元ＰＴＡ会長のあとがき
この文集は3.11東日本大震災の一年後の2012年3月に陸前高田市立気仙中学の生徒たちがまとめた文集です。その翌年の2013年12月、当時気仙中のＰＴＡ会長を務めていた私に、全国語学教育学会のＬＤ部会様を中央大学中澤秀雄教授から紹介を頂き「被災地を忘れないでほしい、この東日本大震災の経験を世界の方々に伝えたいと思う」その一念から、ＬＤ部会様に英訳をお願いすることになりました。
さて、２０１１年３月１１日に発生した東日本大震災により、当市におきましても、かつて経験したことのない未曾有の被害を受け、多くの尊い市民の生命と財産が奪われました。
このような中、日本全国及び世界各国から、さまざまな形での多くのご支援をいただき、誠に感謝に堪えません。絶望の淵に立った市民並びに気仙中の生徒たちに、生きる力と、再び立ち上がる勇気を与えていただきました。皆さまの心温まるご厚情に対し、この場をお借りして心より御礼申し上げます。
あの大震災から、早3年７ヵ月が経過し、陸前高田市の復興計画に基づき、仮設住宅から恒久住宅への転居も少しずつでは御座いますが、各地区で見受けられ復興へと歩み始めているところであります。
まだまだ復興への道のりは遠く険しいものと存じておりますが、本市は、過去において、明治三陸大津波（１８９６年）、昭和三陸地震津波（１９３３年）、チリ地震津波（１９６０年）など、幾多の大津波により甚大な被害を受けながらも、不撓不屈の精神で、危機を乗り越えてきました。
今回の大震災による被害と経験は、まだ幼い中学生には想像を絶するほど甚大なものでありましたが、その先人のＤＮＡを汲む気仙中の生徒たちの中にはやはり、大震災での心の大きな傷を抱えながらも夢や希望を決して忘れず、故郷を復興させる思いが 深く伝わって来る文面が多く見受けられます。
文集の英訳に携わられたＬＤ部会様及び、全ての方々のご尽力とご支援に心より感謝を申し上げると共に、この英訳された文集を見て頂く全世界の方々が大津波の恐ろしさを知り日頃の防災意識の一助となって頂き、大災害から大切な愛する家族・恋人・友人そして、自分をいかに守るかを考えて頂く機会となれば幸いに存じます。
文集を書いた当時まだ幼い中学生でしたが、立派な高校生へと全員が成長しております。１日も早い復旧・復興に向け、必ずや皆様のご支援に応えられるよう、市民一丸となって取り組んでいく決意でありますので、変わらぬご支援をよろしくお願い申し上げます。
結びに、この文集を読んでいただいた全世界の多くの皆さま方の今後ますますのご健勝とご活躍を心より祈念申し上げ、あとがきとさせていただきます。
2014年10月
陸前高田市立気仙中学校
元ＰＴＡ会長 武藏和敏
From the Former PTA President
This is a collection of children’s accounts that students from Rikuzentakata City Kesen Junior High School put together one year after the 3.11 Great Eastern Japan Earthquake. The following year in December 2013, in my official role as president of Kesen Junior High School PTA, and from my strong wish that the disaster-stricken area should not be forgotten and that people’s experiences of the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake should be told to people across the world, I decided to ask the Japan Association of Language Teaching LD SIG to translate the collection into English after being introduced to the LD SIG Co-coordinator by Professor Hideo Nakazawa of Chuo University.
As a result of the Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred on March 11th 2011, the city was heavily damaged, and many citizens had their lives and property violently taken away from them.
In that situation, I was really grateful for the many different kinds of support from all over Japan and the whole world. In the face of despair, this gave citizens and students of Kesen Junior High School the strength and courage to live. I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude for everyone’s heart-warming kindness.
Three years and seven months on since that great earthquake, and, following the reconstruction plan of Rikuzentakata City, people have gradually started to move from temporary housing to permanent housing in every area, as well as to work on reconstruction.
Although I feel the path to reconstruction is long and unrelenting, in the past this city has overcome crises with an indomitable spirit, despite the tremendous damage caused by other great tsunami, such as the Meiji Sanriku Great Tsunami in 1896, the Showa Sanriku Earthquake and Tsunami in 1933, and the Chilean Earthquake and Tsunami in 1960.
The damage and experience from this great earthquake was far beyond anything the still young junior high school students could have imagined. But as descendants of those past survivors, the Kesen Junior High school students have not forgotten their hopes and dreams despite the great hurt in their hearts, and their wish to rebuild their home community is deeply conveyed in many of the accounts.
I express my heartfelt gratitude to the LD SIG for being involved in the translation into English of the collection of children’s accounts, as well as to each and every person for their efforts and support. At the same time, I would be very glad if reading this English translation of the children’s accounts becomes an opportunity for helping readers worldwide to know of the horrors of a great tsunami and to raise their awareness of disaster prevention as a daily matter, and thereby to think about how to protect from disasters people important to them, their loved ones, their family, girlfriend or boyfriend, friends—and themselves.
Although they were young junior high school students when they wrote their accounts, all the students have grown up to become outstanding high school students. The citizens of this city have come together and are determined to work quickly towards restoration and reconstruction in a way that can reflect all of the support we’ve received, and I hope that you will continue to support us.
In closing, I wish for the good health and future prosperity of people from all over the world who have read this collection of children’s accounts.
October 2014
Rikuzentakata City Kesen Junior High School
Former PTA President
Kazutoshi Musashi
