Choosing Words Carefully in Rikuzentakata

December 22, 2024

While working on the documentary, I had the chance to interview Mr. Keiichi Furutani, a regional coordinator in Rikuzentakata. He’s been living here since 2017 and works to connect local residents with people visiting from outside the city. Whether it’s organizing tourist activities or running Japanese language classes for foreign residents, his goal is to build stronger relationships within the community.

During our conversation, he shared a moment from his time as a tutor that stuck with me. Not long after he moved to Rikuzentakata, he was working at a cram school when the head of the program quietly explained something he hadn’t fully considered. She told him about several students who had lost family in the 2011 disaster—not just one or two, but many. Some had lost both parents, or their entire households.

He realized that the everyday language he had used while tutoring in Tokyo didn’t always fit here. Asking “Is your mom picking you up?” or “Will your dad be coming?” could unintentionally bring back painful memories. From that point on, he began changing how he spoke to students, using words like “guardian” or “someone from your home.” It was a small shift, but one that showed care.

Hearing this made me think more deeply about the way people adjust—not just through big and visible recovery efforts, but also in the careful ways they support one another. Sometimes, being thoughtful starts with simply paying attention to the words we use.