The day Masahiro Osada reopened his Chinese restaurant, the mayor showed up for a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
A local TV station covered the event for the evening news. Osada spoke of the courage it took to restart his business in the tsunami-devastated town of Rikuzentakata, whose recovery remains in doubt as skeptical residents move elsewhere.
"I am hoping for a chain reaction of courage," Osada said.
By now, the towns along the northeast coast have drafted their reconstruction plans, with color-coded maps showing new commercial zones, public parks and residential communities on higher ground. Osada bet on this vision, taking out a nearly ¥3 million loan to buy restaurant supplies, even though he was some ¥16 million in debt. From last week, he began serving noodle dishes in a white prefabricated building erected by the central government. (Japan Times)
The day Masahiro Osada reopened his Chinese restaurant, the mayor showed up for a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
A local TV station covered the event for the evening news. Osada spoke of the courage it took to restart his business in the tsunami-devastated town of Rikuzentakata, whose recovery remains in doubt as skeptical residents move elsewhere.
"I am hoping for a chain reaction of courage," Osada said.
By now, the towns along the northeast coast have drafted their reconstruction plans, with color-coded maps showing new commercial zones, public parks and residential communities on higher ground. Osada bet on this vision, taking out a nearly ¥3 million loan to buy restaurant supplies, even though he was some ¥16 million in debt. From last week, he began serving noodle dishes in a white prefabricated building erected by the central government. (Japan Times)