Sendai, the JEARS mission.

I'm in Sendai on a mission. A seemingly impossible mission, but one which we will see through to completion no matter what.

Jears needs more bases. We can't keep transporting people from Niigata to Fukushima, from Niigata to Iwate and back again day in day out.

With all my friends as contacts in Sendai, I knew I could reply on them to help out.

However, we must remember what we are dealing with here and how many other people are likely to have rented out accommodation more inland to where their houses were or barely are. We must also remember that the ground has not stopped shaking.

This was a trip due to happen last week, but as I wrote, got postponed because of another big shake that knocked out electricity one more time for the residents of Tohoku.

It didn't stop us searching, mind. But, the search was tough. At any mention of an animal, let alone a few (hundred) , the answer was a a flat 'No'.

My friend Fumiko had sent me details of one house and I was prepared to show a picture of Elbi stating quite firmly that he would be the pet living there, but I knew that somehow, the owners would cotton on. Surely the miaowing sounds and sheer number of dogs and cats passing through the front doors would blow our secret.

No, this was something that needed to be handled properly. The animals and the volunteers need a good base. The highway needs to be near and amenities should be convenient.

So, when I read Fumiko's mail last night about her mother's house, I got very excited.

My persistent ''nande mo ii''s (anything is ok) must be paying off. I really wanted to see anything that was available, but even empty warehouses were saying a flat 'No'.

So, that settled it. We finally had a house to look at, where the restrictions were minimal and we could have what we wanted.

So, that is why, I woke up at 0605 with a slight crook in my neck to the announcement of 'Izumi Chuo no tochiyaku desu'.

Welcome to my Japanese home town.

It was a beautiful warm and sunny morning and I waited for Fumiko to come and get me. There were few signs of damage where I was standing, just some concrete slabs uprooted on the pavement, that was all.

We went for a wee morning drive to towards the port. But, we were nowhere near the port when she pointed at the crossroads we were at, telling me that the tsunami had reached as far as where we were. And then, as we drove on, the destruction could be spotted everywhere. It wasn't just the odd building, it was every building, warehouse and vehicle.

There were so many cars in one spot crushed up in a pile together, houses were just dirt and rubble save the few still standing.

Did you see the picture video from the JEARS entry I did? You would have seen the two storey house with just the second storey sat in the middle of a rice field. Well, this morning, I saw a similar sight under a bridge away from any possible foundations. Where had it come from?

Many roads were still blocked, but repairs were apparent everywhere. There was a big repair patch on the highway from where it must have collapsed down to the street below.

The sights were not too dissimilar from the ones in north Fukushima and south Miyagi, but the damage was much more extensive, going much further inland.

You can see some of the pictures here -

leonorasophie-everyday.blogspot.com/2011/04/sendai.html

We headed back to Fumiko's house and grabbed breakfast along the way, ready to start the day.

Fumiko lives outside Sendai shi itself, a short drive from Izumi chuo. In the area, there are two big DIY stores linking the area to Sendai shi and these convenient stores, along with a big Jusco shopping mall just happen to be near the house.

More details on the bases for JEARS later.

As soon as we stepped out the house and into the car, my phone rang. Ian was trying, not for the first time to get through to me.

It was around 1130 and there had been a big earthquake in the Kanto region. Saitama ken experienced and shindo 5, later lowered to a shindo 4, but, Ian was on his own, with Elbi and Mimi, trying to save computer upstairs from smashing (again) and TV from smashing as well as CD racks toppling on Mimi (again), I knew I couldn't stay in Sendai any longer this weekend.

I had done what I had come to do, at least in terms of the animals. My other friends would have to wait, as would I to give them their hugs.

On friend did surprise me at lunch and bring her kids with her too. When I hugged them I cried, so tired and emotional from all this, but it was lovely to see them.

It was lovely to see Fumiko too, who has been so unbelievably helpful at this time, as have all my friends in Sendai.

So, it was all I could do to buy as much Zunda as I could to satisfy my tummy and contribute a small bit to Sendai's economy,but now I am on a bus home.

24 hours devoted to hopefully a successful mission.

The road is somewhat bumpy on the way back, I was lucky to have slept through this last night. Might try resting the eyes one more time.

Sendai, I shall be back very soon! XXX

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Location:Sendai, Japan.