This village serves as a vital base for overnight stays for disaster relief volunteers. With 100 tents providing protection from the cold, volunteers can now stay for longer periods, ensuring continuous support for the affected areas.
The project also involved local officials from the city of Soja in Okayama Prefecture. When that city was hit by torrential rainfall six years ago, support came in from across the country, and the officials wanted to return the gesture by helping another city in need.
The tent village has been built on a baseball field in Nanao City in cooperation with other municipal governments and an NPO.
Soja City Mayor Kataoka Soichi said at the opening ceremony on March 24, "I proposed this idea when I came to Nanao City and did not spot any volunteers. I have high hopes that the restoration and reconstruction work will progress."
Noguchi Ken, who also heads the nonprofit Peak Aid, said, "If there is a tent village we can spend more time working. Until now, there has been a reluctance to volunteer, but we want to let people know that it is okay to come."
