When the Tohoku region was hit by a massive earthquake that triggered deadly tsunami waves in March 2011, volunteers from home and abroad offered various forms of support, from medical supplies to rescue teams.
A lesser-known effort in the aftermath of the disaster was carried out by a team of around 60 doctors from Israel, who were dispatched to the town of Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture. The operation was realized in large part thanks to Isamu Sato — then the mayor of Kurihara, also in Miyagi — who coordinated with the Israeli Embassy in Japan, the central government and local municipalities.
