Announcement on Reorganization of HARU

It has been 3 month since HARU was found by some volunteer students on 24^th of March, after the Great East Japan Earthquake. We have made a collective effort by doing anything we can to help, and accepted many requests. We have always groped what we can do, and what we ought to do.

It is said that 3 months lets it move on to the next reconstruction phase in many affected area. On this occasion we are discussing about our future activity and reorganizing the system. Under this circumstance, we are not capable of doing any advocacy work right now.

Though there are so many of works left that are needed in affected areas, we are going through an indispensible reorganization. It takes a while, but we are willing to turn over new leaf. So please wait until then.

“Ishinomaki Wonder Yokochou”

“Ishinomaki Wonder Yokochou” project is planned by a group of artists such as Ichiro Endo and some other artists, belonging to “Island Japan”, and several members of HARU took part in this activity.

Tachimachi Shopping Street in Ishinomaki was seriously affected by the Tsunami. Right after the Great East Japan Earthquake, the streets were covered with mud, so very few people were walking on them. The whole town looked “grey”. Even in this situation, we found an open flower shop. “Sakko-chan”, an artist of the Island Japan, who had stayed in the shopping street and had been engaged in the volunteer activity, was shaken by a picture hung in the shop. It all started from this episode, she then decided to start an activity of drawing pictures on the shutters of shops on the shopping street. She hopes that these pictures will cheer up shop owners so that they will be able to start their daily operation again.

Until now, we had drawn pictures on 3 shops’ shutters and name boards. Many artists gathered from all over the country, from Tokyo to Oita, and they even try to get the passers by or citizens to be involved in drawing pictures on shutters.

They also recruit volunteers for drawing pictures with them on an as-needed basis. No special skills are required. Let’s draw pictures together!!

In addition, near the shops with painted shutters at Ishinomaki Wonder Yokochou, an exhibition of art works of high school students is being held now. Name plates used for temporary housings, which are made by an art club students from Ishinomaki Nishi High School and Ishinomaki Koubunkan High School using wood scrap are on display. Since most of the students come from serious affected areas, they put special feelings in these name plates.

The shopping street and the exhibition site, was seriously affected by the Tsunami, so most of shops could not open again. Despite of such situation, the exhibition was held without charge as a favor of owner.

“Name plate exhibition for everyone”

Date: June 18^th ~26^th (11:00~18:00)

Place: “Boys Gallery” 2-6-25 Tachimachi, Ishinomaki City

After the exhibition, the name plates will be given to the temporary housing residents. During the exhibition period, also visitors can make their own name plates. Materials are ready. Everyone is welcome. We hope that many people visit the exhibition..

Contact information:

Chie Kajiwara

Ishinomaki Wonder Yokochou

08033243338

Received Letter of Appreciation from University Library

Hello, I’m Tatsurou Kuboki, a member of publication section.

I am pleased to inform you that University Library gave us a letter of appreciation for the volunteer activities of HARU.

From April to the beginning of June, HARU had been engaged in volunteer activities on recovery of University Library. The University Library has more than 4 million books and is one of the major libraries in Japan. However, due to the Great East Japan Earthquake, more than one million books fell off the shelves or were damaged.

In order to bring about recovery as soon as possible, HARU carried out an volunteer project. Consequently the library could reopen before the long vacation in May. At present, the library is operated on regular basis as before.

June 14^th, 2011 was the 100th anniversary of University Library. On this day, anniversary ceremony was taken place. At the start of the ceremony, Keiichi Noge, an Library Director, gave a speech in which he said that “Earthquake disaster occurred on this 100^th anniversary year, and we were suffered by the earthquake. However, thanks to student volunteer members, we could recover early. Now, let’s encourage ourselves for revitalization of this library together toward the next 100^th anniversary.”

After that, we were given a letter of appreciation from Library Director Noge.

The content of the letter of appreciation is as follows:

Certificate of Appreciation

To "HARU" -Reconstruction Team of TOHOKU University-

You contributed on recovery of the University Library, which was suffered seriously by the Great East Japan Earthquake, with a lot of volunteer members.

To admire your achievement and express our appreciation, on this day of the 100^th anniversary, I am very pleased to send you this letter of appreciation.

June 14, 2011

Tohoku University Library Director

Keiichi Noge