January 30, 2012
In the Kesen region in disaster-affected Iwate Prefecture, 19 carpenters inaugurated their own union. Encouraged by support from construction workers throughout Japan, they are moving forward to recover from the disaster.
The Kesen region is in southern coastal area of Iwate and consists of two cities, Ofunato and Rikuzen-takata, and one town, Sumida. The area is famous for its traditional architectural heritage, called “Kesen carpentry”, which has 350-year-old tradition going back to the Edo period.
Many carpenters in Ofunato and Rikuzen-takata lost their tools of the trade to the 3.11 tsunami.
Sato Kunio, 63, said that he almost lost his will to live because the tsunami washed away his tools, passed down to him from his father. He recalled, “Without these tools, I can no longer do my job.”
With the aim of supporting disaster-affected carpenters like Sato, the National Federation of Construction Workers’ Union (Zenkensouren) called on its members across Japan to donate tools and then sent them to the region.
A carpenter who received tools from Zenkensouren said, “Work gives me energy. I’m glad that I can use my skill to reconstruct the region.” Now, he is engaging in repair of damaged houses, such as repair of cracked pillars.
Appreciating the support from Zenkensouren, the recipients of the tools decided to establish their own union with the hope of handing down their skills as Kesen carpenters to the next generation and contributing to the reconstruction of their communities.
At an inaugural meeting of the union on January 21, Sato was elected as chair. He expressed his determination by saying, “For an early recovery from the disaster, we will proactively get involved in the post-disaster reconstruction efforts. Local communities can be revitalized only by using local timber and locally available materials, and creating jobs for local small construction companies and construction workers.”
The Kesen region is in southern coastal area of Iwate and consists of two cities, Ofunato and Rikuzen-takata, and one town, Sumida. The area is famous for its traditional architectural heritage, called “Kesen carpentry”, which has 350-year-old tradition going back to the Edo period.
Many carpenters in Ofunato and Rikuzen-takata lost their tools of the trade to the 3.11 tsunami.
Sato Kunio, 63, said that he almost lost his will to live because the tsunami washed away his tools, passed down to him from his father. He recalled, “Without these tools, I can no longer do my job.”
With the aim of supporting disaster-affected carpenters like Sato, the National Federation of Construction Workers’ Union (Zenkensouren) called on its members across Japan to donate tools and then sent them to the region.
A carpenter who received tools from Zenkensouren said, “Work gives me energy. I’m glad that I can use my skill to reconstruct the region.” Now, he is engaging in repair of damaged houses, such as repair of cracked pillars.
Appreciating the support from Zenkensouren, the recipients of the tools decided to establish their own union with the hope of handing down their skills as Kesen carpenters to the next generation and contributing to the reconstruction of their communities.
At an inaugural meeting of the union on January 21, Sato was elected as chair. He expressed his determination by saying, “For an early recovery from the disaster, we will proactively get involved in the post-disaster reconstruction efforts. Local communities can be revitalized only by using local timber and locally available materials, and creating jobs for local small construction companies and construction workers.”
