Supporting the Typhoon Hagibis Survivors in Japan

   Since the Typhoon Hagibis hit Ohsato town, JISP has been working with the community to provide different forms of support to strengthen affected community's resilience from within, whilst facing challenges admist covid-19 crisis. 

   In Ohsato town, many disaster victims of younger generation have left their hometown as they continue to rebuild their lives.  This has resulted in acceleration of population aging of the community, and the impact of the covid-19 have left the elderly in a particularly vulnerable position. As a result, some elderly people are unable to adapt to changes in their living environment, tend to withdraw from the community, and have no one with whom they can interact or seek advice, which affects their physical and mental health. On the other hand, lack of interaction among local residents makes it difficult to identify their needs and provide them with support.

   In cooperation with the Social Welfare Council of Ohsato and other local supporters, we are trying to create a system of support to promote interaction using a Kitchen Car, and to reach people who have difficulty going out or are hard to reach for assistance.

    We ordered a tailor-made Kitchen Car, and it has finally been delivered to us! On December 1, the Kitchen Car "Under the Sky Cafe" was unveiled in front of the meeting room of temporary housing in Ohsato. Despite the cold weather, a total of 42 people attended the lively event. Participants cooked local delicacy such as rice cake, stickey potato soup, seaweed dishes, using the ingredients provided by local farmers and fishermen. The event provided an opportunity for the local residents to meet again after a long absence, eat together, and exchange information about their recent activities, which was very much appreciated by the participants. 

   The unveiling event filled our stomach, but it also filled our hearts with warmth, promising a good start of the Kitchen Car project. We will continue our support activities so that the Kitchen Car can gradually fulfill its role as a place for community interaction in the town of Ohsato!