[English Follows]

今日は、東日本大震災で大被害を受けた気仙沼市にある仮設商店街「南町紫市場」を訪れ、これまで商店街の活動に尽力されてきた坂本正人副理事にお話をうかがいました。

同商店街は4月末で終了、一部店舗は近くに建設中の新商店街共同店舗に移転しますが、街に人が戻ってこないこと、高齢化などを理由に出店をためらう店舗もあるそうです。震災以降、継続的に通ってくれるボランティアや事務局スタッフと、商店街の催しについて熱心に打ち合わせる坂本さん。

新商店街は、災害公営住宅に隣接して建設されますが「バラバラの地域から集まる住民のコミュニティ形成が課題です」と坂本さんは語ります。JISPは、気仙沼市でコミュニティ形成支援を行う可能性について検討を始めています。

[Report from Tohoku]

During a visit to a temporary shopping district in the heavily affected town of Kesennuma, we met Mr. Sakmoto Masato, an associate director at the local shopping district.

Mr. Sakamoto told us that the temporary shopping district will be closed at the end of April: while some of the shops will move to a newly constructed shopping-area, some shop owners hesitate to set up their stores because of dwindling number of costumers and the population aging in this area.

Since the disaster, and together with volunteers and his staff, Sakamoto-san has been continuously engaged in the activities of the district.

Whereas the new shopping district was constructed in proximity to the disaster public-housing, Mr. Sakamoto tells us that, “there is the issue of community building, since the new residents come from different places.”

JISP is considering the possibility of providing community building support in Kesennuma city.