 3.11 – the day the Great Kanto Earthquake hit Japan.
Yesterday marked the 77th year after Tokyo was air bombed. Seeing current Russia’s bombing of Ukraine on TV is heart-wrenching. We strongly oppose this inhuman act. I am sure tons of people are writing about it on social media and blogs.
So I’d like to change the topic a bit since this week and this month, was International Women’s Day on March 8th. I’d like to reflect on the stories of 2 women in Fukushima who I interviewed for Morning Express, Channel 8, MediaCorp in Singapore.
Fukushima Women: Rebuilding the sake industry and agriculture in Fukushima.
I am currently working for FEW Japan (For Empowering Women in Japan, a not-for-profit association) as a volunteer Vice President, so it only makes sense to me to write about the resilience of women in Fukushima whose efforts are bringing back Fukushima more 元気 (Genki – vibrant) and stronger.
Sorry the segment is in Chinese but I hope you will understand some from the video.
Two Women Working for Hanaharu Shuzo
Sales director: Ryoko Masamoto
Female Toji (head brewer): Junko Kashiwagi
Ayaha Kanno – Story of a high school girl who participated in the US-Japan Council Tomodachi Project. Introducing a rice farmer and an asparagus farmer in Fukushima.
We visited a Fukushima agriculture center to check how safe Fukushima vegetable are (radiation level check) and visited a local restaurant which uses Fukushima veggies.
Fukushima — you’ve got some empowering women in your region. Your future will be bright!
