[IWATE, Japan, 16 June 2011]
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On 5 June (Sunday) and 11 June (Saturday), the second installment of the UNICEF Children’s Bus Fieldtrips was implemented for children living in the coastal regions of Iwate Prefecture, an area severely damaged in the Great East Japan Earthquake. A total of approximately 440 people, including children’s guardians, took part in the event over the two days. Participants from 11 Iwate Prefecture coastal areas (Rikuzentakata, Ofunato, Kamaishi, Otsuchi, Yamada, Miyako, Iwaizumi, Fudai, Tanohata, Noda and Kuji) boarded the UNICEF Children’s Bus, and on 5 June traveled to Tategamori Ark Farm. On 11 June, participants watched the Chagu Chagu Umako Horse Festival, a traditional festival designated as one of Japan’s intangible folklore cultural assets. They then continued to Iwate Umakko Park. The UNICEF Children’s Bus Fieldtrips are designed to provide children living in rubble-covered disaster areas with opportunities to play freely in nature. Just as in the first phase, the second phase of the fieldtrips brought smiles to countless children’s faces.
At Tategamori Ark Farm, located in Fujisawa Town in Higashiiwai District, children enjoyed the beautiful natural environment, where they watched a derby race, a show put on by local superheroes the “GEIBIBEN”, tried their hand at egg collecting, played with rabbits and goats, and enjoyed various athletics. After the fieldtrip the children told the Japan Committee for UNICEF (JCU), “I’m tired after walking so much but it was really fun!”, “I bought so many goodies!”, and “The rabbits were really cute. I wanted to play with them more but we weren’t allowed in their cage.”
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| © Japan Committee for UNICEF | © Japan Committee for UNICEF | © Japan Committee for UNICEF |
Chagu Chagu Umako is a traditional festival in Morioka City where nearly 100 horses march a 15-kilometer road from Sozen Shrine in Takizawa Village to Hachimangu Shrine in Morioka City. This was the first time for many of the children to see the festival in person. As the children watched the colorfully dressed horses they took pictures and cheered, “That one’s beautiful!”, “His eye’s are so big and cute!” and “I love the sound of the bells!”
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Later, the children were taken to Iwate Umakko Park in Takizawa Village. The park had a horse that children could ride, and the children immediately formed a line so they could participate in the horse riding fun. Some of the children appeared nervous at first, but their looks of worry quickly turned into smiles once the ride began. The children happily told us, “It was a little scary at first, but it was really fun,” “I was surprised that the horse’s body was so warm,” and “This time I rode a pony but next time I want to try out a big horse!”
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Numerous volunteers from Iwate and other prefectures cooperated in the UNICEF Children’s Bus Fieldtrips as UNICEF Child Supporters. One volunteer voiced that, “It was my first time volunteering, so I was a bit unsure about what to do at first, but the children came up to me and said ‘Let’s play!’ After that we had a great time playing.” Another volunteer commented, “I am from the coastal area of Iwate Prefecture, so it was very reassuring to see the children happy and playing.” Also, “I have cooperated in the past by donating to UNICEF campaigns, but I am happy that I was able to personally participate in these activities.”
The Japan Committee for UNICEF (JCU) will continue activities with the cooperation of its many volunteers in order to ensure the greatest interests of the children.
