The town of Nelson in British Columbia has ties to Onagawa on the east coast of Japan that go back to the Second World War.
So after the earthquake and tsunami struck Japan last March, it was only natural that Nelson residents would undertake fundraising to assist the relief efforts.
A total of $40,000 was raised, but the big conundrum now is what exactly to spend it on.
Onagawa, a coastal town in Miyagi Prefecture where tsunami waters reached a height of 18 metres, was almost completely destroyed in the disaster, and no reconstruction has begun to date.
Onagawa Mayor Yoshiaki Suda recently sent a letter to Nelson Mayor John Dooley thanking the town for its support, but with no mention of how the money, which remains in Nelson, will be spent.
“We want it to be put to good use in accordance with Nelson’s wishes, so we will be making some suggestions to you about that as we watch the recovery process,” wrote Mayor Suda, adding that “we have a long hard road ahead of us, so we ask for your continuing assistance.”
Nelson resident John Craig, a writer, lecturer, and filmmaker who lived and worked in Japan for 25 years, says Mayor Suda, “being Japanese,” is waiting to be told specifically how the money should be spent.
“I know Japan well, and I know that they’re going to wait a long time before the Mayor of Onagawa says, ‘We want you to put the money here,’ and be specific,” he says.
Another suggestion being considered is using the money to set up a scholarship fund for Onagawa students.
