A 58-year-old man who lost his daughter in Japan's March 2011 tsunami has been working hard to tell his stories in English as more foreign travelers are expected to visit disaster-hit areas in the Tohoku region as the COVID-19 pandemic wanes.
"Even in English, I want to tell (my experiences) in my own words," said Noriyuki Suzuki, who serves as a storyteller at the preserved remnants of a tsunami-hit elementary school in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture.
The powerful tsunami, unleashed by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake, took the lives of 74 students, and 10 teachers and staff working at the school.
Among the victims was Suzuki's second daughter, Mai, then a 12-year-old sixth grader.
In 2016, Suzuki, together with other bereaved families, formed a volunteer group to tell stories about the disaster.
Before the pandemic, Suzuki shared memories of the disaster with over 15,000 people a year.
He got interested in English after he started receiving requests to tell stories to people overseas virtually amid the pandemic.
Then, he made efforts, such as translating what he has been telling people in Japanese into English and practicing speaking in English smoothly.
In April this year, Suzuki had a chance to talk to an Australian disaster support group online.
After explaining, in English, what it was like at the time of the disaster and the importance of preparing for disasters, a member of the Australian group told Suzuki that hearing firsthand experience helped her understand the importance of learning and taking action.
"I think my English was not fluent, but I was able to feel that one's wishes for saving the lives of loved ones can be conveyed regardless of nationality," Suzuki said.
"I'll work harder with my English storytelling activities."