14 Years On: Govt Worker Sings, Dances to Lift Spirits in Kesennuma

Kesennuma, Miyagi Pref., March 11 (Jiji Press)--Marika Suzuki, a 27-year-old public relations worker for the Kesennuma city government, has a dual role: she promotes local tourism on weekdays and spreads joy as a member of the all-girl pop group SCK GIRLS on her days off.

Based in Kesennuma, a Pacific coastal city in Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan, that was devastated by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, SCK GIRLS was formed to bring some happiness to the local community, notably its children. SCK in the group's name stands for sanchi chokuso Kesennuma, meaning "fresh from Kesennuma." Created by a local volunteer organization in collaboration with others, the pop group made its debut in November 2011.

Suzuki was in her first year of junior high school when the disaster struck. She was getting ready to go home after completing arrangements for the graduation ceremony for senior students the following day.

As the violent shaking began, she clung to the leg of her desk, desperate to survive. When the tsunami hit, Kesennuma was lit up by fires that broke out in the bay and cast a strange glow through the night. She still has vivid memories of the haunting scene, one she describes as beyond words.

After the disaster, Suzuki was encouraged by a senior at her school to volunteer. She agreed, thinking that she was ready to do anything for the city. Dressed in a track suit and work gloves, and with garbage bags in hand, she headed to a local community center, expecting to help clear debris or assist with similar tasks.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]