TAGAJO, Miyagi Pref. — Kyle Maclauchlan, an English-language teacher from the United States, experienced a nightmare when the March 11 monster earthquake and tsunami devastated the small Miyagi Prefecture town he lived in and wiped away most of his belongings.
But he, along with many of his non-Japanese friends here, decided to stay.
"I didn't want to leave Japan this way," said the 30-year-old, who has been working at Tagajo Junior High School in Tagajo, Miyagi Prefecture, as an assistant language teacher for three years. "I wanted to be here where I can help. It was important for me to stay and be with people who helped me for so long."