Two months after the Noto Peninsula earthquake, more than 11,000 people are still forced to live in evacuation centers, in their cars, or in their half-broken homes. AAR Japan (Association for Aid and Relief, Japan), has distributed assortments of yokans (sweet bean jelly), cookies and other items to cheer up the affected people as much as possible, together with local welfare facilities.

Yu no Oka, operated by the Nonohana Fukushikai social welfare corporation in Nanao City, Ishikawa Prefecture, is a welfare service office for people with disabilities to which AAR delivered support immediately after the earthquake. On January 3rd, we provided drinking water, food, and cleaning supplies, and afterwards we delivered portable toilets, toilet tents, and hygiene products since they were in continuous water outage.

Staff members of “Yu no Oka” distributed snacks to the local residents, together with AAR staff members, hoping to do something helpful for the survivors since they had been helped immediately after the disaster. We also aimed to help clear up their mind while feeling depressed after being evacuated from their homes, by visiting door to door and have a chat, even for a short time.

The assorted bags contain “Suzu salt” cookies handmade by users at the welfare facility, messages and drawings of “Let us do our best, Noto” and other messages, as well as yokans provided by Toraya Confectionery Co., Ltd (Tokyo).

Under the flurry of snow, AAR staff members, along with users and staff of Yu no Oka, and neighborhood association presidents, were divided into five groups and visited approximately 300 households in the Takashina district of Nanao City to deliver the assortment of snacks. The recipients all said “thank you” with smiles.

Mr. Honda, 79, chairman of Yu no Oka, said, “Sweets help us forget the pain of the disaster, even if only for a moment. I hope that the residents will take a good rest after eating yokans and our cookies and regain energy. It is heartbreaking to hear the news of the disaster, but it is important to do something tiny but cheerful to move forward.”

In the severe situation, people affected by the disaster are trying to overcome their difficulties by helping each other through relationships among communities. We would like to ask for your cooperation in AAR’s support for the survivors of the Noto Peninsula earthquake.