Day 3: Sunday, August 25th

Program: Tour of TEPCO Decommissioning Archive Center, Sōma City Memorial Hall, swimming, barbecue in Odaka

In the Decommissioning Archive Center, the children learned about the nuclear power plant and what happened during the Fukushima accident. They were also able to hear about the protective uniforms and robotics that were used on-site.

The Sōma City Memorial Hall was built in remembrance of the victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The children watched the footage of the disaster in silence.

“We can tell a great tragedy happened here. We hope that everyone affected will be able to return to their ordinary lives,” they expressed.

Finally, it was time for the beach.

The children were particularly excited about swimming in the Pacific Ocean, their first encounter with the sea!

After that, another barbecue!

The children tried all kinds of seafood.

Day 4: Monday, August 26th

Program: Visit to Odaka Junior High School, courtesy call tov, planting trees for the Odaka 1000 Sakura Project, tour of fire department and disaster prevention center, sushi-making experience

In the morning, we we given a tour of Odaka’s shell mounds, seawall, and shrine. While the seawall was magnificent, the view from the wall revealed a sorrowful glimpse of Fukushima’s present state.

At Odaka Junior High School, the students from Ukraine enjoyed playing English games with the local students. Despite the language barriers, everyone seemed to have a good time.

In the afternoon, we met with Mayor Monma from Minamisōma City.

The children shared their impression of Japan with Mayor Monma, telling him about their experience at Odaka Junior High School.

The children also got to experience plating a tree for the Odaka 1000 Sakura Project.

This was an easy job for the children, who were already used to doing farm work back home. They planted their own sakura tree along with a personalized message.

The last stop of the day was a tour of the local fire department and disaster prevention center. The children were interested in how the facilities were different from those in Ukraine. They were particularly drawn to pictures depicting the damage caused by the tsunami.

In the evening, the children tried making temakizushi (hand-rolled sushi).

They enjoyed both the eating and the making.

Day 5: Tuesday, August 27th

Program: Tour of Interim Storage Facility Information Center, visit to Iwaki Lalamew Tourist Activity Center, return to Tokyo!

At the Interim Storage Facility Information Center, the children learned about how the contaminated soil was stored and managed.

At Iwaki Lalamew, a storyteller spoke to the children about how things had changed since the earthquake and nuclear disaster.

All activities in Fukushima were finished, and the children were ready to head to Tokyo.