Five years after: Epic manga highlights post-quake Tohoku region

(THE ASAHI SHIMBUN) ATokyocartoonisthascreatedamangaepicinspiredbyhisownexperiencesinthenortheasternTohokuregiondevastatedbytheGreatEastJapanEarthquakeandtsunamito“sharethefeelingsofdisastervictims.”

TakehitoShima,42,created“MichinokuniMichitsukuru”(CreatingaroadinMichinokuni)becausehesaidhefelt"guilty"aboutnotbeingvictimizedbythedisaster,unlikemanyofhisfriends,andwantedtodosomethingconstructive.

Themangaworkconsistsoftwovolumestotaling600pagesandisbasedonShima’s700-kilometertripmadeafewyearsaftertheMarch2011catastrophe.

ShimasentadonationimmediatelyaftertheearthquakeandtsunamiandthenvolunteeredtoremovedebrisinSendaithreemonthslater.

Buthesaidhefeltimpotentatthetimewhilewatchingbarberscuttingvictims’hair,restaurantownerscookingfoodforthemandotherspecialistsdoingvolunteerworkinTohoku.

“Mangacreatorsaresomesortofspecialists.IwonderedifIcoulddosomethingforthem,”Shimasaid.“Nomatterwhatreasonitmaybe,suchasacuriosityaboutwhattheregionnowlookslikeandfeelingsofguiltliketheonesIhad,Ihopepeoplewhohavereadmymangawillbecomeinterestedinthequake-devastatedregion.”

Themangafeaturesthreeprotagonists:acartoonistwhohopestocreateworkbasedonwhathewillexperiencewhilewalkingthroughthequake-ravagedregion;afreelancewriterwhohasquithisjobatamediaoutletafterhewastoldtofind“tragicaffairs”inthequake-affectedarea;andafemalestudentwhosemother’shometownwasswampedbythetsunami.

Allofthemwerenotdirectlyvictimizedbythedisasterbutfeeluncomfortable.Andtheyeachrepresentapartofthecreator’spersonality,accordingtoShima.

ThetriowalktheMichinokuShiokazeTrail,a700-kmcoastalhikingroadthatisbeingdevelopedbytheEnvironmentMinistrytolinkHachinoheinAomoriPrefectureandSomainFukushimaPrefecturetwoandahalfyearsafterthedisaster.

Whiletraveling,theyviewfirsthandthescarsleftbytheearthquakeandtsunamiandhearthestoriesandfeelingsofvictims.

Ayoungmanwhoappearsinthecomicsayshisfamilysurvivedthedisasterandtheycontinuelivingintheirfamilyhomeafterhavingrepairedit.Heisseekingemploymentbuthedeclinesajoboffersothatanotherpersonwholosthisfamilyandhousecantaketheopportunity.

Theprotagonistsalsomeetawomanwhoissearchingforherdogthatwentmissingafterthedisaster.Shesaysshefeelsasenseofguiltforsearchingforapetdogwhen"manyhumansarestillmissing.”

Afterhearingstorieslikethese,thethreeprotagonistsrealizethevictimshavedifferentfeelings,andthatlocalpeopleareirritatedwiththedelaysinreconstructioneffortsaswellasthedimmingofmemoriesoftheearthquakeandtsunami.

Whenthethreefeelasenseofguilt,theylosesightoftheirgoals.Buttheydonotstoptraveling,believingthatjustenjoyingbeautifullandscapesandlocaldelicaciesisawayofhelpingout.

“Ifeltnonvictimsgoingtothedisaster-strickenregion,agonizingoversomething,smilingandcrying,couldhelpencouragedisasterrecovery,”saidShima.

TheartistwasbornandraisedinTokyo,buthismother’sfamilyhomeisinTome,MiyagiPrefecture,andhestudiedatauniversityinSendai.HehasmanyfriendsandrelativesintheTohokuregion.

Whenthinkingofhowhecouldhelp,ShimawatchedaTVprogramabouttheMichinokuShiokazeTrail.Hehadjustreleased“ArukiHenroZukan”(Walkingpilgrimpictorialbook)throughFutabashaPublishersLtd.,whichisthemedonhispilgrimageonShikokuislandbeforetheTohokudisaster,andthoughtareportage-likemangacouldbecomeahit.

Hewalked600kmofthe700-kmcoursealonebetweenSeptemberandOctober2013andinMarch2014,andtraveledtheremaining100kmbycarandtrain.Hepaidthetravelexpensesof300,000yen($2,600)outofhisownpocket.

MasatoChiba,64,whorunsa“soba”noodleshopinIshinomaki,MiyagiPrefecture,isoneofthedisastervictimsShimacameacrossduringhistrip.

AcharactermodeledafterChibacropsupin“MichinokuniMichitsukuru,”which,likehisShikokubook,ispublishedbyFutabasha.

“Ifeelhedepictedthequake-hitregionasitis,”Chibacommented.“(Hisbookis)arecordofthedisasterandwillbeusefulwhenhandingdownstoriesaboutthecrisisfromonegenerationtoanother.”