Lauren Hollands
3 February 2015: The stories of 100 survivors of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake have been translated and published into a new book by an academic at the University of Canberra.
Whilst on her third research trip investigating the recovery of the tsunami stricken areas in 2012, assistant professor in urban and regional planning Hitomi Nakanishi was approached by a local newspaper to create an English version of a book of survivors' stories.
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"This book is the record of 100 people who survived the tsunami. Japan has suffered from a number of disasters through the ages but, to my knowledge, this book is the first attempt to translate the real stories of Japanese people who have survived a catastrophe," Dr Nakanishi says.
"This book contains information which we need to pass on to the next generation. As an expert in urban planning, transport planning and disaster management, I have gained insight into how we could enhance the preparedness for future disasters," she adds.
The original Japanese book was a collection of the interviews of 100 survivors published under the title My March 11 in the daily newspaper The Ishinomaki Kahoku that serves the greater Ishinomaki region of Japan, one of the most severely damaged areas.
The English translation is a collaborative project between 26 Japanese volunteers and 16 Australians, led by Dr Nakanishi.
The Australian volunteers – mostly from Canberra – were recruited from a group of English teachers who lived in Japan with the help of the Japanese Embassy in Australia.
The translation began in October 2012 and the book was published in English worldwide in March 2014.
"The English translation of this book could not have been produced without the help of volunteers from Japan and Australia. I sincerely appreciate their efforts," she says.
