Rebuilding Work Sheds for Fishing Families

Yutaka Satoh, a fisherman from Minamisanriku, lives with his wife in a small temporary housing unit.  The tsunami leveled his house and work shed, leaving only the foundation.   They still await decisions on whether they can legally rebuild their home where it once stood.

Living in a small apartment the Satoh family is starting over.  They resumed fishing, but did not have the work and storage space necessary to fully restore their business.  Officials approved work space construction at sites near the sea, an important step forward for the Satoh family.

In August 2012 PWA rebuilt the Satoh family “base of operations”, the fishing shed.  PWA visited the shed in September, and found the Satohs mending salmon nets and repairing octopus traps.  Yutaka Satoh believes the shed is pivotal to his family’s success during the fall and winter fishing seasons.

This summer PWA began building fishing sheds for Minamisanriku families that lost their homes and sheds in the 2011 Japan tsunami.  Fishing sheds provide the space that families need to return to work and restore their livelihoods.  The indoor space is even more essential during the freezing temperatures of winter.  PWA is working closely with Minamisanriku District Leaders to support the fishing families most in need.

READ MORE > about Peace Winds’ work in Tohoku.