Once more I found myself in Tokyo, taking a break from the very predictable expectations of society and developing my newest master plan to prove them wrong. This was the perfect opportunity to accept an invitation from a very good friend of mine who lives in Ichinoseki. After the heartwarming welcome and the introduction to his lovely family, we hit the road. He wanted to open my eyes to the current predicament of the very same region that suffered through the tsunami last year. And he did.
The Tohoku region is dependent on tourism. After the tsunami disaster most tourists avoided the Tohoku region because, in their opinion, it's no destination for a vacation. But that's not true. The region has to be rebuilt by tourism. The people who live there are ready to move forward with their existence, but without jobs, without income from tourism, how can they continue? Donations are not a longtime solution. Trust in the region has to be reestablished. So my friend led by example and we had a great time.
We started in Ichinoseki and drove to Rikuzentakata. This was obviously not for fun, but for me to understand the situation of the people that survived.
These pictures show the most significant signs of destruction by the tsunami visible today. Not too far away from it, people are living normal lives.
Next stop was the impressive Kamaishi Dai-Kannon:
The view was incredible:
Then it was time for a break in Miyako:
The next morning we left for Ryusendo, Japan's three biggest stalactite caves:
The final destination was Morioka. The sakura that split the massive granite stone in front of the Morioka court house reminds us to never accept the impossibility of a situation:
After this awesome trip, my friend asked me to send a message to the world:
The people of Tohoku are still here and they left the past behind for a better future. So if you think about visiting Japan, don't be afraid to have an awesome time in Tohoku!
Sometimes, doing something good is as easy as taking a vacation.
Thank you, my friend, for having a great time!!!
