Consulate-General of Japan in Detroit
在デトロイト日本国総領事館

Statement by Mr. Mitsuhiro Wada, Consul-General of Japan in Detroit,
On the Occasion of the Fifth Anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake

Five years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011. It was an unprecedented disaster which resulted in a tremendous loss of life and property mainly in Japan’s Tohoku region. On this most somber occasion, I wish to offer my heartfelt sympathy to all of those affected.

In the aftermath of the earthquake and resultant tsunami, we were overwhelmed by an outpouring of compassion and support from the international community, particularly from the United States. The Japan Center for International Exchange reported that Americans contributed more than $730 million—the largest philanthropic response in U.S. history for a disaster in a developed country.

While the U.S. military formed Operation Tomodachi (or, “Operation Friends,”) to offer on-the-ground humanitarian assistance, countless individuals and local entities in Michigan and Ohio, including, corporations non-profit agencies, academic institutions, religious and community groups, collected generous monetary and material donations and offered prayers and support for the victims.

Such goodwill from the residents of Michigan and Ohio continues to this day. One example is the ‘Ishinomaki 2.0’ program which is implemented by participants including a professional group of architects, creators, scholars, and others in collaboration with the Center for Japanese Studies (CJS) of the University of Michigan. Under this program, they seek to not simply restore the city as it was, but also to completely renovate the City of Ishinomaki (Miyagi Prefecture). University engineering students and others have been dispatched to Ishinomaki for research and some of their findings will also be applied towards rehabilitation efforts underway in the city of Detroit.  

As another example of the heartwarming response, then 8-year-old Lebanon, Ohio resident, Ms. Mia Moor, held a wristband fundraiser, and established the “Ishinomaki Playground Project.”  She dedicated the construction of new playground facilities in a destroyed park of Ishinomaki City—Mia’s great grandmother’s hometown. With the generous assistance of the University of Cincinnati’s architectural department, the playground was constructed in May 2014.

These acts of kindness are testaments to the deep, long-cherished friendship between the Japanese and American people. Taking this opportunity, may I once again express my profound gratitude, on behalf of the Government and people of Japan. We will never forget your goodwill.  

The reconstruction timeline has been set for a ten-year period, and we are now approaching the half-way point. With the collective efforts of the nation, we are fully engaged in the initiatives and the reconstruction is proceeding steadily. It is my great hope that many foreign tourists will visit and enjoy Tohoku.

Japan will host the Rugby World Cup in 2019 and matches will be played in Kamaishi City, which sustained damage from the tsunami. The government will extend its full support to Kamaishi City to ensure a successful event. What's more, the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics will be held in 2020. It would be wonderful to see the Olympic torch relay proceed through recovering areas, which will hopefully host Olympic camps and qualifying rounds.

In short, without the reconstruction of Tohoku, Japan itself cannot revive. It is to this end that I humbly ask for the continued support of the international community.

March 11, 2016

Mitsuhiro Wada
Consul General of Japan in Detroit