Creating communication opportunities for men
Women’s gatherings are cheerful
Many voluntary assistance organizations
provide places to produce handmade items,
such as knitting workshops, targeting women
who live in temporary housing communities.
Selling these types of goods can also be a
source of income.
Women in Sanriku coast have lived with the
sea, have never stopped working and have
been used to spending busy days. However,
their lifestyle changed when the disaster hit.
They lost their jobs and did not have a chance
to use their hands at all in their daily lives. In
order that they could resume their daily
activities “using their hands,” these handicraft
activities, like knitting, started. Many of them
are elderly women that get together for work
and to chat.
Feelings of men in their prime of life
On the other hand, it is men aged around 50
years that need to be cared for after moving
into temporary housing. Some of these men
wondered how they would spend their time
having been used to working hard every day
and felt they had nowhere to go until they
returned to work. Pachinko (a popular
Japanese gambling game) parlours became
popular in the affected areas which may
demonstrate that there were no choices
available for them.
Events and workshops that men would like to
attend are often in high demand. It is
necessary to hold them at night to make it
easier for men to gather. There are already
some attempts such as shogi (a Japanese
chess) playing, “a cooking class for men,” and
easy gatherings where men can gather freely.
Creating a meeting place for men to refresh
them means a great deal, not only to the men
themselves but also to their families.
Ideas for resuming daily lives