49 days

Yesterday was 49 days after the earthquake and Tsunami. Japanese tradition says the dead wander around their homes for 49 days before departing to the after life.
On the Road volunteers held a minute of silence, while loading supplies at one of the Japan Self Defense Force warehouses, exactly at 2:49 pm, the time the earthquake striked Japan 7 weeks ago.
Although the pace of recovery is unbelievably fast, there is still so much to do.

1 month after the Tsunami

"On the Road with Friends" is a non-profit organization that has settled a volunteer village, 1.5 hours from Ishinomaki city, for volunteers to come and work at cleaning the dirt from houses that were flooded by the Tsunami, as well as cooking and delivering hot meals to those living in shelters, as no hot meals are provided to them yet.

Its been over 5 years since the last time I used my tent and sleeping bag, and was not sure I had all the parts when I left home. Fortunately, everything was there, so I had a roof to protect myself and my cameras from the rain and snow. If you are planning to volunteer, make sure you bring winter clothes, as it is still cold at night and early in the morning.

Check their webpage for more information:

http://saigaishien.jp/