Kotaro Takamura's poem about a homesick woman in Tokyo pining for her native Fukushima Prefecture more than 60 years ago could just as easily have been written about many of the displaced locals living in the capital these days.
In his poem "Chieko Sho" ("Chieko's Sky"), published in 1941, Takamura (1883-1956) writes: "Chieko says there is no sky in Tokyo. She says she wants to see the real sky . . . Gazing into the distance, she says, my real sky is the blue sky above Mount Atatara."
Craving a taste of home, Fukushima natives often drop by the prefectural tourist office in Taito Ward for a taste of the life they left behind, according to director Masao Abe. In fact, they comprise a large percentage of the 60 or so visitors who come by the office each day, he said.