【Great East Japan Earthquake】 March 11, 2011 Kesennuma City, Miyagi Pref - with subtitles

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10 years ago, when the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred, I was at Kohoku Shimpoh building for safety. From there, I witnessed our store and my house being washed away. Nature’s ruthlessness and violence were indescribable. With the sound of squeaking, buildings collided with each other and were swallowed by black muddy streams one after another. My father, who was standing beside me, remained speechless at the sight. At night, a fire burned our hometown and the sea altogether. I was looking at the scene with utter hopelessness, wondering how many people had died. However, on that day, at that moment, I made a vow that I would rebuild my store and our hometown of Kesennuma. I was ready to sacrifice my lifetime for this cause. I had nothing to lose other than my life. Mysteriously, I was filled with passion.

I started from scratch while being taken care of at my relatives’ house. The money on hand is mere 600USD for three family members. Our savings are small. The funds for the company were washed away altogether with the safe. I never thought that I would actually be in such a situation. My relatives, friends, acquaintances, and people all over the country provided us with all sorts of necessities, such as food, cloths, and a residence. Everything was so kind, so warm, and our hearts were filled with gratefulness and happiness. Because of the support, my family members had never suffered from hunger, not even once.

I rented my father's acquaintance’s factory at night and made Castella cakes with my parents and sold them online. We rented a temporary apartment two months later. Then, we rented a store, asked my relatives to buy a commercial vehicle, and reopened the confectionery store five months after the earthquake. All were new. We had a huge debt as a result, but it was a minor problem.

The night before the opening, I still remember my father gazing thoughtfully at the shiny showcase. People all over the country shopped at the store to support us. We are really thankful to them. One year after the earthquake, when the time to rebuild the store seemed to be near, my father was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. He went to heaven in January 2013 after fighting against the illness. He was 61 years old. Making confectionaries was what he had lived for. It must have been a devastating fate for him when he was almost there. I made a lot of promises with my father toward the end. “I will take over what you wanted to do.” “I will return the favor we have received on behalf of you.” “I surely will rebuild our store and our home.” My father, who seemed in a critical condition and unconscious, responded me by raising his hand. He went on a journey one hour after holding hands and making promises. At the last moment of his life, he taught me that life is finite.

Although I made promises with my father, the reality was much harder than I had imagined. Since I had been depending heavily on my father, who was the most reliable of our family, both of my confectionary making and management skills were immature and we quickly went into the red. Many staffs left. When I was at a loss as such, it was my father's friends and colleagues who helped me. They taught me how to make confectionaries, gave me some advice, and they always said "because your dad took care of me.” His death wasn't the end. My father in heaven helped me through the people around me.

I had some difficulty even then, but thanks to everyone, I rebuilt my house 7 years after the earthquake and the new store in its original location 8 years and 8 months after it. It took this long because of my immaturity. Sometimes, I caused trouble for many people. Since these years has been like a training for me, I was exhausted both physically and mentally. However, I am grateful that I had such a precious experience, which I would never have if the reconstruction went smoothly. Moreover, I was able to rebuild the store in the original place as I promised with my father. This was possible maybe because my father led me here.

3653 days after the earthquake, we are living now because of the support of so many people. For me, every day is like a miracle. Nowadays, the number of staff is increasing and they are all reliable, and with the help of many people, my family, relatives and my father in heaven are working toward the next goal, building "Umineko Land; New Store (provisional).” In the near future, we will surely realize our dream of becoming a confectionary store that attracts attention from all over Japan and the world, and return the favor to the region. I will devote my saved life to this land, Kesennuma.

Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the great support and empathy with Kesennuma for the past 10 years. I am really thankful to you all.

March 11, 2021 Kesennuma City, Miyagi Pref Koyama Confectionery Store the 5th master Hirotaka Oyama

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