“I am trying to locate my Japanese relates in Sendai. Please ask your family if they know them and if they have any information. My uncle is Masatoshi Suzuki, cousin's name is Masataka Suzuki and lives at 2-22-22 Miyaginoku Saiwaicho Sendai. My great aunt lived at 191 Higashi Hachibancho. Her name is Kiyako Kihriyama. I would appreciate anything they can tell me. Was that street destroyed, anything. My mother is frantic. Thank you so much if you can help!
Frances Bonner
francesbonner1@yahoo.com
I sent a letter 6 days ago, do you know if they are getting mail, and what are they doing with it if the house is gone?”
I had no idea how to do that since Sendai is such a large city. There are higher and lower elevations there and we were just lucky that our relatives live in a higher area away from the tsunami devastation. We were able to reach them by phone and now can also occasionally write to them by e-mail. They themselves are also still wondering if all their friends are all right in other parts of the city.
Then I remembered a comment I got soon after the tsunami struck from South Lakes Mom. Her blog is called I didn't know THAT!
She wrote:
"Kay, I just found a website where you can interact to see if you can locate your family members in Japan.
http://japan.person-finder.appspot.com/"
It was in Japanese so I called my mother to read the instruction. I checked out one of the names that Frances gave me and came up with some information. What a surprise! I'm not positive it's the right person. However, the name she gave me that I typed in showed the address she also included so I'm hoping it's a match!This morning, I got another e-mail from Frances:
"Thank you so much!! I appreciate it and any other info you can provide. Thank you, thank you!"
If you have another Person-Finder site I can post, please let me know.
Isn't blogging amazing?
POSTSCRIPT: I just got this message from my Sendai cousin, Masako:
"Dear Kay,
I don’t know the person named Masatoshi Suzuki, but I know the areas such as
Saiwaicho, Miyaginoku and Higashi Hachibancho. Both areas are near the center of Sendai. They are not near the coastal areas, and so are not destroyed by the tsunami. I think she doesn’t need to worry so much.
I was very busy at work at the end and the beginning of the month. But, on Sunday, I may be able to go out to find the house 2-22-22 Miyaginoku, Saiwaicho.
Love,
Masako"
You are a good matchmaker, Kay. Another "mitsvah point" to your credit.
ReplyDeleteThe Israel army doctors now have the clinic up and running. They said the people were shy about foreigners treating them, but after the mayor of Minamisanriku (who had broken ribs) had photos taken of his exam, the people started coming to the clinic too.
See
http://israelity.com/2011/03/30/israeli-doctor-goes-from-jerusalem-bombing-to-japan-earthquake/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+israelity%2FeuTD+%28Israelity%29
and
A slideshow here:
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israeli-medical-delegation-lands-in-japan-to-aid-relief-efforts-1.352347
The day by day updates can always be found at
http://idfspokesperson.com/
This is so nice of you to do this and hope others give you a way to find people.
ReplyDeleteThe Internet is amazing.
ReplyDeleteDid you know that Google has a Translator feature in case your mom isn't around the next time you need to read something on the Internet that's in a foreign language?
That's really a wonderful thing. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteit's amazing how the internet is expanding to help us in communicating both for good and bad purposes...
ReplyDeleteThe Internet is wonderful. Sometimes, it is even better than a telephone.
ReplyDeleteAs for Google Translator, be careful. There are times when the English translation is very confusing.
The internet and blogging are incredible in helping people stay in contact, learn new things, find people. You are so wonderful with your kindness and concern for others and I do love that about you, Kay! So glad to have you as a friend. Hope your week is going well!
ReplyDeleteSylvia
I'm glad people are finding places to look for their loved ones! This is one time the internet is a huge help!
ReplyDeleteWonderful that you could do this, Kay.
ReplyDeleteStill, the worry goes on.
This is wonderful and so fortunate that it appears that Frances' relations are probably safe. It's good to hear good news.
ReplyDeleteYes, blogging is amazing. News like this just makes me realize all over again how connected we all are.
ReplyDeleteWhat serendipity!!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, blogging is remarkable in that it has brought so many of us together with people we would have never had the opportunity to meet. It really has made the world a smaller place.
remarkable news...we are in a different world now and it's a good thing.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing what we can do electronically but that message brings home how much is needed done for those with family members in the danger zone.
ReplyDeleteI do hope your efforts gave her some comfort.
Wonderful effort you made and hopefully your cousin can fill in the pieces.
Kay and Masako,
ReplyDeleteThank you so very much for the information you have posted. This will make my mother feel much better. Masako, if you are able to go out and check the address, that would be great. My mother said the phone number she had is no good. If you have a way to look up the number for his name and address and e-mail it to me I would love to surprise her with that! Again, thanks so much for all you both have done. I am so happy I found your blog Kay! I pray for all of the people in Japan and am so happy that some people have been found.
Sincerely,
Frances
Wow. All of this communication is wonderful. People are being located and worrying is being eased just as I read through these comments.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of blogging, I found out yesterday that a blog friend of mine is Oregon is the aunt of my niece's boyfriend. It's such a small world now, thanks to technology.
Hooray for the internet and kind people.
ReplyDeleteThere just gotta be a more efficient way to keep people plugged into the Internet after a natural disaster, and perhaps there will be after this disaster. This is almost stone age with the level of technology that's available. I mean some responder that you self activate that registers your GPS location at some system central and you sign off immediately. No extended conversation or anything like that. I saw this person interviewed on tv and he said he don't care about the radioactivity, he just wanted to go back to his neighborhood and search for his missing child. He said it forcefully too. It was very sad.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful gift you give. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteyes, blogging is a wonderful way to connect so many people. so glad you were able to help.
ReplyDeleteThis post brought tears to my eyes. Reading your blog has revealed more about the traumas being suffered than the photos on the news. To hear people's fears and see other's helping them makes it personal in a way the television just can't.
ReplyDeleteHi Kay,
ReplyDeleteI hope she can find him.
I watched news on TV and some volunteers help finding people on Twitter.
if she needs more hands, I'll find the twitter account and ask them!
Aya: I know Frances would love your help. My cousin, Masako tried but said their phone number was probably unlisted. When she looked at the website I posted, there were too many people with the same name.
ReplyDeleteFrances also tried Facebook and found 50 Masataka Suzukis. I had no idea it was such a common name. Perhaps you can have better luck on your Twitter account?
Thanks to Kay and her cousin Masako, my mother has been able to talk to both of her nephews in Japan. She has found her brother in a nursing home and will be speaking to her aunt later this week. Without Kay's blog this wouldn't be possible. We are so thankful to these two beautiful, kind, women. We are sorry to learn of my mother's younger brother's passing, but not from the earth quake.
ReplyDeleteThank you Kay and Masako!
Frances and her mother, Yoko
I'm so glad Masako and I were able to help and I'm glad the news was finally good and happy.
ReplyDelete