All photo credits: © Japan Committee for UNICEF/2011/K.Goto
| Receiving Prefecture |
Type of Emergency Supplies |
Arrival Date |
Quantity | Donating Company |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miyagi | Water | 19 Mar. | 12,288 bottles |
VanaH Co., Ltd. | Two-liter plastic bottles |
| Fukushima | Water | 22 Mar. | 12,672 bottles |
VanaH Co., Ltd. | Two-liter plastic bottles |
| Miyagi | Underwear for boys and girls | 22 Mar. | 200,000 | ||
| Iwate | Underwear for boys and girls | 23 Mar. | 30,000 | ||
| Fukushima | Water | 23 Mar. | 4,680 bottles |
KIRIN MC DANONE WATERS Co., Ltd. | Two-liter plastic bottles |
| Miyagi | Children’s shoes | 23 Mar. | 10,000 pairs |
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| Miyagi | Children’s diapers | 24 Mar. | 80 packs | P&G Japan | |
| Iwate | Children’s underwear | 24 Mar. | 9,700 | ||
| Fukushima | Water | 24 Mar. | 12,288 bottles |
VanaH Co., Ltd. | Two-liter plastic bottles |
| Iwate | Shoes | 26 Mar. | 1,404 pairs | Achilles Corporation | |
| Iwate | Underwear for boys and girls | 27 Mar. | 28,266 | ||
| Iwate | Boots | 27 Mar. | 7,462 pairs | ||
| Iwate | Wipes | 28 Mar. | 1,200 | P&G Japan | For babies |
| Miyagi | Recreation kits Early Childhood Development kits |
2 Apr. | 50 of each | Procured from the UNICEF Supply Division | |
| Iwate | Recreation kits Early Childhood Development kits |
2 Apr. | 50 of each | Procured from the UNICEF Supply Division | |
| Miyagi | Book bags | 6 Apr. | 70 | Nihon New Bag Chain | |
| Iwate | Book bags | 6-7 Apr. | 340 | Seiban | |
| Miyagi | Schoolbags | 8 Apr. | 18,000 | Procured from the UNICEF Supply Division | |
| Iwate | Schoolbags | 8 Apr. | 18,000 | Procured from the UNICEF Supply Division | |
| Miyagi | Personal security buzzers (for crime prevention purposes) | 8 Apr. | 5,000 | ||
| Iwate | Personal security buzzers (for crime prevention purposes) | 8 Apr. | 5,000 | ||
| Miyagi | Minicar | 8 Apr. | 3 cars | ||
| Miyagi | Nutritional supplements | From early April | 4,000 bottles | ||
| Fukushima | Water | 11 Apr. | 1,536 bottles | VanaH Co., Ltd. | Two-liter plastic bottles |
| Miyagi | Replenishments for recreation kits | 12 Apr. | 60 sets | ||
| Miyagi | Miniature toy cars | 12 Apr. | Approx. 1,200 | TAKARA TOMY | |
| Sagamihara* | Water | 12 Apr. | 12,288 bottles | VanaH Co., Ltd. | Two-liter plastic bottles |
| Miyagi | Play mats | 13 Apr. | Two types; 80 of each type | IKEA | |
| Miyagi | Drawing sets | 13 Apr. | 60 sets | IKEA | |
| Iwate | Preschool-size chairs, tables and low tables | 14 Apr. | 75 chairs; 11 tables; 9 low tables | Donated to preschools, primary schools, junior high schools and high schools in the disaster area as well as their new locations | |
| Miyagi | Mopeds | 15 Apr. | 5 | ||
| Iwate | Notebooks and stationery sets for primary and junior high school students | 15. Apr. | 16,700 sets | ||
| Miyagi | 183 computers; 57 copiers and fax machines; 61 printers | 18-21 Apr. | Distributed to preschools, primary schools, junior high schools and high schools in the disaster area as well as their new locations | ||
| Fukushima | Movable blackboards | 21 Apr. | 10 | ||
| Fukushima | Temporary toilets | 22 Apr. | 20 | ||
| Iwate | Geiger counters | 28 Apr. | 14 | For schools in Soma City | |
| Iwate | Dressing room/ breastfeeding partition system | 28 Apr. | 21 sets | ||
| Saitama* | Milk | From late April | Shelter in Futabamachi, Kazo City | ||
| Saitama* | Yogurt | From early May | Danone Japan | Shelter in Futabamachi, Kazo City | |
| Iwate | Color pencils (120 sets) and paint (240 sets) | 13 May | |||
| Iwate | Student lamps | 14 May | 15 | ||
| Iwate | Stationery sets | 16 May | 840 sets | ||
| Fukushima | Lockers | 16 May | 22 sets | For the Board of Education of Minamisoma City | |
| Fukushima | Computers | 16 May | 1 | Ishikawa Town Board of Education | |
| Miyagi | 2 copiers; 2 computers; 2 printers | May | For Higashi-Matsushima Day-Care Center and Watari Day-Care Center | ||
| Iwate | Water receiving tank, water purifier tank, water supply tank | May construction | May construction | ||
| Miyagi | Solar-powered vaccine refrigerator | 18 May | |||
| Fukushima | Fans | 30 May | 112 | Minamisoma City Board of Education | |
| Fukushima | Masks | 30 May | 100,000 | Minamisoma City Board of Education |
-Number of UNICEF Children’s Mini Libraries distributed: Approximately 130,000 books to over 650 locations (as of 6 June 2011).
-Number of children that have participated in the UNICEF “Let’s Play! The Outdoors Playtime Project” in Fukushima Prefecture: Approximately 5,600 (as of 26 May)
*Areas receiving disaster victims.
*In certain cases some supplies may be taken from prefectural supply storage warehouses and distributed to shelters and disaster sites in other prefectures.
As of 9:00 a.m. on 1 June 2011 (compiled by the Information and Public Affairs Division).