Sachiko Kobayashi distributes rice in Fukushima

Sachiko Kobayashi, center, poses with evacuees at a shelter in Soma, Fukushima Prefecture.
SANKEI

FUKUSHIMA —
Singer Sachiko Kobayashi, 57, visited Soma in Fukushima on Friday for the first time since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Kobayashi is traveling around the country in an 11-ton truck doling out words of encouragement along with the 10 tons of rice she brought along for survivors. The load consists of 2,000 bags, each containing 5 kilos of unwashed rice, as well as 12,000 steamed yeast buns.

The truck visited nine evacuee shelters in Soma at which Kobayashi doled out the food while posing for photos with fans. When asked why she chose to visit Fukushima, Kobayashi explained that she was repaying a debt. Kobayashi’s hometown of Niigata was struck by earthquakes in 1964, 2004 and 2007. “I still remember people from neighboring Fukushima volunteering to come and help us,” she said.

“Today I heard something from a person in one of the shelters. It’s something I’ll never forget,” she recalled. “She said, ‘All the items that have sentimental value and many precious memories are lost now. This photo we took with you will come to mark the point at which we started to make new memories.’”

After visiting the shelters, Kobayashi announced her plan to visit all the quake-hit areas in the Tohoku region in an attempt to encourage survivors. “Today and tomorrow, this year and next year, I will continue to support the region. You won’t be forgotten by me,” she promised.


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