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| ▲With colleagues who have registered for the Japan Transport Service Regional Network Federation (J-Net), Mr. Torii has driven victims to do their shopping, clothes-cleaning, bathing and to hospital. As of June 18, 460 volunteer drivers have been engaged in the effort. |
Mr. Mitsugu Torii of the Hyogo Transport Service Network launched a transport service in the disaster-affected areas on April 1 aiming to reach out to the victims without means of transport. Torii worked in the cities of Tamura and Iwaki, and now he is based in Nihonmatsu City where residents have evacuated from Namie-machi. He hopes to continue serving them as long as they need the service. “I often drive for Namie-machi residents who have evacuated to Noji Onsen. It takes an hour from Nihonmatsu, where Namie’s temporary town hall stands, to Noji Onsen. I want to meet their needs as much and as long as I can, because I know they are looking forward to chatting on the bus, not to mention the transport service.”
Torii will be back in Tamura City before returning to Hyogo, wishing to arrange transport support as a part of universal service. “The help and lessons we gained from the Great Hanshin Earthquake, have created who we are today. Now it’s our turn to help out and pass our knowledge on to the people in Fukushima.”
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| ▲Namie-machi residents, now evacuated in Noji Onsen hotels as a secondary shelter, get on the bus |
