Building bridges and working in Cooperation with the Community

The Konkokyo Tokyo Metropolitan Supporting Organization for Volunteers of Disaster is providing aid to support reconstruction activities in Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture. This institution was formed by the Konkokyo Tokyo Metropolitan Forum, Konkokyo Tokyo Center and the Konko Churches Association of Tokyo. Since the beginning of the project, the institution has sent six expeditions with forty participants since the end of May.

The volunteers chiefly worked to remove sludge and rubble as requested by Kesennuma Volunteer Center whilst a lady participant, Ms. Keiko Ikeda, gave sufferers massage treatments at the “Murasaki Kaikan” evacuation center which is supported by the Konko church of Kesennuma and the Murasaki Shrine.

One of the participants, Mr. Hisashi Nyuda took part as a volunteer for the first time. When the Great Hanshin Earthquake occurred; he wanted to join in with the volunteer work, but he was unable to. He said that this time he felt Kami-Sama gave him a push to participate in the volunteer effort. He was worried about the limitation of his physical strength due to being sixty-five years old. But after contact with sufferers, he felt inspired by their energy to live and strength to rely on Kami-Sama. His participation in the volunteer effort allowed him to experience a different level of faith which was greater than his own knowledge and personal thoughts.