The Kumanichi published a trilogy regarding three women, each strangers to each other, who were thrown together with their dogs as they shared refuge at the Techno Research Park after the quakes. The three also shared striking similarities: all are from Mashiki, are in their 70s, and before the quakes lived alone with only their dogs for company. I’ll introduce just the first of the stories below.
Shibata Sumiko, 75, has lived for 11 years with her miniature dachshund, Cookie, who was given to the couple by a relative who wished to encourage her faltering husband - six of them alone since her husband entered a care facility. The Techno site was closed at the end of May, and she was forced to move to the town gymnasium refuge, a facility which did not accept pets. Fortunately, she found someone to care for Cookie during the two months she spent there before she was finally moved to prefab refugee housing and reunited with Cookie. She remarked, “Based on average lifespan, I have another ten years. Talking with others, they exclaim, ‘Let’s rebuild and be neighbors again together!’, but I doubt if that is realistic.” The article notes that Cookie at that point seemed to bow his head with nostalgia at his old life.
All three articles are linked to below. - William
http://this.kiji.is/155502235930591234?c=92619697908483575 http://this.kiji.is/155504679854540280?c=92619697908483575 http://this.kiji.is/155504690591024629?c=92619697908483575
