Our sister city, Tobishima Village, responded quickly after the earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan, setting up six donation sites in locations around the village to collect relief items for shipment north.
In a recent decision, Tobishima Village offered to open its doors to some of the people displaced by the disaster. Up to 75 junior high school students and teachers can come to Tobishima to live and study for at least one year. Charter buses will be provided to transport everyone to Tobishima and be made welcome. The former junior high school facility will be converted into a dormitory for the students and teachers. Along with the construction work required, all the necessary household items, bedding, meals and any other costs will be provided at no charge by the village of Tobishima. The new arrivals will attend school at the beautiful new combined school which was dedicated in 2010. This modern learning environment serves both the elementary and middle school students. Tobishima Village will hire any additional teachers to ensure that all students receive the best education possible.
The village has also sent groups of volunteers to affected areas to clean up debris, deliver supplies, and provide other needed assistance.
In 1959, Tobishima Village and other nearby communities were destroyed by the Ise Bay Typhoon, also called Super Typhoon Vera. The storm killed nearly 5,000 people, left an estimated 1.5 million people homeless, and injured almost 39,000 people in the region. At that time, Tokio Kuno, now the mayor of Tobishima, was in the sixth grade. He and other Tobishima students were evacuated to Nagoya to live and attend school until Tobishima Junior High School and the village could be rebuilt. “Now, after 52 years, it is the right time for Tobishima to show our appreciation for the help we received many years ago,” said Mayor Kuno.
Over 350 people turned out at the 401 Club to enjoy a delicious linguica dinner and to support the Rio Vista Sister Cities Association student exchange fundraising event. Parents, students, and the Montezuma Fire Protection District worked hard preparing and serving the dinners. Proceeds from the dinner tickets sales will be used to send this year’s group of eighth-grade students to Japan.
Because of the situation in Japan following the earthquake and tsunami, it may be necessary to delay the June trip. Ron Jones, Chairman of the Rio Vistas Sister Cities Association, said, “Everyone is disappointed at the prospect of delaying the Japan trip, but the safety of the students and adult chaperones is top priority. We also do not want to burden the people of Tobishima as they deal with their nation‘s crisis.”
At a recent Sister Cities Association meeting with parents and students, there was a suggestion to help victims of the tragedy in Japan. It was decided to use the money raised from the raffle held during the linguica dinner for Japan relief. The raffle prizes were contributed by parents, our local merchants, and friends of the Association. The raffle ticket sales raised hundreds of dollars that will be sent to help the people of northeastern Japan.
The Sister Cities Associations thanks everyone for supporting the student exchange trip and the Japan disaster assistance program.
Within hours of the most powerful earthquake and tsunami every recorded in Japan, we were relieved to learn that our sister city, Tobishima Japan had received no damage and everyone in the village was doing well. Tobishima Village, near the port of Nagoya is approximately 500 miles southwest of Sendai City in northeastern Japan.
As survivors around Sendai struggle with the disaster, residents of Tobishima are able to return to their rice paddies and vegetable fields. The 8.9-magnitude earthquake set off a devastating tsunami that sent walls of water traveling east and west from the epicenter. Tobishima Village, which sits at sea level along the Eastern shore of Honshu Island, was out of the direct path of the tsunami, and was not affected.
Our sister city relationship with Tobishima Village has brought all of us closer to the people of Japan, and our hearts go out to the tens of thousands of people who are trying to put their lives back together.
Click here for more information about the Sister Cities Association.
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